by Jeremy Rothman
? takes very little skepticism to find major problems with the film
?? A skeptic novice could crack this one pretty quickly
??? A seasoned skeptic will find only a few faults with this film
???? Not even the king skeptic, myself, can find many problems with this
superior brand of cinema.
Life is Beautiful
????
Films like this don't came around very often. In a single word, Life is Beautiful is brilliant. It deserves to be called one of the greatest films of this decade.
The action begins in 1939 in Arezzo -- a town in Northern Italy. Guido, played by the remarkable actor and director Roberto Benigni, is a very bright and witty man of many faces. After bumping into a beautiful woman, Dora, on several random occasions, Guido falls in love. He contrives various situations in order to gain her attention, only to find out that she is engaged. The slap-stick, vaudeville-like action hearkens Groucho Marx films and is executed in brilliant timing and detail.
Although Guido is not openly Jewish, we learn of his heritage after his uncle's horse is painted with the words, "Jew Horse." But Guido's sense of humor rescues the situation when he says (in Italian, of course), "I didn't even know the horse was Jewish." Later, his business is also defiled by graffiti (ironically from the Italian word, graffiare to scratch). Life as a Jew in fascist Italy becomes a more difficult situation. But Guido maintains his bright outlook on life and keen sense of humor.
In the meantime, Dora, a non-Jew, falls in love with Guido. She leaves her fiance and marries Guido. The second-half of the movie continues several years later after the couple has had a child, Joshua. The family's blissful life is interrupted when Guido, his uncle and Joshua are taken to a concentration camp.
Guido contrives a funny and clever story to explain to Joshua what is happening, while sparing him the horrors of the actual situation. Guido's struggles and clever schemes within the camp are a source of great humor and deep insight. Even under the extreme strains of camp life, Guido never shows his son anything less than a smiling face.
This film is a comedic masterpiece as well as an ingenious commentary on life and survival. Comedy is its driving force, while underscored by the need to survive and protect one's family.
The film is perfectly paced. It is exactly symmetrical in its two-act construction. The cinematography is beautifully captured. And the acting is so superb, one almost doesn't need to read the subtitles. Please make the effort to read the subtitles, however, because the dialogue is extremely cultured and profound. One might want to brush up on Schopenhauer and Offenbach before seeing this film. But even if you don't know who those dead guys are, you will still find plenty to laugh at.
I haven't laughed this hard at fascism ever before. The movie spares us most of the bitter-sweet melodrama that ruined other recent films like Saving Private Ryan and Patch Adams. The horror is implied and understood by all. It is the laughter that keeps us interested in the action. Don't misunderstand me, most people do leave this film crying.
I recommend seeing this movie immediately. Benigni will make you laugh. He'll make you cry. He'll make you wish you were in the concentration camp with him -- okay maybe he's not that good.
(c) Copyright 1999, Jeremy Rothman
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http://uhura.cc.rochester.edu/~jr010e