a fabulous fable

Rating: 10/10 (11 June 2008)

many have criticized this movie of its "unbelievability" and "unacceptable" use of humor in telling a tale set in a Holocaust setting.
but, as the beginning lets us know...it is a fable. and it is a beautiful one at that.
like all good fables, it has the classic characters: the peasant, the poet, the princess, the wise man, the villain, and the child. like all good fables, it is filled with both joy and sadness. Benigni's concept of making a comedy about the Holocaust was a daring and interesting avenue to explore the courage and hope of the inhabitants of the Nazi concentration camps, one not explored in other excellent Holocaust films like Schindler's List or the Pianist.
everything about this movie is great: the acting, the storytelling, cinematography, musical score. the first half is such a great setup for the second half, and the ending...makes me cry just to THINK about it.
i love movies as literature and entertainment, but this is one of the few films i have ever seen that actually CHANGED my life after i had seen it. it really made me better appreciate the little joys and subtle beauties of life.
if you go into this film expecting a dark and stark realistic portrayal of the Holocaust, you'll probably be let down. that's not what it is. it's a fable. go into it with open mind and open heart and let it sweep you away with its magic.