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Life Is Beautiful

Original title: La vita è bella
  • 1997
  • PG-13
  • 1h 56m
IMDb RATING
8.6/10
778K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
350
203
Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, and Giorgio Cantarini in Life Is Beautiful (1997)
Watch Trailer originale italiano [OV]
Play trailer1:33
3 Videos
99+ Photos
Period DramaRomantic ComedyTragedyTragic RomanceComedyDramaRomanceWar

When an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.When an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.When an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.

  • Director
    • Roberto Benigni
  • Writers
    • Vincenzo Cerami
    • Roberto Benigni
  • Stars
    • Roberto Benigni
    • Nicoletta Braschi
    • Giorgio Cantarini
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.6/10
    778K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    350
    203
    • Director
      • Roberto Benigni
    • Writers
      • Vincenzo Cerami
      • Roberto Benigni
    • Stars
      • Roberto Benigni
      • Nicoletta Braschi
      • Giorgio Cantarini
    • 1.5KUser reviews
    • 114Critic reviews
    • 58Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #27
    • Won 3 Oscars
      • 72 wins & 52 nominations total

    Videos3

    Trailer originale italiano [OV]
    Trailer 1:33
    Trailer originale italiano [OV]
    Life is Beautiful
    Trailer 1:27
    Life is Beautiful
    Life is Beautiful
    Trailer 1:27
    Life is Beautiful
    Ultimate Weeper Watchlist: Flow, Gump, Lion, & More
    Clip 4:03
    Ultimate Weeper Watchlist: Flow, Gump, Lion, & More

    Photos152

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    + 146
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    Top cast57

    Edit
    Roberto Benigni
    Roberto Benigni
    • Guido
    Nicoletta Braschi
    Nicoletta Braschi
    • Dora
    Giorgio Cantarini
    Giorgio Cantarini
    • Giosué
    Giustino Durano
    • Zio
    Sergio Bini Bustric
    • Ferruccio
    • (as Sergio Bustric)
    Marisa Paredes
    Marisa Paredes
    • Madre di Dora
    Horst Buchholz
    Horst Buchholz
    • Dottor Lessing
    • (as Horst Bucholz)
    Lidia Alfonsi
    Lidia Alfonsi
    • Guicciardini
    • (as Lydia Alfonsi)
    Giuliana Lojodice
    • Direttrice Didattica
    Amerigo Fontani
    Amerigo Fontani
    • Rodolfo
    Pietro De Silva
    • Bartolomeo
    Francesco Guzzo
    • Vittorino
    Raffaella Lebboroni
    • Elena
    Claudio Alfonsi
    • Amico Rodolfo
    Gil Baroni
    • Prefetto
    Massimo Bianchi
    • Uomo della chiave
    Jürgen Bohn
    • Attendente tedesco festa
    • (as Jurgen Bohn)
    Verena Buratti
    • Ausiliaria tedesca
    • Director
      • Roberto Benigni
    • Writers
      • Vincenzo Cerami
      • Roberto Benigni
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews1.5K

    8.6778.1K
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    Summary

    Reviewers say 'Life is Beautiful' is acclaimed for its poignant mix of humor and tragedy, highlighting love and hope during the Holocaust. Key themes include imagination, parental protection, and human resilience. Critics argue it romanticizes the Holocaust, lacks realism, and may be disrespectful. Some find it manipulative and sentimental, while others praise its emotional depth and performances, especially Roberto Benigni's. The film's comedic approach to tragedy is both celebrated and criticized, sparking debate on its handling of such a grave subject.
    AI-generated from the text of user reviews

    Featured reviews

    9Xstal

    Love is Beautiful...

    Emotional extremes abound, this story takes you round and around, elevating high, then smashing you down, your guiding light, an endearing clown.

    The essence of all that's right, that's wrong, a fathers love for his wife and son, to the thieves of liberty with power - and a gun; the worst of man, the world undone.
    10kvonarx

    The Best Movie I've seen for a long long time

    I am surprised about the negative comments that some people made on this web-page. I can see how some people might not experience the same kind of uplift or joy that most of us lived through when seeing the movie. But that some viewers felt insulted and betrayed because the movie did not depict "reality" as it really was or is, is not fair.

    I must concur with my fellow proponents of the movie -- it was a great and very satisfying movie. It provided me with something that everyone in one or another shape or form needs -- Hope. The movie showed the cruelty of life and yet managed to shed some light and insight into the beauty of love and life in general.

    I urge anyone who has not seen La Vita è bella to go out there and watch it. If we all take with us just little bit of that hope and love that this movie is trying to convey; this world would be a much better place.

    Thank you for reading this and I hope you enjoyed or will enjoy the movie as much as I did.
    Conservative-SNAG

    Courage Personified...10/10

    I can't understand how other reviewers see this as a film about the Nazis or the Holocaust. It's not!!! "Life is Beautiful" is a film about love, optimism, courage and inner strength.

    To be honest I can't get this film out of my thoughts and decided to write this brief review in the hope that I could move on.

    "Life is Beautiful" is an unforgettable film. You go through emotions you were surprised could have for a fictional film. The story, although totally implausible, is uplifting and depressing at the same time.

    Please see it for yourself. Have a box of tissues handy.

    Best film ever seen!!!
    9amira_berzi

    One of the best movies ever.

    This is one of those movies that have a lasting effect on you. After watching it, I found that it has less to do with the Holocaust and more to do with the human feelings and the beautiful relationship of a father and his son. The holocaust provides the ultimate context, that brings and highlights the story and adds yet another deep dimension to the movie. No such piece of art has ever before combined laughter and tears of sadness in me before and that is the miracle of the movie. The realism of the movie is not its strong point, but then again it is not supposed to be; this helps in bringing the audiences to a state of mind away from reality, focusing on the feelings generated by forgetting about all external events and developments of the war. Despite that, the movie does not fail to point out an element of the nazi psychology demonstrated by the doctor who was obsessed with riddles. This portrayed the nazi 'state of mind' (if ever such an expression existed) as a sick mentally disturbed state. Life is really beautiful as you watch Guido's relentless efforts to make a lovely exciting experience of the concentration camp to his son. You get exhausted just watching him going through his painful day and yet you smile as he speaks to his son and makes him laugh. One can go on forever describing the creativity of this movie, but one will not be able to capture all its beauty in writing.
    DansLeNoir

    An excellent war movie!

    It makes you cry while laughing, creates an emotional harmony. Guido is an amazing character and acting. The script describes the possible pain very well. Trying to make hell beautiful, Guido is an unforgettable character. It's the best movie I've seen recently. It is very different from the exaggerated bestseller list of IMDb Top 250.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Guido's wife, Dora, is played by Roberto Benigni's real-life wife, Nicoletta Braschi.
    • Goofs
      Dora calls her husband (Roberto Benigni) "Roberto" rather than "Guido" on one occasion.
    • Quotes

      Bartolomeo: They are looking for someone who speaks German, to translate their instructions.

      Guido: Me! I'll do it, I'll translate!

      Bartolomeo: Do you speak German?

      Guido: No.

    • Alternate versions
      The version shown at the Cannes festival in 1998 is slightly different from the original Italian theatrical release: some scenes have been slightly re-edited and a panel has been added at the beginning of the film, showing the phrase "This is a fairy tale", supposedly to avoid controversy over the subject matter.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Godzilla/Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas/Bulworth/The Horse Whisperer (1998)
    • Soundtracks
      Marcia Reale
      (1831)

      Written by Giuseppe Gabetti (as G. Gabetti)

      Ed. Casa Musicale Pucci di Portici (Napoli)

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    FAQ21

    • How long is Life Is Beautiful?Powered by Alexa
    • What is the answer to Dr. Lessing's final riddle?
    • What does the German guard say?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 20, 1997 (Italy)
    • Country of origin
      • Italy
    • Official sites
      • Miramax
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • Italian
      • German
      • English
    • Also known as
      • La vida es bella
    • Filming locations
      • Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy
    • Production companies
      • Melampo Cinematografica
      • Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • ITL 15,000,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $57,563,264
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $118,920
      • Oct 25, 1998
    • Gross worldwide
      • $230,099,013
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 56 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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