Life Is beautiful---****1/2
Vita è bella, La(Life Is beautiful)-----1997
Made in Italy by actor and director Roberto Benigini
This flick is not about racism but about the human spirit
Life Is Beautiful shows how humour can set the spirit free
even in the most darkest circumstances of life.
In 1939 Italy,Guido(Roberto Benigni) is a carefree Jewish person who wants to open bookstore
With his amazing sense of humour he woos a beautiful school teacher Dora(Nicoletta Braschi)
Later on they marry and story moves to 5 years later.Now they have a son Joshua(Giorgio Cantarini)
1945 during WW2 they all are captured by fascists and sent to death camps.Guido makes
his son believe that this is actually a game of 'hide and seek' in which one have to get 1000 points to be a prize winner which is a tank
The first half is full of comedy and humour and one might think its romantic comedy
But second half takes a u turn and makes the movie intense and tragic yet lighter
The second half gives a feeling of 'Schindlers List'.But this movie is not as brutal as that
rather we see a deeply touching story told with imagination and humour
Inspite of second half being dark and grim,light and comical moments are interwoven with death and misery all around
Life Is Beautiful is a daring,original story
As an innovative director and a supremely talented actor.
Critic Roger Ebert,the first person ever to win Pulitzer Prize for film criticism says
...Guido uses the only gift at his command to protect his son.
If he had a gun, he would shoot at the Fascists. If he had an army,
he would destroy them.He is a clown, and comedy is his weapon.
I couldnot have agreed and decribed it more profoundly
Guido in profound fashion, Guido personifies the axiom "Life is what you make it".
It is an unexpected,oddly passionate yet deeply emotional portrayal of a father's sacrificial love for his son.
Roberto Benigini popularly known as Jim Carrey of Italy gives his lifetime performance
Its unimaginable to believe the way he portrays humour even in heart wrenching and emotionally driven scenes which can put many audience on the verge of tears
He got well deserved best actor Oscar that year
Roberto Benigini...again truimphs as a writer and director.The scene where he is caught and sees his son hiding leaves you just speechless.Even in that haunting scene by dispalying humour he makes his son believe its part of the game.A class act
Life is beautiful is not about barbarism and brutality but about human spirit.About hope for future
Its about victory of hope over despair,light over dark and also this deeply affecting film triumphs humour over hatred
In the battle against barbarism,Benigni is saying, there are also the weapons of joy and imagination.
It makes u believe that life is not what happens to us,but how we react to it.We must learn to enjoy every moment of our life.
It is up to us to make it beautiful.
And one can assume the greatness of flick as inspite of being made in Italy this timeless classic doesnot only got oscar nomination for 'Best Foreign' language film but it got 7 Oscar
nominations in leading categories out of which it won 3 oscars.
Winner of Grand Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival 'Life is Beutiful' poignantly shows us that in the midst of dark ugliness of death the light of life shines at its 'Most Beautiful'
Unarguably among the greatest flicks.....
..........4.5/5
