Life is Beautiful, though critically acclaimed, generated much controversy. Do you think that controversy was justified. Do you see any similarities between the neorealism of this film and that of Open City?
Personally I feel like the criticism was justified because the film made the holocaust look like a game. I understood that the father was trying to make it more pleasant for his son, but at times I do not feel like the seriousness of the situation was played out enough. The one part that bothered me the most was when the soldier picked up the little boy at the end of the film and took him to his mother. This bothered me because it made the soldiers look like good guys in the end. Because I did not feel like the film played out the seriousness of the holocaust or harshness of those times, I do not see similarities between neorealism in Open City. Open City was very strait forward and did not sugar coat anything, where Life Is Beautiful sugar coated the reality. In neorealism you show things the way they truly are without masking the harsh reality.
In the movie Life is Beautiful, the controversy that was generated was justified to a certain extent. It is difficult to show the truth of how the holocaust went in addition to trying to ease up some of the tension that came from the war. The movie tried to show a different side in which the father was trying to protect his son by saying everything was one big game. However the message was misunderstood and people took it as the holocaust was just a big game and did not show the serious side to it. I cannot say that the movie portrayed the truth but it did show how a father tried everything to protect his son in a difficult situation. The relationship between Open City and Life is Beautiful is that the neorealism is Open City was more realistic unlike Life is Beautiful. Life is Beautiful tried to show the situation in the movie but portrayed it in a way that the truth was more covered up.
I believe that it is both justified and it is not at the same time. The holocaust was a horrible crime against humanity and should never be forgotten. People for years to come should always be reminded of it. However, the film is not all just based on the holocaust, but on the love within this family. The criticism of this movie reminded me of some given to Saving Private Ryan. People seemed to have a problem with the film not incorporating all the other countries involved in the invasion of Europe in 1944. But, the story is about a platoon of U.S. Army Rangers. So, what does anything else matter? Thus, Life Is Beautiful is a good demonstration of how some love and willpower manages to triumph over a great evil, both reminding us of how great humanity can be and how horrible. The similarities between Open City and Life Is Beautiful are only within how the show us the severity of those times. Of course, Life Is Beautiful attempts to bring us humor so that we are not continuously feeling horrible while watching the film.
It goes both ways. The controversy was justified, but i feel like the main characters role did not justify it. Maybe it was meant to be this way. I feel that it brought light to something that was too dark. I couldn't help but feel that there was no way people could be so happy or even pretend to be that happy. I didn't see much similarities with that of the other film, Open City was neorealism. Life is Beautiful did show the audience a glimpse of the Holocaust but its no Schindler's List. The only thing i could connect was that both films exposed the hardships the people of Italy went through during these times.
i think the controversy in this movie was justified because a father was portrayed as a loving man who did not want to loose his son for being depressed if he knew the truth about the concentration camps. im sure the camps were a lot more harsh and strict than portrayed in the movie but i think the reason for this movie was not to make fun of the Holocaust and make it seem as a game but it was a way that this man could only keep himself and his son from surviving which was get their mind set as if they were there to make the best out of whatever situation they were put in. i think open city was very straight forward and showed how real the situations were at that time. the two movies were two different points of view and two different messages that the directors wanted to portray.
I don't think that the criticism in this film was justified. Film, and acting is an expression of the artist's thoughts or feeling towards something. For that reason I don't understand why critics can have a real problem with the film. Irving Berlin said: "Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working twenty-four hours a day, for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force". Guido is such an amazing character because he fulfills this quote. He lives everyday to the fullest and is constantly smiling, and making people laugh with his humor. This is what makes Guido so heroic and liked, although his family was suffering and going through some of the most horrific times, he chose to change things for the better and show his son how to view life and be brave. This doesn't make fun of the idea of holocaust because Guido is showing his personal experience in the film. I don't see too many similarities between both films other then the suffering that the characters went through.
With my understanding of this movie and the history behind it, the controversy should not be justified. This is one movie. My understanding of the film was mainly about the love and devotion between a family. The father of the film did everything he could so that his son would not suffer. While all other men fell to their beds after a long day, Guido picked up his boy and found the energy to put on a smile. That is love. This film's focus seemed to be mainly about the family. Not the war or holocaust. Although, the film did show some of the suffering of that situation. That is the only similarity personally found between this film and Open City. Benigni, the director of the film, had personal information shared about the experiences of being in a concentration camp from his own father. He was a prisoner of war during the holocaust so I highly doubt that Benigni would not be sensitive to this topic. Guido's character is amazing because he turned a horrible situation into a better one for his son. The holocaust was horrible and should not be forgotten. This film merely took a slightly lighter look at it. Although, the main focus of the film was to show the love within Guido's family.
I think that the controversy is justified because it dealt with a subject that people have very strong feelings towards. I think that Benigni wasn't trying to say that the holocaust was a game, but rather just showing how a loving father is trying to do the best he can to ease things for his son to get him through a harsh situation, and the best way he knew how was to make it a game. I think that the controversy arises from the fact that he managed to incorporate some humor into the story. The holocaust is a very sensitive topic and understandably some people just wont accept humor and the holocaust being linked together. I don't see many similarities between Life is Beautiful and Open City. I think neorealism is shown much more in Open City, the locations seem much more authentic. In Life is Beautiful the scenes seem a lot more staged and rehearsed, for example, when the girl falls from the top of the barn house, it just doesn't seem as realistic as Open City which is why i don't think there are many similarities between the neorealism of both films.
In Life is Beautiful I feel like the controversy was not justified only because it seemed very hollywood to me. The movie seemed to center mostly on a man and his family more importantly his son. It did show some history of the holocaust but not much. I am not saying it is a bad movie because it does have a good story line. I just believe that Neorealism is shown much more in Open city because locations, actors, and story line seem more real which is what Neorealism is all about. -April Fernandez
I can see how some critics felt that a serious situation and event in history was not taken seriously in this movie. The difference between this movie and Open city is that, Open city shows the real life pictoral of what happened during the time of the nazi rule and the hardship people faced by doing so real people not actors were used. In "A Beautiful Life" I feel as though the war was used to set the background of the story but not the main theme for the movie. Critics probably found the problem in that the plot of the movie made the idea of being in a concentration camp a game. Rather than let his son know what a horrible place they were experiencing and let him be afraid he made things easier and less painful for him to understand by putting things into a game with points and things to be achieved. Personally, I enjoyed the movie because rather than showing a depressing fall and separation of a family because of the war it showed the sacrifice of a father for his son and focused more on their relationship than the horror of being in a concentration camp.
In "Life is Beautiful" the controversy about the film is most certainly not justified. In any situation people have different views and different ideas. This story was not a film about the holocaust. This film was a narration where a boy is telling a story about how his father saved his life, and also how he created somewhat of an alternate universe within such a terrible event. There is nothing degrading or disrespectful about "Life is Beautiful". To be completely honest and I apologize if this is rude or too blunt, but the majority of "viewers" or people who watch a movie are too ignorant to understand what their actually watching or what the writer or director is trying to convey. Maybe I should take a step back and say a lot of people probably not the majority. So, it frustrates me when somebody says that such a beautiful film could be making a mockery of WWII and the holocaust. If I was a young child like this boy and my dad saved me from the gas chamber and through the concentration camp and actually died for me. Never letting me see how cruel the world truly can be, well I would tell this story exactly as it is told. "Open City" is neorealism and "Life is Beautiful" is strictly a narrative. A story that shows how to love and live and persevere through the dark times by focusing on the light.
I understand why many viewers and critics had a problem with this particular film. The importance and reality of what really happend was not completely played out. If many of us were not as informed as we are today and saw Life is Beautiful for the first time as a taste of what the holocaust was about we would probably think it wasnt such a bad event that took place in history. But at the same time what many need to take into consideration is that not everyone who goes through situations and events such as the holocaust are not all going to have the same angle. This was based on a true story in which a father did his best to enlighten his son through this horrific experience. I as well feel that Owl city was alot more straight forward which is what neorealisms all about.
Life Is Beautiful may have generated some controversy because it showed the main character making light of such a dark and heavy situation as the Holocaust. However, I thought this was an excellent way to portray such a depressing time in our world's history. The main character was a cheerful and happy man from the beginning of the movie. The way he approach such a horrible experience gave the movie a modern and less neorealisitc twist. I admired the way he stayed strong and happy for his son, it showed that there are people in the world who can stay strong for the people they love in the worst of times. Even though he tried to make the situation a game for his son, the movie still portrayed the hurt and seriousness of the Holocaust.
In Life is Beautiful, the controversy lies in the fact that the movie does not portray the Holocaust as the gruesome time it really was. Roberto Benigni brought light to a dark time in history by centering the movie around the father's love for his son and the dedication he had to protecting him from the evil that was occurring. Whereas in Open City, Roberto Rossellini showed the time more as it really was.
I think that the film was amazing, but i can see why it was controversial. The film takes place during the Holocaust, which was a very serious topic to discuss or make films about. Life is Beautiful doesn't do a good job at portraying what life for those in concentrations camps must have been like. Instead, Roberto Benigni's character is to optimistic for the situation that he is in. It is understandable that people would get offended by the humor in the film, but it is also important to remind oneself of the title of the film. Life is Beautiful, no matter what situation the protagonist was in, he made a great effort to keep his family happy. To him, it was important to be optimistic. One also has to remember that even the protagonist, with facial expressions, showed how difficult times were. -Beatriz
I can see both points of view. Critics show that LIfe is beautiful doesnt play into the seriousness of the Holocaust which i agree with but it was more than just showing the Nazi concentration camps it was about the relationships of family members through the most horrible of times. The Holocaust of course was no joke and Life is beautiful shows a different light compared to Open City which just showed the real and harshness of the Holocaust.
Personally I feel like the criticism was justified because the film made the holocaust look like a game. I understood that the father was trying to make it more pleasant for his son, but at times I do not feel like the seriousness of the situation was played out enough. The one part that bothered me the most was when the soldier picked up the little boy at the end of the film and took him to his mother. This bothered me because it made the soldiers look like good guys in the end. Because I did not feel like the film played out the seriousness of the holocaust or harshness of those times, I do not see similarities between neorealism in Open City. Open City was very strait forward and did not sugar coat anything, where Life Is Beautiful sugar coated the reality. In neorealism you show things the way they truly are without masking the harsh reality.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie Life is Beautiful, the controversy that was generated was justified to a certain extent. It is difficult to show the truth of how the holocaust went in addition to trying to ease up some of the tension that came from the war. The movie tried to show a different side in which the father was trying to protect his son by saying everything was one big game. However the message was misunderstood and people took it as the holocaust was just a big game and did not show the serious side to it. I cannot say that the movie portrayed the truth but it did show how a father tried everything to protect his son in a difficult situation. The relationship between Open City and Life is Beautiful is that the neorealism is Open City was more realistic unlike Life is Beautiful. Life is Beautiful tried to show the situation in the movie but portrayed it in a way that the truth was more covered up.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it is both justified and it is not at the same time. The holocaust was a horrible crime against humanity and should never be forgotten. People for years to come should always be reminded of it. However, the film is not all just based on the holocaust, but on the love within this family. The criticism of this movie reminded me of some given to Saving Private Ryan. People seemed to have a problem with the film not incorporating all the other countries involved in the invasion of Europe in 1944. But, the story is about a platoon of U.S. Army Rangers. So, what does anything else matter? Thus, Life Is Beautiful is a good demonstration of how some love and willpower manages to triumph over a great evil, both reminding us of how great humanity can be and how horrible. The similarities between Open City and Life Is Beautiful are only within how the show us the severity of those times. Of course, Life Is Beautiful attempts to bring us humor so that we are not continuously feeling horrible while watching the film.
ReplyDeleteIt goes both ways. The controversy was justified, but i feel like the main characters role did not justify it. Maybe it was meant to be this way. I feel that it brought light to something that was too dark. I couldn't help but feel that there was no way people could be so happy or even pretend to be that happy. I didn't see much similarities with that of the other film, Open City was neorealism. Life is Beautiful did show the audience a glimpse of the Holocaust but its no Schindler's List. The only thing i could connect was that both films exposed the hardships the people of Italy went through during these times.
ReplyDeletei think the controversy in this movie was justified because a father was portrayed as a loving man who did not want to loose his son for being depressed if he knew the truth about the concentration camps. im sure the camps were a lot more harsh and strict than portrayed in the movie but i think the reason for this movie was not to make fun of the Holocaust and make it seem as a game but it was a way that this man could only keep himself and his son from surviving which was get their mind set as if they were there to make the best out of whatever situation they were put in. i think open city was very straight forward and showed how real the situations were at that time. the two movies were two different points of view and two different messages that the directors wanted to portray.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the criticism in this film was justified. Film, and acting is an expression of the artist's thoughts or feeling towards something. For that reason I don't understand why critics can have a real problem with the film. Irving Berlin said: "Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working twenty-four hours a day, for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force". Guido is such an amazing character because he fulfills this quote. He lives everyday to the fullest and is constantly smiling, and making people laugh with his humor. This is what makes Guido so heroic and liked, although his family was suffering and going through some of the most horrific times, he chose to change things for the better and show his son how to view life and be brave. This doesn't make fun of the idea of holocaust because Guido is showing his personal experience in the film. I don't see too many similarities between both films other then the suffering that the characters went through.
ReplyDeleteWith my understanding of this movie and the history behind it, the controversy should not be justified. This is one movie. My understanding of the film was mainly about the love and devotion between a family. The father of the film did everything he could so that his son would not suffer. While all other men fell to their beds after a long day, Guido picked up his boy and found the energy to put on a smile. That is love. This film's focus seemed to be mainly about the family. Not the war or holocaust. Although, the film did show some of the suffering of that situation. That is the only similarity personally found between this film and Open City. Benigni, the director of the film, had personal information shared about the experiences of being in a concentration camp from his own father. He was a prisoner of war during the holocaust so I highly doubt that Benigni would not be sensitive to this topic. Guido's character is amazing because he turned a horrible situation into a better one for his son. The holocaust was horrible and should not be forgotten. This film merely took a slightly lighter look at it. Although, the main focus of the film was to show the love within Guido's family.
ReplyDeleteI think that the controversy is justified because it dealt with a subject that people have very strong feelings towards. I think that Benigni wasn't trying to say that the holocaust was a game, but rather just showing how a loving father is trying to do the best he can to ease things for his son to get him through a harsh situation, and the best way he knew how was to make it a game. I think that the controversy arises from the fact that he managed to incorporate some humor into the story. The holocaust is a very sensitive topic and understandably some people just wont accept humor and the holocaust being linked together. I don't see many similarities between Life is Beautiful and Open City. I think neorealism is shown much more in Open City, the locations seem much more authentic. In Life is Beautiful the scenes seem a lot more staged and rehearsed, for example, when the girl falls from the top of the barn house, it just doesn't seem as realistic as Open City which is why i don't think there are many similarities between the neorealism of both films.
ReplyDeleteIn Life is Beautiful I feel like the controversy was not justified only because it seemed very hollywood to me. The movie seemed to center mostly on a man and his family more importantly his son. It did show some history of the holocaust but not much. I am not saying it is a bad movie because it does have a good story line. I just believe that Neorealism is shown much more in Open city because locations, actors, and story line seem more real which is what Neorealism is all about.
ReplyDelete-April Fernandez
I can see how some critics felt that a serious situation and event in history was not taken seriously in this movie. The difference between this movie and Open city is that, Open city shows the real life pictoral of what happened during the time of the nazi rule and the hardship people faced by doing so real people not actors were used. In "A Beautiful Life" I feel as though the war was used to set the background of the story but not the main theme for the movie. Critics probably found the problem in that the plot of the movie made the idea of being in a concentration camp a game. Rather than let his son know what a horrible place they were experiencing and let him be afraid he made things easier and less painful for him to understand by putting things into a game with points and things to be achieved. Personally, I enjoyed the movie because rather than showing a depressing fall and separation of a family because of the war it showed the sacrifice of a father for his son and focused more on their relationship than the horror of being in a concentration camp.
ReplyDeleteIn "Life is Beautiful" the controversy about the film is most certainly not justified. In any situation people have different views and different ideas. This story was not a film about the holocaust. This film was a narration where a boy is telling a story about how his father saved his life, and also how he created somewhat of an alternate universe within such a terrible event. There is nothing degrading or disrespectful about "Life is Beautiful". To be completely honest and I apologize if this is rude or too blunt, but the majority of "viewers" or people who watch a movie are too ignorant to understand what their actually watching or what the writer or director is trying to convey. Maybe I should take a step back and say a lot of people probably not the majority. So, it frustrates me when somebody says that such a beautiful film could be making a mockery of WWII and the holocaust. If I was a young child like this boy and my dad saved me from the gas chamber and through the concentration camp and actually died for me. Never letting me see how cruel the world truly can be, well I would tell this story exactly as it is told. "Open City" is neorealism and "Life is Beautiful" is strictly a narrative. A story that shows how to love and live and persevere through the dark times by focusing on the light.
ReplyDeleteagh...i did it again!
ReplyDeleteJaclyn
I understand why many viewers and critics had a problem with this particular film. The importance and reality of what really happend was not completely played out. If many of us were not as informed as we are today and saw Life is Beautiful for the first time as a taste of what the holocaust was about we would probably think it wasnt such a bad event that took place in history. But at the same time what many need to take into consideration is that not everyone who goes through situations and events such as the holocaust are not all going to have the same angle. This was based on a true story in which a father did his best to enlighten his son through this horrific experience. I as well feel that Owl city was alot more straight forward which is what neorealisms all about.
ReplyDeleteLife Is Beautiful may have generated some controversy because it showed the main character making light of such a dark and heavy situation as the Holocaust. However, I thought this was an excellent way to portray such a depressing time in our world's history. The main character was a cheerful and happy man from the beginning of the movie. The way he approach such a horrible experience gave the movie a modern and less neorealisitc twist. I admired the way he stayed strong and happy for his son, it showed that there are people in the world who can stay strong for the people they love in the worst of times. Even though he tried to make the situation a game for his son, the movie still portrayed the hurt and seriousness of the Holocaust.
ReplyDeleteIn Life is Beautiful, the controversy lies in the fact that the movie does not portray the Holocaust as the gruesome time it really was. Roberto Benigni brought light to a dark time in history by centering the movie around the father's love for his son and the dedication he had to protecting him from the evil that was occurring. Whereas in Open City, Roberto Rossellini showed the time more as it really was.
ReplyDeleteI think that the film was amazing, but i can see why it was controversial. The film takes place during the Holocaust, which was a very serious topic to discuss or make films about. Life is Beautiful doesn't do a good job at portraying what life for those in concentrations camps must have been like. Instead, Roberto Benigni's character is to optimistic for the situation that he is in. It is understandable that people would get offended by the humor in the film, but it is also important to remind oneself of the title of the film. Life is Beautiful, no matter what situation the protagonist was in, he made a great effort to keep his family happy. To him, it was important to be optimistic. One also has to remember that even the protagonist, with facial expressions, showed how difficult times were.
ReplyDelete-Beatriz
I can see both points of view. Critics show that LIfe is beautiful doesnt play into the seriousness of the Holocaust which i agree with but it was more than just showing the Nazi concentration camps it was about the relationships of family members through the most horrible of times. The Holocaust of course was no joke and Life is beautiful shows a different light compared to Open City which just showed the real and harshness of the Holocaust.
ReplyDelete