What an Achievement

Rating: 8/10 (8 July 2014)

Benigni makes the film. I believe if it had in someone else's hands, it would probably not work, but there is something about this man's facial features. Somehow he connects with you, and yet he's so different from everyone else. Most of us can't conjure fairy tales and magical moments like his protagonist. What we can do is feel fear, love, loyalty, and a lot of the emotions that he sometimes shows and tries to disguise in order not to cause more pain.
The story takes us through the separation period of an Italian man from his wife when the Nazis arrest him and his young boy. The father has to create a scenario to protect his young kid from the horrors that surround them. He tells them they are playing a game, and that if they do it right, they will win and see their wife/mom again. It is not so easy to carry out, and with creative gestures and, bewildering, funny lines, we laugh in the middle of this tragedy. Still, we are sad because it's all a fantasy, and the odds are that this will not end well.
The most heartbreaking part is the ignorance that is part of many of these characters' lives. His "friends" appear to be unaware of what is going on. Normal lives continue in an isolated oasis, away from imminent death. Guido tries hard, almost succeeding, and we get to the bittersweet ending, something that will remind many of those doubted this premise was going to work, that this is after the way life works. It's full of surprises, and some of them are not beautiful.
There are many winning elements in this film. At the top are the performances of the main characters. We have a lovely score that underscores the extremes that co exist in the same universe. We have the evils of World War II and the beauty of the love between the various members of the family. This is a film that must have been difficult to sell, produce, and realize, but it succeeds and delivers another perspective about that horrible period in history.