Incredible

Rating: 10/10 (17 November 2016)

After having heard great things about this movie from family members and friends, I decided to finally sit down and watch it. I have had multiple people tell me how emotional the movie made them, and that most of them had cried. Although I knew the basic plot of the movie, it started off in a very lighthearted mood. I found it interesting that Guido seemed to be in almost every scene early in the film, and that the movie seemed completely centered around him. Later in the movie, Benigni portrays Guido's selflessness and love for his family, making the mood a lot less lighthearted. The explanation of the camp as a "game" shows how much someone can be willing to sacrifice to spare the feelings of their children. For an older movie, I think this was directed beautifully, and evokes a lot of emotion. I felt both sadness and appreciation of the relationship that Guido shares with his son. Both Guido and his wife seem to remain calm and collected although they know the truth behind the camp, because they have a sliver of hope that they will all get out together. At the end, I also cried. This is such a great movie, makes me want to see more films with Benigni.