Rating: Sizzling Popcorn
Set in 1939 Italy, at the brink of World War II, Guido, an Italian Jew, falls in love with Dora as they coincidentally meet several times. Guido charms her with his humor and gentleness, which leads up to their marriage and birth of their son Giosue.
As the war begins, Guido and Giosue are arrested and sent to a concentration camp. To keep the family together, Dora decides to go with them. With the horrifying events going on around the concentration camp, Guido decides to protect his son by pretending that their survival is a big game and that he must play or go home.
Roberto Benigni writes, directs and stars in Life Is Beautiful, an Italian film that has won three Oscars and nominated for four others. Benigni plays the role of Guido while his real-life wife, Nicoletta Braschi, co-stars as Dora.
- Oscars Won
- Best Foreign Language Film
- Best Actor in a Leading Role
- Best Music, Original Dramatic Score
- Oscar Nominations
- Best Director
- Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
- Best Picture
- Best Film Editing
Life Is Beautiful is a funny but heartwarming film that makes an excellent choice for the next time you want to watch a movie! Benigni really gets into his character. His humor and charm in the film not only impress Dora, but woo the audience at the same time. There’s no doubt that Benigni deserves the 1999 Oscar for Best Actor.
Looking at the cinematography of this film, you would think it is much older than it actually is. Life Is Beautiful, which was released in 1998, looks and feels like a film made during the first half of the 20th century. The movie has an authentic feel to it that has garnered it a few Oscar nominations in the cinematography and editing departments.
This movie is a must-see! Next time you’re at your local video store, make sure to pick up this classic foreign flick! I’ve included below some of my favorite quotes from the film.
Quotes from Life Is Beautiful:
Guido: I forgot to tell you.
Dora: Go ahead.
Guido: You can’t imagine how much I feel like making love to you. But I’ll never tell anyone, especially not you. They’d have to torture me to make me say it.
Dora: Say what?
Guido: That I want to make love to you - not just once, but over and over again! But I’ll never tell you that. I’d have to be crazy to tell you. I’d even make love to you now… right here for the rest of my life.
Guido: What are your political views?
Other Man: [speaking to his two sons] Benito, Adolf! Sit Down!… Sorry Guido, what did you say?
Guido: [pretending to translate] The game starts now. You have to score one thousand points. If you do that, you take home a tank with a big gun. Each day we will announce the scores from that loudspeaker. The one who has the fewest points will have to wear a sign that says “Jackass” on his back. There are three ways to lose points. One, turning into a big crybaby. Two, telling us you want to see your mommy. Three, saying you’re hungry and want something to eat.
Guido: [carrying his son through the camp] You are such a good boy. You sleep now. Dream sweet dreams. Maybe we are both dreaming. Maybe this is all a dream, and in the morning, Mommy will wake us up with milk and cookies. Then, after we eat, I will make love to her four or five times. If I can.
Release Date: October 23, 1998
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