It seems I cracked a nice pj
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Why is 'Life is Beautiful' so beautiful :) :)
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL is one of my favourite movies. I watched it on DVD a few years back and have watched it more than a few times. I really thank my friend who lent me this beautiful movie :).
Set in Italy in the late 1930s,the movie opens with the lead Guido and his friend driving down the countryside in a car. The car goes out of control as the breaks don't work. The two finally control the car and bring it on road. However the road they drive down is lined with people waiting to wave at a visiting dictator. Guido gestures at people to move out of the car's path but they instead wave at him thinking he's the dictator they are waiting to welcome and that he's gesturing the same.
Down in the country,he meets a woman called Dora. Guido loves her from the minute he sees her. Thereby he greets her and addresses her adoringly by the title Principessa. The two meet further a number of times,accidentally and not-so-accidentally, much to Guido's delight and he never stops treating her like a princess.
He stays with his Uncle and is employed as a waiter and yet dreams and yearns to take care of his Principessa for the rest of their lives.
Dora's supposed to get engaged to a man of her mother's choice. On the very day,Dora and Guido elope on a horse right in front of everyone.
Six years later,Dora and Guido are happily married and have an adorable son Giosue. Guido now runs a bookstore. They live a happy life. One day,Guido,Giosue and Guido's uncle are taken away by the Nazis(Guido's family were jews). Dora insists on accompanying them. Guido tells Guiso they are going on a picnic. They are part of a game called Holocaust. Guido makes sure that Guisue doesn't feel sad nor is scared. Instead he tells Guido that in this game everyone is out to score points. The one who scores a thousand points first,is awarded a real tank. Guisue believes him and doesn't get disheartened.
In the camp,each day Guido and the fellow inmates are given bone-breaking jobs and very little to eat. Guido hides Guisue in their room and tells him if he comes out,he will be seen and then he will be disqualified. If he hears rumours that tell him otherwise,its just that others are jealous of how ahead Guisue is in the game! Guido makes Guisue experience the little joys of life even when they are down in the dumps(in their case,down on their knees). He also shields his son from the nightmares of the place by distracting him and doing silly things just to make his son laugh.
The film does have disturbing moments like when old people and women are sent to different camps. The men are sent to hard labour camps,the old and children are sent to gas chambers.
There are touching moments when Guido steals into the Public Announcement room and plays Dora's favourite piece of opera music. I found myself very moved by the very nature of this scene. It portrays true love that is on a platform-way above the risk of getting caught by the camp guards,way above the possibility of being sent to the gas chambers or shot or tortured.
In the final minutes of the movie,Guido is caught by the guards (as he tries to find Dora and shot behind a wall.) Before setting out, to find Dora,he hides his son inside a stone mailbox and tells him he's only a hundred points away from winning. He must remain there till he hears no sound and must not come out until he is sure that all the other participants have fled(losing all hope of winning the real tank).
The next morning, the Nazis retreat further away as the Allies are closing in. The prisoners have no minders and walk out in relief. When Guisue hears no sound,he gingerly steps out. He is relieved yet worried that all does not seem right. The air of gloom hangs down heavily as Guisue tries to figure out what happened. Right then,a tank rolls in. The American in the tank gives him a ride in his tank. Guisue is happy and that his Daddy was right all this time. The tank rides down the hill,flanked by the camp prisoners, making way to freedom. Guisue finds his mother amongst the prisoners and is very happy.It is not until he grows older,does he realise the nature of his father's sacrifice for him and his mother,Dora.
The very innocence,despair;emotions,individuality and spirit portrayed by the actors dispells any doubts,only highlights how Life is Beautiful.
Set in Italy in the late 1930s,the movie opens with the lead Guido and his friend driving down the countryside in a car. The car goes out of control as the breaks don't work. The two finally control the car and bring it on road. However the road they drive down is lined with people waiting to wave at a visiting dictator. Guido gestures at people to move out of the car's path but they instead wave at him thinking he's the dictator they are waiting to welcome and that he's gesturing the same.
Down in the country,he meets a woman called Dora. Guido loves her from the minute he sees her. Thereby he greets her and addresses her adoringly by the title Principessa. The two meet further a number of times,accidentally and not-so-accidentally, much to Guido's delight and he never stops treating her like a princess.
He stays with his Uncle and is employed as a waiter and yet dreams and yearns to take care of his Principessa for the rest of their lives.
Dora's supposed to get engaged to a man of her mother's choice. On the very day,Dora and Guido elope on a horse right in front of everyone.
Six years later,Dora and Guido are happily married and have an adorable son Giosue. Guido now runs a bookstore. They live a happy life. One day,Guido,Giosue and Guido's uncle are taken away by the Nazis(Guido's family were jews). Dora insists on accompanying them. Guido tells Guiso they are going on a picnic. They are part of a game called Holocaust. Guido makes sure that Guisue doesn't feel sad nor is scared. Instead he tells Guido that in this game everyone is out to score points. The one who scores a thousand points first,is awarded a real tank. Guisue believes him and doesn't get disheartened.
In the camp,each day Guido and the fellow inmates are given bone-breaking jobs and very little to eat. Guido hides Guisue in their room and tells him if he comes out,he will be seen and then he will be disqualified. If he hears rumours that tell him otherwise,its just that others are jealous of how ahead Guisue is in the game! Guido makes Guisue experience the little joys of life even when they are down in the dumps(in their case,down on their knees). He also shields his son from the nightmares of the place by distracting him and doing silly things just to make his son laugh.
The film does have disturbing moments like when old people and women are sent to different camps. The men are sent to hard labour camps,the old and children are sent to gas chambers.
There are touching moments when Guido steals into the Public Announcement room and plays Dora's favourite piece of opera music. I found myself very moved by the very nature of this scene. It portrays true love that is on a platform-way above the risk of getting caught by the camp guards,way above the possibility of being sent to the gas chambers or shot or tortured.
In the final minutes of the movie,Guido is caught by the guards (as he tries to find Dora and shot behind a wall.) Before setting out, to find Dora,he hides his son inside a stone mailbox and tells him he's only a hundred points away from winning. He must remain there till he hears no sound and must not come out until he is sure that all the other participants have fled(losing all hope of winning the real tank).
The next morning, the Nazis retreat further away as the Allies are closing in. The prisoners have no minders and walk out in relief. When Guisue hears no sound,he gingerly steps out. He is relieved yet worried that all does not seem right. The air of gloom hangs down heavily as Guisue tries to figure out what happened. Right then,a tank rolls in. The American in the tank gives him a ride in his tank. Guisue is happy and that his Daddy was right all this time. The tank rides down the hill,flanked by the camp prisoners, making way to freedom. Guisue finds his mother amongst the prisoners and is very happy.It is not until he grows older,does he realise the nature of his father's sacrifice for him and his mother,Dora.
The very innocence,despair;emotions,individuality and spirit portrayed by the actors dispells any doubts,only highlights how Life is Beautiful.
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