Even in hell, a ray of hope and salvation can penetrate the darkness. This is the sentiment I share with Life is Beautiful, the movie that makes me laugh and eventually pricks my heart and brings tears in my eyes.
Life is Beautiful tells a story of familial love, devotion and sacrifice. It is built around the lives of the three major characters: Guido, Dora, and Joshua. An Italian Jew Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni) is an amorous and quick-witted individual who views life as full of surprises, romance and adventure. Simply, he believes that life is beautiful. A Gentile Dora (Nicoletta Brashi, Roberto Benigni’s real-life wife) is a beautiful schoolteacher who in the film, becomes Guido’s wife. A cute five-year-old Joshua is the fruit of Guido’s and Dora’s love, who has made to believe of his father’s make-believed stories that the horrors the the concentration camp’s reality is all a game.
The film’s moving, inspiring, and bittersweet storyline is illustrated so effectively. The part on how Guido uses comedy to sustain faith and humanity in a seemingly hopeless situation is amazing. Through the scenes, Guido’s bumping into Dora, and the series of humorous events as if Virgin Mary is cooperationg with him; Guido’s rescuing Dora from marrying the town clerk; Dora’s marrying to Guido; Guido’s and Dora’s having a son, Joshua; Germans’ coming to take Guido and Joshua; Dora’s choosing to go along; Guido’s concocting an imaginative and humorous explanation for the happenings around the concentration camp for saving Joshua; Guido’s being killed; and Joshua’s being reunited with his mother, the film is able to relate a superb masterpiece which does not just mix drama and comedy, but also hides drama in the comedy which leads it to a powerful and mesmerizing achievement of reminding people about the horrible nature of the war and the beauty of survival.
Robero Benigni’s acting as Guido Orefice is terrific and believable. The chemistry between him and Nicoletta Brashi is excellent. As the film changes its tone, the emotional ending carries a powerful surprise. The part when Guido goes to the corner, an attentive viewer might have hoped to see him coming back around the corner, wearing the soldier’s uniform. However, this hope has been broken when Guido is killed. This unpredictable part of this film’s ending makes any viewer shake his head in disbelief.
As the extravagant Guido Orefice, Roberto Benigni’s performance is commendable. He simultaneously becomes the film’s humorous character and its instrument to stir emotion. He shows a highly-regarded talent for displaying a man hiding his fear and hatred for the interest and welfare of his beloved son.
Love conquers all is one of the themes of this masterpiece. It is indeed that the true power of love is explored in this film. Guido’s love shelters Joshua from the horrible truths of the concentration camp, thus keeping him alive towards the end. Guido makes everything into a game to safekeep his little angel throughout their stay there. Not only Guido shows great love, but also Dora. Although she is not a Jew, she demands to go with her husband and son. Her love brings her to the cencentration camp to share with the fate that befallen to her husband and son.
The box shown many times in the film is the major symbol of the film. This box is seen as everyone in the train enters the concentration camp. It becomes a symbol of hiding. The concentration camp is a hidden place in Germany, and the rest of the world was also hiding from the reality of the war at that time. Moreso, in the second time that the box is seen, Guido shows Joshua that the young boy is hiding inside it. Joshua has stopped believing his father’s story that many children are hiding as well. When Guido sees a young German boy playing hide-and-seek with his friends, he shows him to Joshua. Joshua knows very little that time will come that he will also hide in the box.
One of the motifs used in the film is the Holocaust. The Holocaust occurred during World War II when Hitler imprisoned and killed millions of Jews because he wanted an entire race of Anglo Saxons, and he felt that the Jews were getting in his way.
The theme of the film is truly memorable in the context of the Holocaust. The worst horrors that man has known are coupled with sacrificial love. Guido has sacrificed his life for his son.
The film was made several years after the Holocaust. Roberto Beigni, the director and protagonist of the film uses this masterpiece to remind any viewer about the horrors of the Holocaust, and the beauty of surviving from it.
Although the film’s story is a work of fiction, the setting of the film is based on historical fact. So, this film successfully brings life to many people. Despite of all the horrors of the concentration camp, Roberto Benigni is able to bring warmth to the film. One of the reasons for the warmth is the characters. They are well-developed. An attentive viewer understands why Guido would make a game in the concentration camp because he has created a story or game for every other part of the film. It is his strategy to hide the dramatic side of the film.
The first part of the film is set in Italy, while the second part is set at the concentration camp in Germany. These locations do fit with the overall messsage of the film. Between the two, it is the concentration camp that touches me most. It is in this place that Guido shows a bigger part of the true power of love. He has sacrificed his life for saving his son. Moreso, he shows that in the midst of the horrible events in human life, life is still beautiful. Through this, I have seen the beauty of life in Guido’s eyes.
There are no sex scenes in the film, only a light romance between Guido and Dora. This is so because the film’s story focuses on familial love, devotion, and sacrifice.
The music also contributes to the tone of the film. It is first played at an opera house during Guido’s and Dora’s courtship. Later, Guido uses it to communicate hope to his wife and to others.
Through the character portrayed by Roberto Benigni, I can say that even in hell, a ray of hope and salvation can penetrate the darkness.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Is_Beautiful
http://users.aol.com/aleong1631/lifeisbeautiful.html
http://www.ram.org/ramblings/movies/life_is_beautiful.html
http://www.celebritywonder.com/movie/1998_Life_is_Beautiful.html
http://www.dramatica.com/story/film_reviews/reviews/LifeIsBeautiful.html
Life is Beautiful tells a story of familial love, devotion and sacrifice. It is built around the lives of the three major characters: Guido, Dora, and Joshua. An Italian Jew Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni) is an amorous and quick-witted individual who views life as full of surprises, romance and adventure. Simply, he believes that life is beautiful. A Gentile Dora (Nicoletta Brashi, Roberto Benigni’s real-life wife) is a beautiful schoolteacher who in the film, becomes Guido’s wife. A cute five-year-old Joshua is the fruit of Guido’s and Dora’s love, who has made to believe of his father’s make-believed stories that the horrors the the concentration camp’s reality is all a game.
The film’s moving, inspiring, and bittersweet storyline is illustrated so effectively. The part on how Guido uses comedy to sustain faith and humanity in a seemingly hopeless situation is amazing. Through the scenes, Guido’s bumping into Dora, and the series of humorous events as if Virgin Mary is cooperationg with him; Guido’s rescuing Dora from marrying the town clerk; Dora’s marrying to Guido; Guido’s and Dora’s having a son, Joshua; Germans’ coming to take Guido and Joshua; Dora’s choosing to go along; Guido’s concocting an imaginative and humorous explanation for the happenings around the concentration camp for saving Joshua; Guido’s being killed; and Joshua’s being reunited with his mother, the film is able to relate a superb masterpiece which does not just mix drama and comedy, but also hides drama in the comedy which leads it to a powerful and mesmerizing achievement of reminding people about the horrible nature of the war and the beauty of survival.
Robero Benigni’s acting as Guido Orefice is terrific and believable. The chemistry between him and Nicoletta Brashi is excellent. As the film changes its tone, the emotional ending carries a powerful surprise. The part when Guido goes to the corner, an attentive viewer might have hoped to see him coming back around the corner, wearing the soldier’s uniform. However, this hope has been broken when Guido is killed. This unpredictable part of this film’s ending makes any viewer shake his head in disbelief.
As the extravagant Guido Orefice, Roberto Benigni’s performance is commendable. He simultaneously becomes the film’s humorous character and its instrument to stir emotion. He shows a highly-regarded talent for displaying a man hiding his fear and hatred for the interest and welfare of his beloved son.
Love conquers all is one of the themes of this masterpiece. It is indeed that the true power of love is explored in this film. Guido’s love shelters Joshua from the horrible truths of the concentration camp, thus keeping him alive towards the end. Guido makes everything into a game to safekeep his little angel throughout their stay there. Not only Guido shows great love, but also Dora. Although she is not a Jew, she demands to go with her husband and son. Her love brings her to the cencentration camp to share with the fate that befallen to her husband and son.
The box shown many times in the film is the major symbol of the film. This box is seen as everyone in the train enters the concentration camp. It becomes a symbol of hiding. The concentration camp is a hidden place in Germany, and the rest of the world was also hiding from the reality of the war at that time. Moreso, in the second time that the box is seen, Guido shows Joshua that the young boy is hiding inside it. Joshua has stopped believing his father’s story that many children are hiding as well. When Guido sees a young German boy playing hide-and-seek with his friends, he shows him to Joshua. Joshua knows very little that time will come that he will also hide in the box.
One of the motifs used in the film is the Holocaust. The Holocaust occurred during World War II when Hitler imprisoned and killed millions of Jews because he wanted an entire race of Anglo Saxons, and he felt that the Jews were getting in his way.
The theme of the film is truly memorable in the context of the Holocaust. The worst horrors that man has known are coupled with sacrificial love. Guido has sacrificed his life for his son.
The film was made several years after the Holocaust. Roberto Beigni, the director and protagonist of the film uses this masterpiece to remind any viewer about the horrors of the Holocaust, and the beauty of surviving from it.
Although the film’s story is a work of fiction, the setting of the film is based on historical fact. So, this film successfully brings life to many people. Despite of all the horrors of the concentration camp, Roberto Benigni is able to bring warmth to the film. One of the reasons for the warmth is the characters. They are well-developed. An attentive viewer understands why Guido would make a game in the concentration camp because he has created a story or game for every other part of the film. It is his strategy to hide the dramatic side of the film.
The first part of the film is set in Italy, while the second part is set at the concentration camp in Germany. These locations do fit with the overall messsage of the film. Between the two, it is the concentration camp that touches me most. It is in this place that Guido shows a bigger part of the true power of love. He has sacrificed his life for saving his son. Moreso, he shows that in the midst of the horrible events in human life, life is still beautiful. Through this, I have seen the beauty of life in Guido’s eyes.
There are no sex scenes in the film, only a light romance between Guido and Dora. This is so because the film’s story focuses on familial love, devotion, and sacrifice.
The music also contributes to the tone of the film. It is first played at an opera house during Guido’s and Dora’s courtship. Later, Guido uses it to communicate hope to his wife and to others.
Through the character portrayed by Roberto Benigni, I can say that even in hell, a ray of hope and salvation can penetrate the darkness.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Is_Beautiful
http://users.aol.com/aleong1631/lifeisbeautiful.html
http://www.ram.org/ramblings/movies/life_is_beautiful.html
http://www.celebritywonder.com/movie/1998_Life_is_Beautiful.html
http://www.dramatica.com/story/film_reviews/reviews/LifeIsBeautiful.html
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