Life is Beautiful

Based on the Holocaust literature and poetry we have read, what connections can be made between Life is Beautiful and our reading? What events, scenes, or situations are similar or different? What is similar or different about the mood or tone of the pieces?

   One of the most obvious similarities that Night and the film Life Is Beautiful have is the power of father and son bonds. They both try to help one another survive but in different ways. In the film, Guido implicitly helps Joshua survive by making up a game. He continuously tells Giosue, "You don't want to lose points" in order to keep him out of trouble. Night displays explicit aid from father to son when they share rations of bread and keep each other motivated.

Guido goofs around in front of Giosue
 despite the horrors coming to him

  The pieces have very different mood and tones. Night by Elie Wiesel has a melancholy tone. Even the beginning when things were okay, the book gave off a a neutral even sad mood. I think that the fact that it is a memoir really makes it sad. Life Is Beautiful, on the other hand, has a humorous tone. Guido is always joking around, even in the camps. The last time that his son saw him, he was playing around while an officer pointed a gun to him, just to let Giosue keep his innocence. Both works give a powerful message but in their own ways.

How is life shown as beautiful throughout the film? Pull out at least two examples from different parts of the film and explain your rationale.

  Life is shown to be beautiful in the film by the way Guido lives his life. He is a cheery man and always jokes around. In the film, he saves the love of his life and from there, they always seem to see each other. Guido goes out of his way to see his "Princess." Five years later, they are married and have a son. Their family is happy and healthy so their life is beautiful.

  I think that life is indeed beautiful at the end of the film. Though Guido dies, Giosue and Dora are reunited. This was Guido's plan, after all. Giosue got his mother and his tank, Guido got what he wanted, even though sacrifices were made. Guido worked hard throughout their internment in the camp to help his son maintain his innocence and survive. It takes great sacrifice to make life beautiful after something as terrible as being in a concentration camp occurs.

"Yes, we won!"