“Life Is Beautiful" has been the subject of great controversy, both in Italy in the United States. The film has been undoubtedly successful in both countries, and in Italy swept the country's equivalent of the Oscars. Despite the success of the film there are many who oppose the premise of this work of theatrical art. Does the comedic side of this film create a mockery of such a historically tragic event or is it, in fact, a brilliant depiction of a man’s devotion to his family?

The film opens with an introduction to our protagonist, Guido. After the first portion of the movie we are well aware of the personality of this character.  An overly friendly, naïve but comical man, Guido is always playing jokes or orchestrating seemingly coincidental events in order to manipulate his world, and the world of others. We see that this is his genuine personality and that he is a good hearted man. 

After a substantial amount of time in the film has passed, Guido marries the love of his life and together, they have a son. When the family is torn apart by being taken to a concentration camp, these personality traits only heighten. It is not that Guido takes the Holocaust for lightly, but he is only concerned for the wellbeing of his young son, Giosué. Thusly, Guido turns their camp experience into a game in order to protect his son physically and emotionally from the horror that is all around them. Anything that Giosué brings up or any events that occur that threaten to damage this fantasy is quickly explained by Guido as part of the game.

Benigni has been criticized for only focusing on the lives of Guido and Giosué. It may appear that he has no acknowledgment that anyone else’s life may be at stake other than his characters. This is a valid argument and can clearly be seen during the scene when the father and son arrive in their bunker at the camp. A German officer marches into the barracks and asks for someone who knows German to translate the rules of the camp into Italian. Guido, who doesn't speak any German, volunteers to translate. Instead of translating the rules of the camp, he mocks the soldier and calls out the rules of his and Giosué’s own "game". While Giosué marvels at this excitement, we also see the faces of the other men in the barracks; faces of fear and intimidation of the soldiers. Those faces aren't used as a contrast or a contradiction -- both the visual and dramatic focus of the scene is the interplay between Guido and Giosué. Many view this scene as an act of brutal insensitivity by Guido towards the other men in that barrack, for his act of foolishness could have cost the others some sort of punishment.

While this point of view can repeatedly verified throughout the movie with other seemingly foolish acts by Guido, this is not necessarily what Benigni intended for his viewers. What was intended was to show a father’s devotion to the preservation of the sanctity of his son’s life and innocence. Instead of dragging his son through such a horrific experience, he tried to protect Giosué from not only being killed, but also from the defamation of his childhood innocence and spirit.

When asked about the intentions for this film Benigni’s wife, actress Nicoletta Braschi, stated quite simply what the heart of this film is about. "The movie is not about the Holocaust, the movie is a love story, and its special character, Guido, is a father who is able to translate into the language of his child the world around that is a nightmare."

Benigni further supports his case for by explaining that he would never disrespect such a catastrophic event, he was using it as a basis for a personal story line. He is quoted saying,  "…but I was working hard on the story and not on a theory of the Holocaust, which I respect but which is another kind of work and not my job…”

Benigni, in fact, deliberately included inaccuracies in the facts he used regarding this event. By purposefully straying from the facts, he was able to further distance his film from the historical truth.

"Only documentaries of survivors, and the majesty of the truth can tell us what is this tragedy. Otherwise you are imitating, which is not respectful. I respect this tragedy so I stayed far away from it. It's more strong if you evoke. I don't use tomato soup, I don't make fake blood."

Every viewer and every critic has the freedom to develop their own opinions about not only this work, but any work that they experience. It is, however, important to make educated opinions and to look no further than the true essence of the piece. Benigni did not intend to make a mockery out of such a devastating tragedy, rather, he chose it as a backdrop to emphasize the love of a father and a husband for his family and that there is no sacrifice too small to protect the lives of the ones that you love.

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