Life Is Beautiful (La Vita è bella) (1997)

80% of critics liked it
(85 reviews)
96% of users liked it
(218,261 ratings)

In this WW II tragicomedy, famed Italian funnyman Roberto Benigni (The Monster) portrays Guido, who moves during the '30s from the country to a Tuscan town, where he is entranced by schoolteacher Dora (Nicoletta Braschi, Benigni's real-life wife). Dora likes Guido, but she remains faithful to her… More In this WW II tragicomedy, famed Italian funnyman Roberto Benigni (The Monster) portrays Guido, who moves during the '30s from the country to a Tuscan town, where he is entranced by schoolteacher Dora (Nicoletta Braschi, Benigni's real-life wife). Dora likes Guido, but she remains faithful to her pompous fiancé, so Guido has an uphill struggle. Meanwhile, anti-Semitic attitudes lead to attacks against Guido's Jewish uncle (Giustino Durano). Leaping ahead to five years later, during WW II, Guido and Dora are married and have a son Giosue (Giorgio Cantarini). After they are imprisoned in a concentration camp, Guido goes to elaborate lengths to keep his son from understanding the truth of their situation. He tells the boy that they are competing with others to win an armored tank -- so everything from food shortages to tattoos is explained as necessary for participation in the contest. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr. 2 min.
Directed By: Roberto Benigni
Written By: Roberto Benigni, Vincenzo Cerami
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 20, 1997 Wide
On DVD: Nov 9, 1999
Studio: Miramax

Critic Reviews

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
Yes, there are heaps of charm and poignancy in this trifle, but it's a trifle nonetheless -- light-and-bright, for sure, but also slight-and-trite.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Its sentiment is inescapable, but genuine poignancy and pathos are also present, and an overarching sincerity is visible too.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
In the real death camps there would be no role for Guido. But Life Is Beautiful is not about Nazis and Fascists, but about the human spirit.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Its strained poignancy is as thick -- and sweet -- as honey.
Paul Tatara, CNN.com
The lesson that Benigni ultimately imparts is that it's easy to convince a child horror doesn't exist as long as it stays out of the way while the two of you are goofing off.
David Edelstein, Slate
Benigni's movie made me want to throw up.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Wrenching, Oscar-winning Holocaust fable.
Jordan Hiller, Bangitout.com
The film's title, which very well could have been a straightforward declaration prior to the war, becomes a source of twisted irony once we witness Guido pull down the grate outside his humble bookshop and the words JEWISH STORE are seen sprayed across th
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
With Life Is Beautiful, the final frontier of schmaltz has been reached.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Sentimental and contrived, Benigni's well-intentioned Holocaust dramedy may only work as a children's fable. Inexplicably, it won a prize at the 1998 Cannes Festival.
Alan Dale, Blogcritics.org
Benigni does with the Nazi setting what Chaplin didn't dare in The Great Dictator--he lets the liberating nonsense triumph.
Judith Egerton, Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
Benigni's point, made with tender sensitivity, is that a child's innocence is worth protecting.
Carlo Cavagna, AboutFilm.com
This cross between Schindler's List and Hogan's Heroes works better than it has any right to, but not as well as most people would have you believe.

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Alexander D

You know when you're about to watch a film with a title like that, you have to expect something optimistic. Optimism could be all right as a perspective to use for dealing with the Holocaust. The main struggle with LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (or La vita è bella as it is known in its… More
You know when you're about to watch a film with a title like that, you have to expect something optimistic. Optimism could be all right as a perspective to use for dealing with the Holocaust. The main struggle with LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (or La vita è bella as it is known in its originating nation of Italy) is that it does not seem to care for taking itself seriously. What's worse, this is the case throughout the film. It's mostly fun and games in the film's first act. This entails Guido meeting his wife, falling in love with her, and eventually marrying her. Rarely is there a remark of antisemitism when the story unfolds, so we can laugh when the script doesn't want to take itself seriously. Then comes the second act, when Guido and his son go to the concentration camp. Ironically, that's where all the humor seems horrible. This humor would fit great in another, less heavy scenario, but when it's placed here, you laugh and feel like an antisemitic bigot. The script expects us to laugh during a mad party riot, where one misplaced man is frozen still in the position of a Nazi salute. It expects us to guffaw when a man tells his son that the concentration camp they are traveling to is a game, in which you win if you are the first to get to 1,000 points. It even expects us to find it cute when a man prances off camera while held at gunpoint. I'll admit, there were some genuinely heartfelt moments this film had to offer. But as they built up on some of the grief the film needed to convey, there was usually a point at which lighthearted humor ruined the impact that could have been done. http://themoviefreakblog.com/review-life-is-beautiful
Raymond W

Roberto Bernigni is fantastic in Life is Beautiful as Guido, a father who goes to elaborate lengths to keep his son (played superbly by Giorgio Cantarini) from understanding the truth about their situation in Italy under German rule at the start of WWII. In the beginning, I could… More
Roberto Bernigni is fantastic in Life is Beautiful as Guido, a father who goes to elaborate lengths to keep his son (played superbly by Giorgio Cantarini) from understanding the truth about their situation in Italy under German rule at the start of WWII. In the beginning, I could understand that Guido was a bit of an eccentric character, and it would have worked if the film had stayed as an outrageous and hilarious comedy, but as soon as the war started, the film did a u-turn in terms of tone and genre. It's jarring, disrupts the story's flow, and even though the performances stayed consistent, that was one thing that really bugged me; Benigni's performance. That's not to say it wasn't great, because it was. His eccentricity started to annoy me once the film turned into a war drama, and I always felt that Nicoletta Braschi wasn't acting enough or something. She needed to show more emotion on her regularly blank face. Maybe I'm just being really picky.... Overall, the ending was touching, and the imaginary story woven throughout was cute and touching as well; and no doubt, Roberto Benigni is an exceptional actor.
Bently L

Life is Beautiful is a truly beautiful film. The acting, writing, story, pacing, and score, are absolutely perfect. The 80% Tomatometer just saddens me. Who doesen't like it? If you haven't seen this picture, I strongly reccomend you go out and rent it. In case you just… More
Life is Beautiful is a truly beautiful film. The acting, writing, story, pacing, and score, are absolutely perfect. The 80% Tomatometer just saddens me. Who doesen't like it? If you haven't seen this picture, I strongly reccomend you go out and rent it. In case you just stumbled upon my profile, I like to give a little plot synopsis on the film I am reviewing. Life is Beautiful is a movie you just have to see for yourself in order to know what it's about. The film is rated PG-13 but don't bother reading the reason why it is given that rating because it gives away some of the plot. Dont' even bother going on the IMDB or Wikipedia pages for the film. It's about a man named Guido (played by the enjoyable Roberto Benigni) who has a great job and family. His relationship with his family is strong. One day, he and his son, Giosue, land in one of the most dangerous and deadliest places on Earth. Guido makes the experience of being in this specific place less terrifying for his child by playing a game with him. If they follow the instructions, he will win a prize. Life is Beautiful is one of the most original movies I have ever seen. It's blend of heartwarming comedy and intense drama doesen't fail. The script is witty and smart and the comedic timing is brilliant. I also enjoyed the pacing and story development. Speaking of the pacing, there are some scenes that are brilliantly set up. They start off intense and then become comedic or vice versa. The strongest part of the film in my opinion is the performances. Roberto Benigni is perfect in his role as Guido. You can easily tell he based his performance on Charlie Chaplin. He is very witty and fun to watch and deserved the Best Actor Oscar he got. Giorgio Cartarini is one of the best child actors I have ever seen. I loved hin as Giosue. Nicoletta Braschi was very good as Guido's wife whose named after the explorer, Dora. The cast is excellent. No sucky performances are present. The film quickly shits from a comedy to dramedy. The comedy and drama are equally excellent. They don't interfere with each other. As I was watching this film I thought to myself, "Why can't Hollywood make movies like this?" For every good movie out there, there is a bad one. It's like Yin and Yang. The film left me in awe and made mt forget of all the bad movies I've seen. If Marc L., Gordon Franklin Terry Sr., and Cody Fairless-Lee are reading this, you better change your taste quickly. Hollywood, please make more good movies like this again. I think the American film industry can look up to foreign films for help. You'll laugh than bawl. Writer-director-actor, Roberto Benigni has created one of the best movies I have ever seen. It's funny, sad, intense, artistic, well constructed, and beautiful. I tend to avoic counting up plot holes in mistakes when I watch films so I consider the film to be basically flawless. Life is Beautiful is a must see. "Pigeons fly, women fall from the sky! I'm moving here!"
Jan Marc M

Life Is Beautiful tells of a story of an imaginary optimism and sacrifice of a father to save his son's dying innocence set during their internment in a World War II Nazi concentration camp. Emotionally powerful. Very beautiful and rare rendition of a tragedy that can make one… More
Life Is Beautiful tells of a story of an imaginary optimism and sacrifice of a father to save his son's dying innocence set during their internment in a World War II Nazi concentration camp. Emotionally powerful. Very beautiful and rare rendition of a tragedy that can make one laugh hysterically and cry uncontrollably at the same time.
Jameson W

Great film with a lovely story. While first watching this movie, I didn't like it that much. The beginning is very humorous, but many times it crosses over into the very unappealing area of sillyness. In particular, Roberto Benigni's performance. For the most part he's… More
Great film with a lovely story. While first watching this movie, I didn't like it that much. The beginning is very humorous, but many times it crosses over into the very unappealing area of sillyness. In particular, Roberto Benigni's performance. For the most part he's brilliant and quirky, but he can also come across as annoying and over-the-top. It works sometimes but it doesn't in others. However, as the plot develops further and the tones shifts halfway through the film, his performance becomes a very touching one. The performance has to be the way it was. Without the performance there would be no film. The relationship and significance of him and his son would be lost. The first hour is not that great, but the second half is simply brilliant. Absolutely fantastic ending! Check it out!
Daniel P

A film I had long been wanting to watch, wow am I glad I did. In the early going, it takes its stylistic cues from Blake Edwards, et al., a glossy and beautiful comic love story that evokes a sort of Italian Charlie Chaplin and carries on just long enough for you to say "Okay,… More
A film I had long been wanting to watch, wow am I glad I did. In the early going, it takes its stylistic cues from Blake Edwards, et al., a glossy and beautiful comic love story that evokes a sort of Italian Charlie Chaplin and carries on just long enough for you to say "Okay, when will it fall apart, now?" In the second half, we get a more Spielberg-meets-Bicycle Thieves aesthetic, complete with innocent and skillful child acting and neo-realist shaky cam, and though the film falls a little into Schindler's List territory, it's magical in its way, documenting the amazing dedication of a father to his son, even at arguably the lowest point in human history (the Nazi death camps). The story is spellbinding, the conclusion packs a wallop, and Roberto Benigni is masterful. A classic film that's not to missed - it already feels like it's been in the canon for decades!
Jens S

Benigni's unique and really unusual take on the gruesome events in World War 2 concentration camps is drama and comedy at the same time, celebrating the beauty of life while showing the horrors of Jewish fates. The first half is one of the sweetest romantic comedies Europe ever… More
Benigni's unique and really unusual take on the gruesome events in World War 2 concentration camps is drama and comedy at the same time, celebrating the beauty of life while showing the horrors of Jewish fates. The first half is one of the sweetest romantic comedies Europe ever produced, but the hints at what's about to happen are already there in fascist Italy. The second half with the story of how Guido is trying to tell his son that concentration camp is just a big game, to keep him from realizing the horrors, is still full of (bitter) humor and extremely gut wrenching. The ending is accordingly bitter sweet but thankfully not entirely hopeless. A huge sacrifice has been made, but at least it was worth it. One of the strongest European films ever.
Thomas J

Roberto Benigni's character Guido Orefice is more annoying to me than heroic or inspiring. The story is sweet in-spite of the annoyance and to see a Holocaust story with a different perspective was nice. But it is an over-rated movie.
Spencer S

This film is beyond belief. Everyone lauds this film for finding comedy in such a tragic event, but you have to look at it from more than the amazed point of view and adjust yourself to the sheer brilliance. Deserved all the acclaim and awards it received.
Jeremy S

One of the saddest, moving, masterpiece films I have ever seen. Once watched it will be locked in your memory forever holding the key, awaiting your return. Winner of my Top foreign language film.
KJ P

Did I just really watch that? That has got to be one of the best stories I have ever watched. It should have been more than just nominated for best picture, it should have won. The acting is fantastic, and the situations are amazing. I love how they get to the holocaust and the kid… More
Did I just really watch that? That has got to be one of the best stories I have ever watched. It should have been more than just nominated for best picture, it should have won. The acting is fantastic, and the situations are amazing. I love how they get to the holocaust and the kid doesn't even know. Yes, the end is sad, but it then get's happy again. This is one truely amazing classic!
Wildaly M

Mi sembravo un po' fantasiosa ma alla fine mi sono emozionata.
Anthony L

This is one of the most beautiful and touching films ever made. It takes true talent to combine both great comedy and terrible tragedy. Roberto Benigni is brilliant as Guido and as the film?s director. I loved how he accepted his award for best film at the Oscars, it makes me laugh… More
This is one of the most beautiful and touching films ever made. It takes true talent to combine both great comedy and terrible tragedy. Roberto Benigni is brilliant as Guido and as the film?s director. I loved how he accepted his award for best film at the Oscars, it makes me laugh just thinking about it. Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant!
Eliza N

Some people say there's nothing I can do , some others say what is done is done but some people protect the ones who they care for,no matter how hard it is ,because the only thing they use is love!
Dan S

A rare Holocaust film that details the life of a simpleton and how his life and family got started, and how his sense of humor was carried over even in the bleakest and depressing scenarios in world history. Benigni gives a great performance (he won an Oscar, but Edward Norton… More
A rare Holocaust film that details the life of a simpleton and how his life and family got started, and how his sense of humor was carried over even in the bleakest and depressing scenarios in world history. Benigni gives a great performance (he won an Oscar, but Edward Norton deserved this much more for his performance in "American History X"), and the relationship between the lead character and his son is one of the sweetest I've seen in a film.
Red L

I have been meaning to see this movie for ten years now. In 2009, I finally got to see it. Although it kept my interest for the full movie, I was disappointed. Perhaps after waiting for 10 years, I was expecting a better movie. Roberto Benigni plays Guido to whom Life is Beautiful.… More
I have been meaning to see this movie for ten years now. In 2009, I finally got to see it. Although it kept my interest for the full movie, I was disappointed. Perhaps after waiting for 10 years, I was expecting a better movie. Roberto Benigni plays Guido to whom Life is Beautiful. He does everything he can to shield his son from the realism of the German concentration camp - to the point of unbelievability. Still, I'm glad I saw it finally.
Leigh R

So brilliant, I cried...
Lorenzo v

This film does the impossible. It tells an incredibly funny story that is set during the holocaust in WWII, that also depicts the horrible truth about the holocaust and the suffering of the Jewish people. Roberto Benigni's film is a wonder that it can accomplish both. The playful… More
This film does the impossible. It tells an incredibly funny story that is set during the holocaust in WWII, that also depicts the horrible truth about the holocaust and the suffering of the Jewish people. Roberto Benigni's film is a wonder that it can accomplish both. The playful way his character tries to woo his future wife, and then shields his child from the awful truth of the concentration camp that they find themselves in is amazing. This film is a must see to anyone with a heart. It is a powerful statement and an enjoyable film.
Lady D

A work of pure genious!!! Roberto Benigni is fantastic. This film really shows that humour really can be an international language. One man's persistance and imagination brings him love and an amazing journey for his son, whilst keeping the important messages to convey.… More
A work of pure genious!!! Roberto Benigni is fantastic. This film really shows that humour really can be an international language. One man's persistance and imagination brings him love and an amazing journey for his son, whilst keeping the important messages to convey. This is a totally original storyline, the characters and beauty of this film are blissfully unique and refreshing. The film synopsis really doesn't do it justice - see for yourselves. The best film I have seen in a while.
Pierluigi P

Rich and candid fable, clearly separated in two parts, the first is a delightful romantic comedy in Italy's best tradition, the other is a tender morality tale, both work perfectly, and never cease to amaze and arouse emotions. The best, most surprising work of this modern day… More
Rich and candid fable, clearly separated in two parts, the first is a delightful romantic comedy in Italy's best tradition, the other is a tender morality tale, both work perfectly, and never cease to amaze and arouse emotions. The best, most surprising work of this modern day Chaplin named Roberto Benigni.