21. Life is Beautiful (1997)

This film made me tear up, because of how it combined the protective instinct of a father and the innocence of the son to produce a piece of work that resonates with the audience. In Life is Beautiful (1997) is a true story in which an exuberant Jewish librarian and his son experience the horrors of the holocaust. To preserve his son from the evils of the third Reich the father employs his imagination and character to ultimately distract from the complexities of the situation they had become victims of in the concentration camp.

This sensitive comedy/historical drama/romance was directed by Roberto Benigni who also wrote and starred in the film, as the lead Guido. This film is very courageous because it could be criticised for making light of such a dark period in human history, but instead the humorous elements serve a greater purpose and the resolution is cathartic.

I scored this film, 67 because of the internal battles I had going on throughout the film as I was torn between the direction the comedy was going in, coupled with it easing the transition to more serious elements of the film. Luckily critics thought the film pulled this off well as it won 3 Oscars including Best Actor in a Leading role and a nomination for Best Picture.

Judging Criteria

SCRIPTURAL INTEGRATION - 20 points: 12

STORY/SCREENPLAY - 10 points: 7

DIRECTOR - 10 points: 7

CINEMATOGRAPHY - 10 points: 6

EDITOR - 10 points: 6

PRODUCTION DESIGN - 10 points: 7

ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE or SCORE EFFECTIVENESS (if not original) - 10 points: 7

SOUND DESIGN - 10 points:7

ACTING - 10 points: 8

TOTAL SCORE 100 POINTS. : 67