Cinematic masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (27 March 2016)

This movie is set before and during the German occupation of Italy in WWII. The dialogue is in Italian. It's a little Jem of a film ,beautifully shot with a heart wrenching plot. The movie takes you from the peaceful simple life of pre-war Italy to the horrors of life in a concentration camp. In the start of the film we meet the central character , a simple Italian man whom is trying to win the heart of a girl he meets. I felt the treatment of this stage of the movie was given a comedic , slapstick treatment by the director which was helped by the rapid Italian dialogue. This comedic treatment seems a little out of place as you watch it , but you realise it's purpose later in the movie when the mood turns somber . The Italian man wins the girl and they marry and have a little boy. We learn through the film that the family are Jewish and when the Germans occupy Italy the family are sent to a concentration camp. It is from this point on that the movie becomes a true masterpiece . The lengths the father goes to to protect his son from the horrific situation they are in is simultaneously heart warming and torturous . The dark oppressive atmosphere of the camp and the stark reality of imminent death of the family is forever present as they struggle to survive. A total roller coaster of emotions , I love it. 10/10