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Summary: One of the most important movies ever made.
Review: The holocaust is a subject that definitely has no comic twist to it...yet Roberto Benigni manages to enchant and enthrall his viewers with a poignant look at it. The story is so touching, so hauntingly beautiful that five stars alone aren't enough for it. Like Amazon.com's reviewer said, "he accomplishes the impossible"...the film is basically told in two parts. The first part tells of the story of Guido(Roberto Benigni) who keeps having accidental encounters with a young, beautiful woman, Dora (played by Nicoletta Braschi, Benigni's wife off the screen), and he is so fixated by her that he does literally everything he can to see her again. In the second part, Dora and Guido are married and have a son, Guosuè. Guido and his son are taken off to a concentration camp, but Guousuè is much too young to understand the enormity of the horrors around him, and Guido knows this, so he makes it look like a big game for his son...a game where upon the contestants, amassing a total of 1000 points, win a tank- a real one. It's a genuinely heartwarming film with glorious performances by all. It's so original, so engaging, once you start you don't want to stop watching it...this film is one of the best films I've ever seen, and also I believe that all the awards it got, it deserved. It's a beautiful, haunting film with a very powerful message. Nobody in their right mind would want to miss this. Bravo, Benigni, bravissimo.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: This movie deserves to be watched in Italian. The beautiful sound of the language puts your mind in a setting that makes the english subtitles almost disappear. How this movie could be a comedy about the Holocaust, but still hold room for a tearful ending is beyond me. All I know is that the filmakers did a splendid job with this film.
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Summary: What more can be said after 232 reviews?
Review: If you get a chance to rent or own this film, I'd recommend getting the dubbed version. I rented the subtitled version and found it detracted from the film since I had to spend more time reading and less time watching the acting. My wife got a little PO'd from reading the film instead of watching. She ended up leaving the room, and leaving me to watch this wonderful film by myself. Unfortunately for her, she missed out on a incredibly sad but beautiful story that my words could not convey.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Movie, Exceptional Story.
Review: Get this straight, folks. This is not another Schindler's List, and it does not attempt to be. Schindler's List is an excellent film, but this is not another documentary picture on the Holocaust. While it is a fable based on events during the Second World War and the end is set in a concentration camp, it is obviously only a movie and not based on real life. And who says that every movie made on a particular subject must be the same? Begnini has made a film that does not make light of the Holocaust, but rather tells the tale of a man and his valiant attempts to shield his son from the attrocities of this horrible war. He knows what his ultimate fate will likely be, but he can not bring himself to reveal this to his little boy. The first half of this movie is simply hilarious, with Begnini showing an incredible gift for physical comedy. It also serves as a great contrast to the second half of the picture, which is serious and quite sad to watch. The subject of the concentration camp is not dealt with in complete accuracy, obviously, but there are a few scenes which are easily as visually and emotionally powerful as those in any documentary picture. One must remember that this is only a movie. People go to the movies to see stories, and while some movies do attempt to represent 100% accurate accounts of historical events, most take a more liberal approach and simply use the historical informatoin upon which to base a story of some degree of fiction. In this respect, as a form of entertainment, La Vita e Bella is a complete success. It is a story of a man who deals with terrible tragedy the way he has dealt with so many other events in his life, by using humour. Those who say it trivializes the Holocaust are missing the point, and must realise that this is only a fable, and not a documentary. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it WILL make you think. As a piece of fictional entertainment, it is a clear winner.
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Summary: LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL
Review: ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES I'VE SEEN IN YEARS I LOVED IT .
Rating:
Summary: Life is not so beautiful, but the movie is!
Review: An amazing, emotional and beautifully filmed movie has popped off the screen as one of the best movies I have ever seen. The tragic story of a man and his sacrifice to have his child's life remain a good one, even after the horrible camps in where the Jews are sent during the Holocaust. Benigni is absolutley astounding and his final march stayed in my head for a very long time. WARNING: This movie will probably make you cry. Don't hide it!
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best
Review: This is one of the best movie I've ever seen. The story was sad but beautiful in a way that I never seen before. Roberto Benigni's performance did deserve the Oscar.
Rating:
Summary: beautiful
Review: i thought that this movie was beautiful, it shows some of the horrors of the holocaust but doesnt dwell on it but instead focuses on the true story, keeping your head up high and never losing faith
Rating: 
Summary: A Review By Someone Who Likes Complex Films
Review: The sheer notion that this film is "simple" almost got me to pass it up at the movie rental store. I'm glad I took the time to check it out. From someone who likes films with depth (i.e. Kubrick mostly), I would still encourage people to see this film. Analytically, you're not going to be given a lot to write a paper about, but you will see a very honest picture, a very clear picture. Begnini is not Stanley Kubrick, but he doesn't have to be. The film is simple, just like the title. Just because an emotiona has been wrung from films coutless times over the years doesn't mean the emotion is cliched. As long as you treat a subject with honesty and creativity, you can make it into something worth seeing. I liked Life is Beautiful for the same reason I like "Til there was you" sung by Paul McCartney. It's not complex. It's just true... and truth doesn't change. For all you fans of "deep," introspective cinema, don't dismiss this film becuase of its perceived simplicity. It's not overblown like Titanic, and it's not the most intricate scrpit ever written. Don't expect Shindler's List. Expect just what the opening of the film states...a fable.
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Summary: The love a parent has for a child
Review: I am not yet a mother, but this movie gave me a glimpse of the truly UNCONDITIONAL love that a parent has for child. After watching this movie, I was so touched that I couldn't speak without tears filling my eyes. I watched the movie in the dubbed English, DVD version. This movie was incredibly touching. I was stunned that Roberto Begnini's character was able to put on a "happy" face for his child throughout the torture he was going through. This was truly and inspiration. The holocaust was a very poor example of the evil in this world, but yet this movie helps to show that even amidst the evil, the love of a Father to a child is without change, just as our relationship with our Heavenly Father. See this movie, it will change your life.
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