Not as bad as I had expected

Rating: Null/10 (22 February 1999)

I went to the theatre fully expecting to dislike this film intensely. First of all, the idea of making a film about someone clowning his way through the holocaust does seem, as many have said, very distasteful. Secondly, I have never found clowns, in general, to be very amusing. However, Benigni is often really funny, and parts of the first part of the film made me laugh quite a bit.
The story really is in two parts; the first being a fantasy about how a clown outwits his rival and succeeds in marrying the woman he loves, and the second, another fantasy about how the same clown succeeds in outwitting a band of murderous thugs. I would say the most emotional moment of the film is the one when the American tank enters the camp grounds.
So, while I do not think this film is the transcendent masterpiece some say it is, it is, nonetheless, an excellent film.