I like movies and dramas that are inspirational. There was a movie that I watched years ago which still makes me ponder over it time to time. Its title is “life is beautiful (1997)”. By the title alone, you will think it must be happy-go-merry kinds of story. But it’s not. It is an Italian tragicomedy drama film, depicting a Jewish Italian book keeper, who must employ his fertile imagination to shield his son from the horrors of internment in a Nazi concentration camp. I am not usually a big fan of any wars, tragedy or doomsday movies, more so if it’s about the holocaust. They ring gloomy darkness in our human spirit. However that movie was one of the most touching movies I’ve ever seen.
Apparently I was not the only one. The film was a critical and financial success globally, winning the leading actor Benigni the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 71st Academy Awards as well as the Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
The background of the movie is in 1930’ and 1940’.
Guido (a poor Italian book keeper) fell in love with and marries Dora (a Germany from a well-off family) despite her mother’s fierce objection. In the first half, the audience can laugh the loudest and delight at the immense comedy talent of Guido (played by Benigni). But in the second segment, various incidents related to the rise of anti-semitism and fascism in Italy show that there are sinister forces at work. Guido and Dora move on from Tuscany in 1939 to the last year of the war in a concentration camp. In this period they have had their son Giosue. Guido attempts to keep from the boy the horrors of what is going on, and this eventually manifests itself as a game where the aim is to score 100 points, with the winner winning a real tank (which, of course appeals to the young boy). Comic moments are still present, that involving Guido's translation of the rules of the camp is particularly notable, but it becomes somewhat more difficult to laugh when we consider the gravity of what is going on. At the end of the film, Guido is sacrificed and Dora is reunited with Giosue, who still oblivious of what went on, excitedly tell mom how he won the game played with daddy.
And the movie ends with the narration voice of grown-up Giosue that, not only appeal Guido to the audience due to his comedy and sheer pleasantness, but also in the way that he loves his family and the measures that he will go to protect them. The emphasis begins shifts, and we realize that this is a film about human spirit above all else.
We are living in the era of fear invoking socio-cultural genre. We are living in the era of laughter-scarce socio-fanatical genre. I am quite tired of reading and listening all those negative headlines and gravely exaggerated news from the media. It seems their only agenda is to scare people out of their life.
Life is not so bad as it seems from the surface. Of course there is regular ups and downs, sometimes small, sometime big challenges keep coming out seemingly from nowhere. But still, life is as how we paint it. From challenges, we can learn to stretch extra. Then in the process of overcoming it, we can realize life is all about making progress, not about being perfect. Beautiful or ugly…they are all in the eyes of beholders. As I peep over those sweating yoginis with challenging yoga poses during the classes, I regularly get goose bump myself because, Life is beautiful when we can paint it with more discipline, faith and open mindset…
