Life Is Beautiful (1997) – IMDb: 8.6

Life Is Beautiful is a profoundly moving tale that blends comedy, romance, and tragedy. Set during World War II, the film follows Guido (Roberto Benigni), a cheerful and resourceful man, as he uses his wit and imagination to shield his son from the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp.

Benigni, who also directs, delivers a masterful performance, balancing humor and heartbreak with exceptional finesse. The film’s enduring message of love, hope, and the resilience of the human spirit has made it a timeless classic that continues to touch hearts worldwide.

I have been shy to sad or melancholic movies fearing the effect it would have on me, I’m the kind of person who would take the characters of the movie too seriously and would lose my mind if something wrong happens to those I root for.Despite that, I watched a masterpiece of a movie “Life is Beautiful” or “La Vita e bella” and I’m currently mixed with emotions that do ask for a tear or two.

Life is beautiful is a wonderful film about a happy go guy who always looks at the positive of anything. The hardships he faces on in his life form the crux of the movie. Roberto Benigni lived as the “Guido Orefice” and I was hoping that I have at least half the positivity that the character carries in the movie.

While the movie is not entirely a happy movie, the first hour of the movie is an absolute delight. I was grinning for the majority of the first hour. However the movie wins its heart with excellent writing of characters and excellent relationship establishment between the son and the dad. While the son only comes in the latter half of the movie, he automatically becomes the soul of the movie.

The scenes where the protagonist tries to hide the struggling and treacherous environment they live in and masks as a game are truly gem of a scene. There’s a horror to it and the forthcoming doom is nearing but the way Guido convinces his son that they are in a game is what I call true cinema.

The horror strikes in the end but the climax is bittersweet and the relief is felt on the viewers as well. A good cinema should shake the viewer with the story telling and this movie is a brilliant cinema for the effect it would have on anyone who watches it.