Holocaust Representation? Yes. Historical Film? No.

Rating: Null/10 (4 February 2018)

Life is Beautiful, although a comedy, is above all a film that depicts the Holocaust in Italy. The film has been praised for its ability to depict the endurance of "human spirit" that is placed in a horrific situation. On the other hand, it has been criticized for making a joke of the Holocaust. Although I can recognize that it seems irresponsible to have a comedy about the Holocaust, I feel that Benigni uses comedy as a way to give insight into the individuality of victims of the Holocaust. Many survivors of various concentration camps have revealed that their life in the concentration camp was simultaneously the worst and best experiences. Yes, they endured some of the most horrific experiences imaginable, but they were placed in a situation to create connections with their fellow victims and survivors that are often stronger than any other connection between people.
Additionally, Benigni showed the individuality of the person within a camp context. The comedy was used as a way to show that for many that are placed in camp situations, life must go on. Guido's (Benigni) unwavering spirit and love for his child are depicted as a way to spite the Nazis and remain true to himself. The analogy of the camp to "a game" was a way for the child to potentially grasp the reasons that such a horrific place could exist. In many ways, equating the camp situation to a challenging game would be more believable for a child than coming to terms with the idea that an entire system has been designed for your eradication based upon your ethnicity or religion. The comical spirit was used to show that those who died were individuals with their own personalities and lives rather than giving another ungraspable figure about the Holocaust.
Although I feel that Life is Beautiful is a good film about the Holocaust, it is just that: a story. The film is fictional, historically inaccurate, and overall unbelievable. From the numbers tattooed on the victims' arms which would only have been found in Auschwitz, to the escape of Giosué (Cantarini) as a four-year-old child, the film creates its own depiction of history that is inconsistent with reality and often even gives into the stereotypes of the Holocaust. To see this movie as historical can be dangerous if told from the lens of those who would minimize the traumas of concentration camp survivors. Finally, the end of the movie is bittersweet with the liberation of the child, but also the death of his father. Even if we are to believe that a child was able to survive this situation, the ending is in many ways too sweet because it does not delve into the struggles that survivors faced after liberation. For all survivors, the camp still follows them after liberation throughout their lives.
Overall, Benigni succeeds in telling the story of a supposed life of an individual in a concentration camp, but fails if trying to have made a historical film.