Common Sense Media Review
By Nell Minow, based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 13+
Wrenching Holocaust fable with bittersweet humor.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that the award-winning Italian import Life Is Beautiful is set during the Holocaust, and features some very difficult themes, including war, fear, and the loss of a parent. There are clear references to the atrocities being committed, but most of the focus is on the humorous efforts of a father to shelter his son from them. Drinking (wine, champagne) is visible in social settings; references are made to drunkenness.
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Violence & Scariness
some
Threats of torture, hangings, and being murdered in gas chambers are discussed, and those who understand the Holocaust will get the gravity of these threats. Occasional bloody images are visible. Guns (rifles, pistols, machine guns) are visible; gunshots are audible. Tanks are visible. A major character dies.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
Champagne, hard liquor is visible at restaurants and social functions. Cigarette smoking is occasionally visible.
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Language
a little
A few words like "ass" are visible in the subtitles.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
very little
Some mild flirtations between Guido and Dora.
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Positive Role Models
a lot
Guido is a doting husband and father, and uses humor to overcome the incredible obstacles that stand in his way. Characters display courage, gratitude, and perseverance.
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Positive Messages
a lot
Love for family, country, and above all, the bond between father and son, are major themes here. Fascism is discussed, and the horror of the holocaust is also underscored.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Life Is Beautiful
Parent and Kid Reviews
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- Parents say (12)
- Kids say (30)
age 12+
Based on 12 parent reviews
Jamiebez Parent of 2, 9 and 11-year-old
June 30, 2020
age 12+
Missing an important detail
This is one of my all time favorite movies so I wanted to introduce it to my 11 yr old son. It has been a long time so I looked it up on CSM: Just wanted to write this review to comment that under sex it neglected to say that main adult male character says in one conversation maybe 5 times how much he wants to make love to woman he is courting. I would have expected CSM to have noted this. The humor is fast paced but my son caught on on his own after I paused and explained a bit so he started to understand the humor and quick pace.
T.Doh Adult
October 9, 2020
age 9+
Sad, funny, heartwarming and educational.
My 11 year old is learning about the holocaust in school and wanted to watch the boy in the striped pajamas but I chose this instead as its a favourite of mine. My 9 year old also watched it and was fine.The worst part is there's a brief artistic scene of what my 9 year old saw correctly- a huge pile of bodies. Although this sounds graphic nothing was visible in terms of gore. The film has sad moments but thats part of growing up in my opinion. The rest of the film balances the sadness out and its a truly beautiful story in a horrible time.
See all 12 parent reviews
What's the Story?
An Oscar-winner for Best Actor and Best Foreign Film, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL is a fable is about a father's love for his wife and son in the midst of the Holocaust. Writer/director Roberto Benigni stars as a Chaplinesque character who charms a beautiful teacher by creating a world of gentle magic around them. But then Benigni and his wife and child are sent to a concentration camp. To protect his son's life, he teaches him to hide from the guards during the day. To protect his son's heart, he constructs an elaborate fantasy that they are participating in a very difficult contest to win the ultimate prize, a real tank. And his son finds that this make sense, and he goes along with it.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
Parents say (12):
Kids say (30):
This magnificent film gives us a glimpse of the Holocaust, but it is really about love, and the indomitability of humanity even in the midst of inhumanity. Life Is Beautiful inspired a lot of controversy from people who said that it was an inaccurate portrayal of the Holocaust, and that it was wrong to set a comedy, even a gentle bittersweet one, in a concentration camp. But the movie is never less than respectful of the suffering during the Holocaust, and of the impossibility of any kind of real portrayal of that experience. Even Schindler's List is not a portrayal of the Holocaust. That experience is fundamentally incomprehensible. The best we can hope for from art is that it gives us glimpses.
We often see in life and in movies that people react to extreme adversity by magnifying whatever sense of control they have left -- think of Mrs. Van Dam's focus on her coat in The Diary of Anne Frank, absurd in light of the fact that they never go outside, so she has no real need for a coat, but important because somehow she has chosen the coat as a place to locate her sense of herself as not having lost everything. In Life is Beautiful, the father focuses on his special talent for creating a feeling of magic to protect his son from the worst reality of the Holocaust, the sense of utter betrayal. Very importantly, he gives his son a sense of control, by letting him think that he has made the choice to participate in the contest. And knowing that he has kept his child's faith intact gives him a sense of control, and purpose, that keeps him going.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the historical framework of Life is Beautiful. Does the movie teach us anything? How have other movies dealt with the same subject?
Why do you think this movie was received so warmly? What makes it special?
How do the characters in Life is Beautiful demonstrate courage, gratitude, and perseverance? Why are those important character strengths?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 23, 1998
- On DVD or streaming : November 9, 1999
- Cast : Giorgio Cantarini, Nicoletta Braschi, Roberto Benigni
- Director : Roberto Benigni
- Studio : Miramax
- Genre : Drama
- Character Strengths : Courage, Gratitude, Perseverance
- Run time : 116 minutes
- MPAA rating : PG-13
- Last updated : September 11, 2024
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