Beautifully-executed celebration of human spirit - no more, no less.

Rating: 8/10 (26 December 1999)

`Life is Beautiful' is a rarity  a simply conceived and executed story about the strength of the human spirit in adversity. It is rare because it manages to deliver a message without beating you about the head with it and getting caught up in its own mission. Neither does it sternly point a finger at the audience which many Hollywood `message' films seem to do these days. Rather, it shows how, even in the conditions of Jewish persecution during the Second World War, people can rise above themselves for the sake of their loved ones. End of message.
The film is a delicate balance of humour and pathos, and, unlike many other reviewers, I didn't feel the concentration camps were treated with levity or belittled. The horror is there, but understated. This was how many war victims and sufferers of other atrocities throughout the ages have managed to turn aside the terrible spirit-crushing events they endured  with a gag or a laugh.
Roberto Begnini is brilliant, and inhabits his character totally as though born to the part. The romance between him and his `Principesse' is touchingly romantic, and Giorgio Cantarini is terrific as little Joshua.
I found this film very satisfying and moving, mostly because it said what it had to without moralizing, making its impact all the more effective.