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Ioana Frca
Professor Amelia Nan
Essay Writing
06 January 2016
Life Is Beautiful - A light shining through the darkness
Throughout the course of history there have been many events that have had a particular
impact on humanity and society. The Holocaust was a tragic historical event in which six million
Jews across Europe were killed by the Nazi regime led by Adolf Hitler during World War II.
This genocide sparked many controversies and provoke strong emotions to a population that
struggled to understand what happened. Therefore this subject was covered by many films and
documentaries that have tried to put across the horrors of one of the greatest tragedies in human
history. As a consumer of popular culture and a lover of history I choose to write about Life is
beautiful because it is an atypical film which combine comedy, romance and tragedy showing
another point of view about this horrifying event.
Life is beautiful is an Italian tragicomic comedy-drama filmed in 1997, directed by
Roberto Benigni who was also the lead actor, it is a comic attack on fascism led by Mussolini. In
the heart of the story lies Guido, a delightful character, characterized by a childlike innocence
and cherishing a great dream: to open a bookstore. He is a Jewish man who moved in the city. In
the first half Benigni initially puts emphasis on romance. Guido falls in love with Dora, a teacher
that was supposed to marry a local government official richer than Guido, but he manages to
conquer his beloved heart. Finally, they married and have a son, Giosu.

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In the second half, the film has changed to a different mood, the story takes a dramatic
turn. It illustrates the measures taken against the Jews by the Nazis, the deportation to the death
camps and the precarious conditions in which they lived. The World War II began and Guido
and his son are captured by the Nazis and are sent off by the train to the concentration camps.
Unlike the other films that deal with the theme of the Holocaust, Life is beautiful manages to
combine the tragic with the comedy, this film proposes a highly original way of presenting the
Holocaust dramas. I think that is very hard to make someone laugh in the middle of this tragedy,
but Benigni manages to do this by creative gestures and funny lines. The story takes us through
the separation of a family; Guido and his son were separated from his wife when the Nazis arrest
them. The fathers only purpose is to save his son and to protect him from the horrors around
them; he is making the whole thing to look like a game. He creates a scenario and he tells to his
son that they are playing a game and that if they do it right, they will win the contest and they
will see Dora again. It is incredible how a parent can keep his smile in order to protect his son,
although pain invades his soul. The film shows us also a mothers sacrifice for her young son and
beloved husband: to stay with her loved ones, Dora demands to go to the death camps. The spirit
of sacrifice of these people moves you up to tears:
,, The film is driven by ideals, of romance and of selflessness. This film asks the
viewer to suspend belief, to enter into its fantasy, to embrace the human emotion
as elucidated through the characters Surely the film is engaging the viewer on
an emotive level,evoking empathy for the individual case,for the desperation that
sees a father moved to unthinkable extremes in an attempt to prolong the life of
his son ... This film is about the individual circumstance and thus the slapstick and
ingenious way we are drawn into knowing the characters and the way we are

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immersed in the burgeoning love story of the small boys' parents, necessitates the
audience to empathize. (IMDb)
The film made me realize for the first time the

tragedy

of

Jewish

people

which

experienced terrible suffering because this film brought the drama to the level of an innocent
child sentenced to death just because he was born into a family that belonged to a race
considered inferior. The last scenes are showing the end of the game that is tragic, the intensity of
the emotions are growing because the games in nothing but life itself. Life is seen as a game
taken to its extreme limits, with its beautiful and bad parts. I have seen a lot of films that have
dealt with this issue, but they all been cruel. It is not a surprise because The Holocaust was one
of the darkest periods in our history. So it is easier to watch a film that combines the terror of the
Holocaust with a story full of love and laughter.
To conclude, Life is beautiful is the movie that impressed me the most. It shows better
than any other film the love of parents for their kids, it illustrates the drama of the Jews during
the World War II and shows also the beautiful side of life thats worth living. The moral of this
film would be: life should not be lived with fear, you have to enjoy every moment as it is. It is a
film that makes you realize what really matters in your life, it makes you appreciate the value of
love and the power of sacrifice for your loved ones.

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References
Life is beautiful. Roberto Benigni. Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi. Cecchi Gori Group.
1997.
Film
Steve-y. "Poignant , Misunderstood Masterpiece." IMDb. 11 May 2005. Web. 4 Jan. 2016
Life is beautiful . Wikipedia. Web. 4 January 2016
The Holocaust. Wikipedia Web. 4 January 2016