Soon after, they are herded like cattle into a train bound for a nameless concentration camp. It is a place of horror and death, where healthy men and women work all day long melting down metal for weapons while those who are too old, too infirm, or too young to endure hard labor are sent to the showers. Guido is well aware of what is happening, and is determined to shield his son from the terrifying reality of the situation. So he carefully concocts a storyteller's web of fantasy around Giosue, informing the boy that this is all part of an elaborate game. Anyone complaining about not having enough food is disqualified and has to go home.
Life is Beautiful has come under attack in some circles for mocking the Holocaust.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Benigni takes the subject matter very seriously, as is obvious from the subtle air of menace that hangs over the film's second half. A movie does not have to be as grim and gut-wrenching as Schindler's List to get the point across. Although there is an element of joy in observing the absurdly complex fantasies that Guido develops for Giosue's consumption, there's also a deep sense of melancholy every time we consider where the characters are and what their fate may be. Before Guido's arrest, the two enjoy each other's company, but their relative positions have changed radically by the time they next meet.