Roberto Benigni's Life Is Beautiful

felt when the Facists took them over in World War 2. Dora’s tool to fight her inertia was her

The theme

The Holocaust was a distressing time in history and is not a story everyone can absorb. Both the book, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas written by John Boyne and the film, Life is Beautiful, directed by Robert Benigni, are based upon the real life events of the Holocaust but with a difference. They made clever use of different techniques to dim and censor the reality of the events and interpret it in a more tolerable way. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas depicts the life of a young nine year old boy named Bruno who is the son of the Commandant of the Auschwitz

     ?Life Is Beautiful? gives the audience a vivid look into what happened during the Holocaust. Roberto Benigni plays a very upbeat, carefree bookstore owner. His wife, who is not Jewish, and his

Life can be very beautiful. In contrast, life for many people during World War 2 was not so beautiful. During this time, the world was at war. Gladly, during all the madness, in 1945 innocent people broke free, and concentration camps were liberated. The film Life is Beautiful, Guido demonstrated the three qualities; Inherent thoughtfulness and emotionality, expressive coherence, and wholeness and unity.

• On page 89, Mlle Reisz in saying “Courageous, ma foi! The brave soul. The soul that dares and defies.” What is the author’s purpose of having her in the story?

In Elie’s story, it mostly focuses on his view and what is happening just to him. “During the alert, I had followed the mob, not taking care of him. I knew he was running out of strength, so close to death, and yet I had abandoned him.” (page 106) said Elie. Elie started to only think about himself and not his loved ones. While Life is Beautiful shows what happens to all of the characters. Elie’s story begins very close to the beginning of the Holocaust, Guido’s story before the Holocaust takes up half of the movie.

To begin, the horrifying language in the beginning of the story gives the reader an example of how people in their neighborhood speak. The author, Bambara does this to show the reader that children from lower class neighborhoods are affected by their surroundings and that children learn from experience. When Sylvia says Miss Moore always plans "boring-ass things for us to do” (171), we, the readers get insight concerning Sylvia’s rebellious behavior and her deficiency of respect towards adults in her life. Sylvia uses irony to mock or convey contempt when she mentions her experiences with Miss Moore. Bambara presented this to bring out Sylvia’s traits. Even though Sylvia is quick to be involved in mischief, the reader can clearly tell she has a sense of moral principles as a result of her not being able to go through with the crash of the Catholic church. When Sylvia says, “everything so hushed and holy and the candles and the bowin and the handkerchiefs on all the drooping heads” (175). Sylvia also describes churchgoing as a practice within the community. When she says, "Miss Moore, who always looked like she was going to church, though never did" (171). If Sylvia liked Miss Moore or not, the author, Bambara is not using faith as an instrument to shape the story. Rather, it is Miss Moore’s education that is being used to affect Sylvia resistance.

Benigni portrays the theme of love through hard times in the film Life is beautiful by using a range of cinematic techniques such as lighting, non-diegetic music and camera shots.

“Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for an eternity of the desire to live”(Wiesel 34). This quote is the very epitome of the terror that the Jews endure during the Holocaust. Wiesel expresses that the horrific nature of what he went through was so severe that it scarred him for life and claimed his will to live. Roberto Benigni’s inspiration for the award winning Life is beautiful includes the fact that his father remained three years in a concentration camp and the story of Holocaust survivor Rubino Romeo Salmonì. The story of Life is beautiful follows an Italian Jewish man who attempts to protect his son when they are sent to concentration camp by claiming it is merely a game and who ever acquires the most points will receive a reward in the end. In the end he sacrifices himself for the survival of his son. Elie

In a time of persecution, it is easy for an individual to lose himself. Although Night by Elie Wiesel and the movie Life is Beautiful are shown from Jewish and Italian perspectives, they both strive to portray the same meaning. The two illustrate what it was like living in the concentration camps, and the suffering a individual can experience. Both believe that in a time of misfortune all one needs is family. In contrast, “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl and “Something in Common: Horror; Survivors describe the Evils of Genocide” by Corey Kilgannon corroborate that hope is the main entity that pushes a man towards survival. As the first excerpt is from holocaust survivor, the second article is told from a whole new genocide. Taking into account that family is an important key for survival, hope is the main factor that will aid one to prevail through any disaster.

Progressing through the novel, Miss Lavish, an extravagant woman, guides Lucy to release control and embrace the unknown. Coming from an upper class, Lucy’s perspective on life has always been encompassed on social norms. The people she interacts with and rules she must follow all have a distinct relationship to her social class. Italy has given her the opportunity to go beyond the social standard that her upper-class stature puts forth. Miss Lavish tries to rotate Lucy’s close-minded view of the world because she believes that exploring will always lead to a wide variety of opportunities. When Mrs. Lavish says "One doesn't come to Italy for niceness," was the retort; "one comes for life. Buon Giorno! Buon Giorno!" (2.12) She is forcing Lucy to look up from the Baedeker which subtly begins to introduce the idea that this, in fact, represents Lucy slowly peering up from the metaphoric barrier the society has created for her. Lucy has always been a shy girl who was influenced by other people’s opinions on her, but coming to Italy gave her a new outlet to discover her own personality. It’s a new environment where she can explore not only the streets of Italy but the streets of her thought process as well. Mrs. Lavish unintentionally introduces to Lucy that in order to explore, you must be patient. Lucy finds that solutions to all issues are not just given. When she says, “As to the true Italy--he does not even dream of it. The true Italy is only to be found by patient observation." (2.12) It points Lucy in the direction of solving

Life is Beautiful (1997), an Italian comedic drama set in 1939, tells the tale of Guido, a young Jewish man living during the time of World War II, the film follows Guido and his family; from when they were happy living freely to when they are forced to work unfairly in concentration camps. Directed by Roberto Benigni, also known for Pinocchio (2002), Life is Beautiful portrays many important themes and messages to the audience. Benigni shows the importance of bravery in the film, through cinematic techniques including camera angles, lighting, and sound.

The film Life Is Beautiful, 1998, directed by Roberto Benigni, is about a Jewish man who charmed the woman he loved only to later be separated by being placed in a concentration camp. His love for her and his son drives him to continue being cheerful despite his surroundings. The film includes a range of themes, the most prevalent being love.

Ever since the Holocaust happened there has been a variety of movies and books portraying this massive genocide that changed individuals’ lives. One of these movies that portrays the Holocaust is Life is Beautiful that was directed and acted by Roberto Benigni in 1997. This particular film won Oscar awards and it’s unlike any other Holocaust movies because of its drama, romance, and comedic genre. It tells the story of a man named Guido that comes to Arezzo, Italy and works as a waiter for his uncle Eliseo. Guido falls in love with Dora, a school teacher who he calls “Princess” each time he sees her. Eventually, Guido is able to charm Dora despite her being engaged. Five years later they have a son named Giosuè, but at this point in time