Otherwise, there is nothing serious about him. We know that he is Jewish, but only because his uncle is the victim of anti-semitic activity. Our hero makes a joke of this fascist hooliganism, emblematic of his treatment of every other aspect of his life. Nothing really bothers him. Everything is funny.
Life is beautiful.
Obviously, she is not Jewish, but that isn't an issue. This first act is romantic comedy, with only the slightest foreshadowing of the tragedy to come. Having been told that the movie is about the Holocaust, the viewer may begin to wonder where the Nazis are, and whether the war will ever begin. Then, all of a sudden, the film artistically but suddenly leaps forward a decade. Soon, we are transported to the cattle cars and concentration camp.