Life Is Beautiful - Week of 4/13

     At first glance, Night and "Life Is Beautiful" are two very different works of literature and film. Night shows the reader the incredibly negative and terrible things about the Holocaust while "Life Is Beautiful" is a romantic comedy. However, they do have their similarities. Both of these pieces had a theme of a father-son bond, but this similarity also branches out into differences. In Night, there were moments when Elie would put his survival above his father's and only think of himself. There was that sense of 'it's one man for himself'. However, there were no instances of that between Guido and Joshua. Guido spends every moment of his time in the camp trying to protect Joshua, never putting his own life above his son's. In fact, he puts Joshua's life above his own and eventually sacrifices himself to save his son. Had Guido also had that 'one man for himself' idea, then this film would have been very different.

     Night and "Life Is Beautiful" both approached the Holocaust rather differently. Again, Night was a rather dark story and had virtually no positivity in it. On the other hand, "Life Is Beautiful" has its audience laughing very often. However, I think they were both equally as powerful. Night's straightforwardness on the darkness of the Holocaust shows you just how terrible that time was...It presents you with a story of willpower and survival. "Life Is Beautiful" had just the right the combination of negative and positive. The positive moments and negative moments provide the viewer with a contrast between the two that ultimately leads to the film's power. It shows you how even in such dark times, some people were still able to see the light in the darkness
and have hope.

     It doesn't take much to see that life is in fact beautiful at the beginning of the film. Guido is constantly cheerful, always running into his love interest. It's rather hard to not feel joy whenever Guido exclaims, "Buongiorno, Principessa!" However, I believe that it is the middle of the film that really brings up the question of wether or not life has sustained that same level of beauty. In the camps, conventional beauty in life is challenged. Guido and Joshua are torn from Dora and are now prisoners in terrible conditions. A life separated from family you love in a bad place that you can't leave is not a life that would be considered beautiful. Even so, it is in these times that life reaches a peak of beauty for the characters. Although he never sees her again, Guido shows Dora his unfaltering love for her despite their situation. Even more beautiful is the bond between Joshua and his father. Guido has made up an entire new situation for Joshua to live in - a game. Throughout the film, we see Guido go to great measures to keep Joshua safe and sheltered, showing just how strong the bond between the two of them is. Even though they are in this terrible place, they love each other unconditionally.

  

Same, Joshua. Same.