Life is Beautiful

Starring: Roberto Benigni
Director: Roberto Benigni
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Year: 1998
Rating: 3 / 5

Determined to achieve my goal of reviewing all five 1998 Best Picture candidates, I decided it was time to catch the lone foreign entry in the category - Life Is Beautiful. Never a tremendous fan of subtitles, I was nonetheless determined to view this particular piece, one of only two (the other being Il Postino) foreign films in recent years to be nominated for Best Picture. I am happy to say that, after this experience, my eyes have opened to the majesty of the genre, even if my limited Italian failed me in a time of need.

Life is Beautiful is the tale of one father's attempt to shield his young son from the horrors of the Holocaust. At the film's onset, in 1939, we see Guido Orefice (Benigni) hopelessly pining for Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), a beautiful socialite engaged to a rather obnoxious fellow. Guido proceeds to concoct whatever scheme he can, usually in a rather humorous fashion, to allow himself to "bump into" Dora. Guido pretends to be a local prince, a military officer, and more, and his persistence eventually pays off. Tired of the boring life she is likely to lead, Dora runs off with the charming Guido, determined to build a life together.

Flash forward five years, as Guido and Dora are now raising an adorable, highly intelligent little boy. The anti-Jew hysteria is rising, and soon Guido, himself a Jewish man, and his son are sent off via train to a concentration camp. Dora, though not Jewish, cannot bear to be separated from her family, so she asks to be allowed to join them. From this point, we watch as Guido carries the burden of his new daily hardships, all the while maintaining the sparkle in his son's eyes. Even if he himself has to suffer, Guido will not let his son know the horrors of their reality.

Roberto Benigni is magnificent on all levels, as a writer, director, and star. Understandably, he was nominated for Acadamy Awards in all three categories. Giorgio Cantarini, in his first film, is truly a site to behold as the precocious Giosue. Nicoletta Braschi does an admirable job with little to work with, as her character suffers from being severely underdeveloped. Yet my favorite performance of all belongs to that of Horst Buchholz (The Magnificent Seven) as Dr. Lessing, a German physician who has contact with Guido before and after his voyage to the concentration camps. Life Is Beautiful rolls through a thoroughly humorous mid-section, finding joy where there would not seem to be some. However, the scenes in the camp represent most of the movie's best work, as it suffers from a slow build-up in the beginning. I must admit, as well, that the subtitles, which should in no way detract from the power of the film, did prevent me from enjoying it as much as I could have. If only I had stuck with that Italian class a little longer... Regardless, what is left is a rather enjoyable, powerful piece, recommended as something new for everyone.

Cast:

Roberto Benigni..........	Guido Orefice
Nicoletta Braschi..........	Dora
Giorgio Cantarini..........	Giosue
Horst Buchholz..........	Dr. Lessing

Certification: Rated PG-13.
Running Time: 114 minutes.

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