Review of Life Is Beautiful (1997) by Tatsuhito K — 30 Oct 2017

One thing I was most impressed by Roberto Benigni's "Life is Beautiful" is how he balances the tonal shift. Simply calling it a Holocaust comedy doesn't do the film justice. The first half is a pure comedy and even a romantic fantasy, it's only in the second half that turns into a Holocaust film.

I understand that there are loads of people who were offended by the movie, calling its use of humor in the Holocaust setting insensitive (and I don't blame them for feeling that way), but the film is not about making fun of its serious subject matter.

It is about the human spirit and the power of laughter and optimism. But it also doesn't forget to show the horror of Holocaust and how that changed the lives of many Jewish people forever. I admit that there are too many convenient scenes and I did find some of the humor a little too much, but its heart is in the right place and it often had me laughing like an idiot.

This is a solid piece of work.