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Review

Recalling the physical grace and comic timing of Chaplin, Benigni takes the subject of the Holocaust and makes a personal and extraordinary fable about one dedicated father. In 1939, Guido (Benigni) falls in love with schoolteacher Dora (Braschi). He courts her with laughter, humor and heart; and the two marry. It's several years later, and they have a wonderful son, Joshua (Cantarini), and a happy marriage. But Italy is now under fascist rule, and the Jewish Guido and his family are sent to a concentration camp. Desperate to keep the horrific reality of their situation from his son, Guido devises a series of charades and stories to make Joshua think they are in an elaborate game (the winner gets a real tank!). The first half of the film is a sweet, wonderfully funny romantic comedy in which love triumphs; in the second, more dramatic half, Benigni continues to use humor to tell his story, but never at the expense of the grim circumstances in which the characters find themselves. Life Is Beautiful is an astonishing comedy, and a heartrending story of sacrifice and, ultimately, love. Winner of 3 Oscars, including Best Actor and Foreign Film. (Italian with English subtitles)