Life Is Beautiful
1998
An inspired, award-winning story about the power of love and the human spirit, Life Is Beautiful has been called a modern masterpiece! Guido - a charming but bumbling waiter who's gifted with a colourful imagination and an irresistible sense of humour - has won the heart of the woman he loves and created a beautiful life for .. Read more
| Starring | Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi |
|---|---|
| Director | Roberto Benigni |
| Genres | Drama, Romance |
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Life Is Beautiful
An inspired, award-winning story about the power of love and the human spirit, Life Is Beautiful has been called a modern masterpiece! Guido - a charming but bumbling waiter who's gifted with a colourful imagination and an irresistible sense of humour - has won the heart of the woman he loves and created a beautiful life for his young family. But then, that life is threatened by World War II and Guido must rely on those very same strengths to save his beloved wife and son from an unthinkable fate... Italian dialogue.
| Starring | Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi |
|---|---|
| Director | Roberto Benigni |
| Studio | BUENA VISTA HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 2 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 must-see movies |
| Genres | Drama, Romance |
| Language | DVD: Italian, English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | DVD: English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish |
| Released | DVD: 22 Jan 2001 Production year: 1998 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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Is this a glowing tribute to humanity in extremis, or an ill-judged trivialisation of pitiless barbarism? Both verdicts have been passed on Roberto Benigni's multi-award-winning film. However, while the sensitivities of those supporting the latter view have to be taken into account, it would be wrong to deny that there were moments of simple joy and treasurable intimacy even at the height of the Holocaust. The opening section, charting Benigni's courtship of the imperious Nicoletta Braschi, is delightful. It also serves as a poignant backdrop for the nightmare to follow, as Benigni tries to shelter his son from the bitterest of truths. The result is courageous, humanistic film-making.
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A bold and brave film, and one well worth seeing, despite some rather contrived slapstick in the early sequences; yet, in the end, clowning does not merely seem an inappropriate response to the realities of a concentration camp, but the wrong response.
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Most helpful member's review
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87 out of 90 people found this review helpful
Watch It
Starting off as a light hearted comedy and progressing in to an amusing and engaging look at some very dark subject matter, Life is Beautiful is almost two movies in one, with both relying on the central performance of Roberto Benigini.
This is one of the most amusing and engaging movies I have seen for some time. It has been claimed this movie mocks the holocaust, but in reality only those with the most closed of minds could possibly argue this having watched the movie. Simply because the movie is light hearted does not mean that the viewer will not sympathise with the characters involved here and in fact this will probably have a bigger emotional impact on you than any number of darker films.
Funny, Enjoyable and Moving. A must see for everyone. -
Most recent members' review
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8 out of 10 people found this review helpful
I'm on the fence
A very good film and well worth seeing, but my concern is that it has a tendency to place too much reliance on scoring a comic point.
The first half deals with Benigni falling in love with Braschi. It is full of comic set-pieces which romp ahead at such a pace that sometimes characters aren’t introduced properly. Never mind, the comedy is absurd and delightful and will have you giggling away to yourself in glee.
In the second half, the family is taken to a concentration camp. The story has Benigni trying to protect his son from the horrors and truths of the camp by convincing him it’s all a game. However, the film continues the comic set-piece presentation of the first half and for me this make too light of the gravity of the situation.
My problem? Well, I think that if the second half of the film is all about protecting the son from the horrors of the concentration camp, then those horrors need to be portrayed properly in order for the film to succeed. I felt that at times concessions were made in order to allow a comic or romantic point to be scored, for the audience more than the son, weakening the overall impact of the film.
There again, perhaps that is the whole point: to see comedy where there is only horror. Life is beautiful, as the title says.
I remain on the fence. I enjoyed the film, but ultimately came away dissatisfied at the presentation which for me weakened its impact. Judge for yourself. Whatever you decide, this is still a film well worth hunting out. -
News and features
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Rush Hour 3
- 06 Aug 2007
I can just about understand what the French see in Jerry Lewis, why the Americans embraced Roberto Benigni in Life Is Beautiful, and how some people believe Lee Evans is a comedy genius. But Chris Tucker I just don't get. Least, not as Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour films, which is the only role he's played in the last decade. (I seem to remember I enjoyed seeing him get shot in the trunk in Jackie Brown.) They paid him $25 million to reprise this role for second time, so it's obvious Read more
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