Takes place in 1930, about an Italian-Jewish man and his family in the Holocaust.

Rating: 9/10 (17 October 2017)

Contrasting Worlds
There are many movies out there that have been made about World War II, in many different styles, and from many different points of views. There are movies about the concentration camps, about the heroic soldier who saves the lives of the innocent, and even about the German side of the war. But the most touching and eye opening film is the Italian film, Life Is Beautiful, about an Italian man and his family, whose lives are affected by the Nazis and the Holocaust. Roberto Benigni, the director of Life is Beautiful, uses contrast between an adult's world and a child's world during World War II to portray the hardships and losses people endured during the Holocaust.
Benigni's decision to include harsh discrimination was essential to build the foundation of the tragedies that follow. The first instance of racism the viewers witness is the message that is left spray painted onto a horse for the protagonist, Guido, and his uncle. However, Guido takes the threat lightly. Guido's initial attitude toward discrimination offers comic relief for the audience when he uses the same horse in a later scene. But reality eventually catches up with Guido when the mere threats turn into actions. Guido and the audience understand that Guido and his family will be affected greatly by the racism and discrimination taking place. For example, Dora, Guido's wife, is separated from her son and husband when they get shipped off to the concentration camp. Guido tries to shield the horrible events that take place from his son, but the burden of taking care of another human during this time is almost too much. Nonetheless, Guido keeps his son's hope alive, that their family will eventually return to their normal lives. Benigni illustrates the far fetched hopes of many families during the holocaust of one day reuniting.
World War II and the Holocaust from a child's point of view must have been a scary time, mostly due to the death, discrimination and abuse taking place around them. However, in Life is Beautiful, Guido creates a entirely different world from his own for his son. As a child, confusion is natural, and Guido uses it to fabricate a lie about the entire concentration camp being a part of a big game, to justify the abnormal activity happening around his son. When Guido is asked why Dora is not with them, he tells his son that it is all a part of the game. When he is asked about food, he tells his son that he needs to stay quiet and not complain, because of the game. Although Guido puts on a enthusiastic front for the sake of his child, the audience understands that reality is not as positive. The audience understands the pain and extra effort Guido has to go through to hide the reality of the concentration camp from his son. The world of those of Jewish heritage during World War II is filled with misery and hardship, and Benigni puts forth a creative way of showing a child's perspective of the Holocaust while revealing the suffering surrounding the situation.
Clearly, the worlds of Guido and his son are very different. Guido is trying to take care of his son, look for Dora, and stay alive during the scariest of times, whereas his son is convinced that he is in a competition to win a tank. The contrast between their perspectives amplifies the loss each of them endure. When Guido suffers a loss, the audience feels his pain. However, when his son suffers a loss, he does not even know what he has lost. He has little understanding of what is going on around him, which is very important to the story line. The audience can learn not only about the Holocaust, but about what a parent is willing to sacrifice for the sake of their child.