Bella! Bellissima!

Rating: 10/10 (25 May 1999)

When I first heard about this movie, I, like many other people, was somewhat concerned. A comedy about the Holocaust? Isn't that somehow tasteless? But I decided that I couldn't judge the film without seeing it myself. This is the single most incredible movie I have ever seen in my life. I laughed; I cried. (Pardon the cliche.) All of my fellow theatre-goers remained seated at the end, pretending to read the Italian credits as they dried their eyes. The reason this film is so wonderful is because it is a comedy and it takes place in a concentration camp, but it is not a comedy about the Holocaust. It's about life and about love. And it manages to leave you believing that life is indeed beautiful. I read that some genius dubbed the film into English. See it in Italian. The language adds to the beauty of the film. I suppose some lazy Americans don't want to read the subtitles. Do it anyway. It may still be good in English, but in Italian, it's perfect.