"Life is Beautiful"

The Holocaust is an extremely important historical event that has left a lasting effect on humanity. A common way to present ideas and reflections on such historical tragedies is through the medium of film. “Life is Beautiful”, a 1997 Italian film directed by Roberto Benigni, focuses on the story of a Jewish father who uses his playful attitude and creativity to help his son survive a Nazi concentration camp. While many films focused on the Holocaust look mostly at the horrible happenings in concentration camps and the local aspects that affected the victims, “Life is Beautiful” takes a different approach on this issue. The first noticeable difference about this movie is that fact that it shows much fewer scenes of torture and murder involved with concentration camps. Some critics think poorly of this movie, suggesting that it takes away from the in-humane actions of the Nazis in World War II. However, this is false, the movie simply takes a different approach which allows the director to present a different meaning, that is equally effective to all cultures. The fact that this movie has the ability to affect all cultures the same way, supports the idea that it is a global film. Robert Benigni, while taking a daring step by making a comedy set in the Holocaust, made a strong film which has an important and global effect through his production of “Life is Beautiful”.
Possibly the most noticeable aspect of this movie is the fact that it is focused on a serious subject, the Holocaust, but it is, for the most part, a dramatic comedy. Some critics have responded to this factor of the film with disgust for the lack of respect of what was a severely tragic event. Charles Taylor, of “Salon.com” expressed similar reviews in his review for “Life is Beautiful”. Taylor writes, “That Benigni does not treat the extermination of Italian Jews as a laughing matter is beside the point. The point, I think, is the sheer callous inappropriateness of comedy existing within the physical reality of the camps -- even the imagined reality of a movie”(Taylor). Taylor recognizes the fact that Benigni does not actually make a joke out of the killing of the Jews, but still does not agree with presenting a comedy in the setting of what was a grim time for humanity. However, this point of view is poor for two reasons. First, certain scenes in the film do recognize the seriousness of the Holocaust. Dana Renga argues, “Benigni by no means undermines the seriousness of the subject matter: on the fundamental images of the film – a large mound of bodies encountered by the protagonist in a foggy, ill-defined space”(Renga 463). This scene mentioned by Renga and others give reminders to the audience about the gruesomeness of the Holocaust. By taking short moments in the movie to show what was truly happening in the concentration camps proved that Benigni recognizes the true events of the Holocaust. This brings us to the second reason for which the view that Benigni’s film mocks the Holocaust, the point that Benigni tries to make about how unreasonable the actions of the Nazis were in World War II.
Guido protects the innocence of his son from the concentration camp by telling him that the concentration camp is a game, in which they must earn a thousand points in order to get the grand prize. This is what causes the tragedy of the Holocaust to be turned into a much lighter situation. However, J. Hoberman points out that, “by turning the death camp into an improvised children's game, Benigni articulates a partial truth. Auschwitz was, in the deepest, most awful sense, an absurd place--a monstrous realm of institutionalized irrationality”(Hoberman 135). Hoberman thinks that Benigni’s illogical comic twist of the Holocaust emphasizes the insanity of the concentration camps. A published writer has a similar view on this idea, “Guido’s game is ludicrous precisely because the camp system itself was a highly bizarre universe, characterized by a myriad of rules and statutes and in which inmates brought there to be killed were for the intervening period of detention required to adhere to strict codes of behavior, dress and organization”(Wright 19). This stresses a specific scene in Benigni’s film, When Guido and his son were first taken to the concentration camp they were given instructions by a German soldier. Guido volunteered to translate for everyone so that his son would not hear the truth. As the soldier gave instructions Guido explained his made up game, the scene lasted a few minutes which showed that the long list of rules confirms Wright’s idea. Benigni’s idea of a game does not make fun of the Holocaust, but rather points out its absurdity and insanity. Having examined how this film is viewed in relation to historical events, we can move to look at the meaning that the movie outlines and the audience to which it is aimed.
“Life is Beautiful” has an easily distinguishable meaning, that life is in fact beautiful, but the strength of this message is due to the global appeal of Benigni’s film. Pamela Schaeffer argues in her review, “ ‘Life is Beautiful’ is a fable about hope, about keeping hope alive. It offers another window for looking back at the Holocaust, for imagining the courage it must have taken to survive, even if we cannot imagine the pain”(Schaeffer 35). Schaeffer has found the true meaning of this movie, while at the same time revealing a factor of its success. The subject of the holocaust is typically portrayed in movies by the realistic suffering of Jews in concentration camps. However, a director must realize that only a small percentage of people can relate to that amount of suffering, as stated by Schaeffer, “even if we cannot imagine the pain.” Benigni instead looks at the story from the point of view of a father attempting to protect his son from an evil that could rob him of his innocence and his life. This different approach on the Holocaust sends a message that can be related to by a much wider audience, and relating to an audience is the best way a director can make his message effective. Benigni sends a strong message with this movie because he relates to a global audience, rather only relating to people directly affected by the Holocaust. By making his movie with a theme of love, caring, and light humor, Benigni relates to his audience by their common human factor. Relating to his audience this way allows Benigni’s message to have a crucial impact on a global scale.
“Life is Beautiful” makes an important impression on a global audience. Many films have attempted to create a moving and profound message by examining the events of the Holocaust, but the original comic genre of this holocaust film allows the Benigni to write a new meaning for his audience. The playful nature of the main character, Guido, and general happy mood of this movie, despite the tragic setting, allows the audience to leave with an appreciation for the true beauty of life. It is important to recognize that this film does not disrespect the events of the Holocaust, but rather shows their absurdity in an original way. The movie looks at a commonly discussed historical event and concludes with an original meaning. Most importantly, Benigni’s “Life is Beautiful” leaves an original and lasting impression on a global audience.








Cited Works
Hoberman, J. "Nazi Business." The Village voice 4327 October 1998 135. 1 March 2008 .
Renga, Dana. "Staging Memory and Trauma in French and Italian Holocaust Film." Romanic Review 97(2006): 463.
Schaeffer, Pamela. "Benigni's Film, Like Life Itself, is Beautiful." National Catholic Reporter 35(1999): 35.
Taylor, Charles. "The Unberable Lightness of Benigni." 30 October 1998 1 March 2008 .
Wright, Melanie J. "'Don't Touch My Holocaust': Responding to Life is Beautiful." Journal of Holocaust Education 9,1Summer 2000 14.