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Life is Beautiful ReviewLife is Beautiful is a film of two very distinct and contrasting parts. It begins in a very light-hearted mood with the main character Guido doing a number of comical acts to win the heart of the woman that will become his wife. They have a son shortly after but World War II is also on the horizon. With Guido and his son being Jews they are obvious targets for SS interest and they are soon deported to a concentration camp, where the movie changes mood.
Guido is separated from his wife but has his son in the barracks and the remainder of the movie goes on to show how he does everything he can to protect his boy from the true horrors of what is really happening. Guido does this by maintaining his playful nature through very difficult circumstances until the withdrawal of the camps guards. Guido manages to convince his son that where they are staying (for his birthday treat) is part of a big game where those who collect the most points, by performing specific tasks, win a brand new tank. This strategy assists Guido in keeping his son hidden and quiet, in order to amass more points towards their total. The ending is a mixture of deep sadness and extreme joy and is another finale that generates emotions that may be hard to contain, or at least for me. Life is Beautiful is an Italian movie but English audio and subtitles are available which is fine as long as you do pay too much attention to the actors lips. The length of the film is 1 hour, 56 minutes. |