Life Is Beautiful (1997)

directed by Roberto Benigni

Plot Summary Soon before World War II in Italy, Guido and his friend travel from the country to the city in order to get jobs--Guido eventually hopes to open a bookstore. In the meantime he works in a hotel with his uncle and courts a schoolteacher named Dora. Guidos clownish charm eventually wins Dora away from her odious fianc. A few years pass, and Guido and Dora have married and had a son, Joshua. It turns out that Guido is Jewish, and he and his son are sent to a concentration camp; Dora refuses to separate and is deported with them. Guido convinces his son that the entire camp is being run as a game of which the winner receives a real tank. Guido is able to protect his son and, as the camp is being cleared out, asks him to hide so that his father can find Dora. However, Guido is captured by guards and killed. The next day, Joshua emerges from his hiding place to find an empty camp. A U.S. tank arrives, and Joshua gets to ride in it until he is reunited with his mother. Commentary Life Is Beautiful is a funny and touching film that works best if one doesnt take it too seriously. This may be a problem since at least half of the film deals directly with the Holocaust by taking place in a concentration camp. Using this dismal historic setting as the backdrop for a fictional tragicomedy may not seem like a great idea, but its hard not to fall for the films charm and hopeful optimism that something positive can be extracted from the worst situation imaginable. It is much more effective on a general level dealing with basic concepts such as love and faith than on a more specific, detailed level that would be closer to historical reality. The first gag sets the tone for a comedy that dabbles in some political realities as Guido unwittingly gives the Fascist salute to onlookers waiting for a government process to pass through. Early on, Guido is shown to be a resourceful, quick thinker who is able to suggest exactly what is already prepared to a restaurant customer; this ability will be necessary to maintain his sons fantasy in the latter part of the film. Another example would be the impersonation of a school inspector that Guido undertakes in order to woo his "princess", a schoolteacher named Dora. Benigni turns this inspection into a humorous prank by pointing out the absurdity of the Fascist dictum that was supposed to be taught. He mentions that he was chosen by "racist scientists" and begins showing off how well formed his ear is and the perfection of his bellybutton, ending with his "Aryan exit" out the window. Guidos perfect evening with Dora uses the repetition of events earlier in the film along with coincidence to make events seem divinely inspired. Dr. Lessings answer to a riddle and Guidos hat switching are made to seem totally spontaneous and appropriate in the couples conversations. This repetition of certain elements also becomes apparent during the second half of the picture; in a way, Guidos innocent deception of Dora in this sequence foreshadows how he must later deal with his son to keep him alive.

Another sequence portrays the preposterous logic that was sweeping the country by showing one teacher discussing a math problem that she finds too difficult for her students. This difficulty, rather than the fact that the question deals with eliminating people, is what upsets her, and Doras fianc similarly overlooks this problem when describing how it can be solved simply. In a comical scene, Guido rescues Dora from the party on his uncles horse that had been painted on by Fascist hoodlums. This also supports a central point of the film in how Guido can always put a positive spin on negative events. With Guido having won Dora over, the film jumps forward a few years to show their happy family that now includes a son, Joshua. When Joshua asks Guido about a sign prohibiting Jews and dogs, his father describes that it is a completely arbitrary selection and suggests they put up a similar sign regarding spiders and Visigoths. Again, the film is mixing politics and comedy in an effort to debunk these racist ideas. The film has, up to this point, presented a joyful time in its characters lives and now prepares to contrast it with their painful future. When Guido and his son, joined by Dora, are herded on a train, the movie begins to shift into a darker tonealthough not as dark as one might expect. Guido immediately begins trying to protect his childs innocence by telling him that the train ride is part of a vacation he has planned. He continues his improvisation once they reach their destination by suggesting the camp is part of a game, thereby establishing a way he can control his sons behavior as well as shield Joshua from the monstrous function of the camp. Using a Nazi death camp as the setting for an imaginary game is a risky move, but perhaps the film suggests that the insane logic of the camp requires an equally senseless reasoning in order to survive there. Crucial to convincing his son of this games existence is a scene where Guido translates a guards instructions, one of the comic highlights of the film. Benignis gift for comedy aside, one reason for this segments humor is that the viewer is not quite sure where the film is going once inside the camp; this surprising scene assumes that Guidos clowning will be present even here. It is also simply an excellent subversion of the frightening, rigid authority represented by the guard barking out commands. The film also shows Guido and other prisoners doing strenuous work around the camp, but Benigni also turns this into a bit of a joke as well. Joshua refuses to take a shower with the other children, even after Guidos dangerous insistence. His stubbornness benefits him in this case, and the film had set up this quality earlier to make the scene more plausible. A sad and earnest moment occurs as Guidos uncle is about to be executed. A female guard trips in front of him, and he catches her and helps her up out of his instinctive human kindness and compassion, qualities that she has had to deaden. Another sad and disappointing scene involves Guidos contact with his friend from the restaurant, Dr. Lessing, who happens to be a Nazi official. When he makes an effort to meet with Guido, there seems to be some hope for the entire family, but he actually only wanted help with a riddle. His character could be interpreted as being racked with guilt to the point of insanity so that his obsession with riddles works like a defense mechanism for his mind. His irrationality is another symbol for the twisted reasoning that led to places like the concentration camps. Slightly less effective are the scenes where Guido tries to contact Dora either through the loudspeaker or with the record player, which try to inject a little too much sentimentality into the picture. Near the climax of the film, Guido tells Joshua to hide in a small, metal box, an act that has also been reflected in an earlier scene. From here his son sees Guido playing the clown to the very end, maintaining the illusion that everything will be all right. But this illusion is finally broken for the viewer when Guido is killed, even though one

might have hoped for the fantasy to continue and to see him coming back around the corner wearing the soldiers uniform. However, Joshuas illusion continues for the length of the film as a real U.S. tank shows up, and he is reunited with his mother. One of the themes of the film, then, is the desire to protect the innocent from the horrors of life at any costto show them that life is beautiful. That the film attempts to do this in such an extreme situation is admirable, yet that it compromises the reality of this situation is apparently inevitable. The film is primarily shot in the classical Hollywood style where all the filmic elements serve the story. Only when Joshua crawls out of his hiding place to find a desolate camp do compositional and pictorial elements seem to be emphasized. Amazingly, for the subject matter that it tackles, the film seems quite buoyant. Although Life Is Beautiful wouldnt be recommended as a learning experience about the Holocaust, it is a charming and emotional work of fiction.

Character List
Guido Orefice
A Jewish-Italian bookstore owner and the protagonist of the film. After he marries Dora, they have a son, Giosue. He has a way of making seemingly magical things happen by manipulating his surroundings. When he is taken to a concentration camp with Dora and Giosue, he tries to encourage them with his antics and machinations, and he eventually sacrifices his life to save his son.

Dora Orefice
Guido's wife. She leaves her boorish fianc for Guido because she is charmed by the enchanted situations that seem to find him wherever he goes. When Guido and Giosue are taken to a concentration camp, she insists on going, too, even though she is not Jewish. She survives the ordeal and is ultimately reunited with her son.

Giosue Orefice
Guido and Dora's son. After Guido and Giosue are taken to the concentration camp, Guido convinces Giosue that they are both participants in a giant game and that the winner will receive a real tank. Giosue is occasionally skeptical of his father's fantastic ideas, but he generally takes great joy in the magical world that Guido creates for him.

Eliseo Orefice
Guido's uncle. Eliseo finds Guido a job as a waiter when he first arrives in the city. He is the target of Nazi aggression throughout the film, and he eventually is gassed in the concentration camp.

Ferruccio Papini

Guido's friend. Ferruccio moves to the city with Guido, teaches him the Schopenhauer Method, and accompanies Guido on many of his adventures.

Dora's Mother
A staid woman, Dora's mother does not want her to marry Guido, and the two fall out of touch for many years. Finally, Dora's mother approaches Giosue in the bookstore, and mother and daughter are reunited.

Doctor Lessing
One of Guido's regular patrons at the restaurant. Doctor Lessing is a lover of riddles, and he finds Guido's particular facility with them astonishing. He becomes a doctor in the concentration camp but does not help Guido's family escape despite his longstanding friendship with Guido.

School Principal
An uptight woman who is shocked when Guido arrives to lecture her charges on the superiority of the Aryan race. She later reveals her racism at Dora's engagement dinner.

Amico Rodolfo
Dora's fianc when she first meets Guido. He is insensitive and caught up in Italian high society, and he makes Dora unhappy. He also denies Guido a loan to open a bookstore.

Bartolomeo
One of Guido's bunkmates in the concentration camp.

Vittorino
A fellow prisoner at the concentration camp.

Oreste
the man who employs Ferruccio as an upholsterer.

Life is Beautiful Summary

Life is Beautiful opens on a note of hilarity as the protagonist, Guido, and his best friend, Ferruccio, rocket down a country slope, the brakes on their rickety old car having given way. They pass through a parade, and the audience is immediately aware of where we are: the bystanders, believing Guido to be a Fascist leader, all raise their arms in the "Heil Hitler" sign. While Ferruccio attempts to fix the car, Guido happens upon a little farm, where the woman who is to become the love of his life literally falls from the sky into his arms. "Good morning, princess!" he cries, grinning widely. Guido and Ferruccio find lodgings with Guido's uncle, Eliseo, who recently has come under attack by Fascists. Eliseo also helps Guido to get a job as a waiter in a fancy hotel. Guido visits a moneylender in an effort to secure a loan to open up a bookshop, and he soon realizes that the disagreeable man, Amico, who refuses his loan is also the betrothed of the woman who fell into his arms, Dora. The following series of events demonstrates what a truly extraordinary character Guido is: he is uniquely capable of manipulating his surroundings so that events that are "coincidences" take on the aura of genuine magic. It is this ability that ultimately sways Dora: on one rainy night, Guido virtually steals her away from the insipid Amico and takes her on a journey through her imagination to a place where pillows can be used as skirts, the Virgin Mary throws keys from the heavens, and red carpets unroll through darkened piazzas. At Dora's engagement party to Amico, she decides once and for all to run away with the mysterious man who keeps appearing out of nowhere. Guido rides Uncle Eliseo's horse (which has been painted green and graffitied with the words "Jewish horse") into the ballroom and spirits her away to the home where they are to leave for several joyful years. They have a son, Giosue, who has his father's enthusiasm for life and his mother's tendency to hiccup. A far darker event occurs: Guido begins to be harrassed by the Fascists. Soon he, Eliseo, and Giosue are taken away on a train to a concentration camp. Dora, refusing to be left behind, insists that she be allowed to go to the camp as well. At the camp, Guido decides that he will create an elaborate ruse to protect his son from the horror of their situation. He tells Giosue that his own father took him on a "trip" just like this one when he was a boy, and that if he stays silent, does not cry or ask for his mother, and obeys all the rules, he will win points. After he wins 1,000 points, he will get first prize: a real tank. Giosue, excited at the idea, approaches the camp as a game rather than what it truly is: a prison. The three adults go in very different directions once at the camp. Eliseo, since he is an old man, is taken to the showers. Dora goes to the women's camp, where she hears stories about the children being slaughtered and fears for the safety of her husband and son. Guido and Giosue go to the barracks, where Guido continues to imbue the darkness of the camp with an air of levity and joy. He even commandeers the loudspeaker so that he and Giosue can cry out to Dora that they miss her and love her. Guido's hope for escape arrives when he is asked to be a waiter at an event where Doctor Lessing, an old friend of his from the restaurant back home, now a doctor in the Nazi army, will

be dining. Doctor Lessing, however, ignores the gravity of Guido's situation; it seems that he only wanted Guido to wait tables at the party because he needed help solving a riddle. Desolate, Guido takes Giosue back to the barracks, but not before stopping to play the Offenbach opera that he and Dora once attended over the loudspeaker in an effort to lift his wife's spirits. Soon the war is over, and the camp is thrown into a state of confusion and panic. All of the prisoners are being loaded onto trucks that are returning empty. Desperate to warn Dora, Guido tells Giosue to hide in a cabinet until everyone has gone, dons women's clothing, and sneaks over to the women's camp. He is discovered, but as he is marched off to his death, he manages to give his son one last moment of joy: as he walks by the cabinet where Giosue is hiding, he throws his son a wink and does a funny little walk--playing the game to the bitter end. When morning arrives Giosue, seeing that everyone has gone, tentatively crawls out of the cabinet. He looks around in confusion and then hears a rumbling in the distance. His eyes light up: a real tank is rounding the corner! He has won! An American soldier pulls him up into the tank, and they ride out of the camp. As they pass the crowds of escaped prisoners, Giosue recognizes his mother and runs to her. She wraps him in a tight embrace. "We won!" he cries out. "Yes, we won," Dora says.

About Life is Beautiful

After World War I, Italy was in a state of turmoil. Political groups such as communists and anarchists were vying for attention and sway, and King Victor Emmanuel III was losing control over his country. Angry, bitter soldiers had returned to a broken country. Without the direction they were accustomed to in the military, they were aimless. Benito Mussolini gave these soldiers direction. He organized them into the "Blackshirts," groups of armed peacekeepers ready to do his bidding. In this way, Mussolini cultivated martial strength and eventually overthrew the weak government of Italy in 1922. The Fascist party ruled Italy until its fall in 1943. Under Mussolini's rule, anti-Semitism in Italy experienced a dramatic increase. On July 14, 1938, the Ministry of Popular Culture issued a manifesto della razza, or "manifesto of the race." This manifesto declared that there is a hierarchy of races and that the Jewish race is inferior to the Aryan race. In the wake of this publication, many Jews experienced persecution, lost their homes and jobs, and eventually were shipped to concentration camps. There was little outcry after the manifesto della razza or the resulting treatment of the Jews. This is not surprising, however, because Italy's history of persecuting Jews extends back before Mussolini and the Fascist party (as long ago as the early 1800s, Italian Jews were being placed in ghettos; recall also Shakespeare's play Merchant of Venice). Thus, the lack of national indignation at these new anti-Semitic laws is understandable. The people, though uncomfortable at the harshness of these laws, were not uncomfortable enough to do anything to stop them from being implemented. Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany joined hands as the Axis Powers in World War II. They not only joined forces on the battlefield, but they also worked together to send Jews (as well as other "problematic" citizens) to concentration camps. Many prisoners died from malnutrition, disease, exhaustion, or execution. These camps were scattered throughout Germany and Poland, with some in Italy and elsewhere. A program of euthanasia called "The Final Solution" was created

during the final years of the war. This program called for the annihilation of all "undesirables." Extermination camps were set up in Poland for the purpose of killing off Jews, gypsies, and whomever else the state had a political or personal animosity towards. The extermination camps, including Auschwitz and Treblinka, killed millions. Men and women were shipped from Poland, Germany, Italy, and elsewhere to these camps. A Jew living in Italy during this time was likely to be shipped to a concentration camp or even an extermination camp. The survival rate was very low, though some survivors of these horrific camps are still alive today. Life is Beautiful seeks to convey, for one thing, the reality of life during this period, especially life in a camp for one family in particular. But it simultaneously injects a new spirit into a story that has been told many times. This story of some of the horrors of the Holocaust includes a unique, almost lighthearted element, something beyond the material reality that on its face is so horrible. Benigni's willingness to use comedy to underscore the evils of fascism is undoubtedly shocking, but it is extremely effective in conveying Benigni's firm belief that beauty and light can be found even in the most horrible of places.
The best scene : Guido and his son Joshua are taken to a concentration camp, and to keep up Joshua's spirits he tells him its a game.