Life Is Beautiful...

I truly do not believe that there has ever been a movie as beautiful as this one. A story of a passionate man whose love for his wife and son has no end. Set in the time of the Holocaust, the Italian, Guido, runs into or rather catches his wife, Dora. Guido is a silly man who always wears a smile. Set in Italy, the movie continue to show Guido taking Dora away. Jump ahead a few years, the couple has an adorable son, Giosue. The small family lives modestly with their love and affection filling each and every room. In one scene it shows Guido and Giosue walking and Giosue notices a sign outside a shop that states no Jews or dogs are allowed into the store. What stood out the most was Guido's reaction when his son asked why the owner would say that. Rather than being bitter and hostile, Guido is upbeat and positive. He simply lets his son know that some people just choose not the let certain people into their stores. He then asks his son if there's anyone he doesn't like and would like to keep out of their bookshop; he replies that he dislikes spiders. 

As the movie continues, it shows Dora returning home on Giosue's birthday with her mother. When they get to the front door, they notice that the room is a mess. Dora goes to the train station and realizes that her husband and their son are on a train. Now, like all others at this time, they did not understand or know where the trains were going. Dora's name was not on the list, however, she demanded to be put on the train. A scene prior to this shows Guido and his son in a covered truck. Giosue is asking where they're going, and Guido plays it off like he planned the whole thing, and they are going on a special trip. He reassures his son who is obviously confused. When they arrive at the concentration camp Guido tells his son that they are part of a game and the prize is a tank.

As the movie continues, the work is hard, but no one close to what was actually done during the Holocaust. This movie played on the heartstrings of the tender relationship between a father and son as opposed to the horrific cruelty of the time. Guido keeps his son safe. In the end, Giosue wins the game in his own way.