Życie jest piękne

The experience of a lifetime. If all films carried messages and emotions like this one, the civilised world could be truly beautiful, joyful and free of ugly ethical crimes. Because if, instead of bloody slaughter and advocacy of violence, we only watched Roberto Benigni singing and playing with his unsuspecting son in a concentration camp, we could never come up with the wrong ideas. Okay, it would certainly get boring soon, but for once it's simply an indescribable viewer's ecstasy. Thanks Roberto! 100% (24.04.2011)

I’ll give this Italian film four stars, but it’s quite on the edge. I don’t want to diminish the quality of the film as a whole; I certainly don’t condemn it, but I also can’t sing its praises with a clear conscience. For me, the film is divided into two halves. The first half presents itself as a zany comedy, and Roberto Benigni navigates this genre like a fish in water. You’ll laugh at some of the jokes, but this part lacks that extra value for me. The second half, however, runs like a Swiss watch for most of its duration. The clash between the fairy-tale competition, where the main prize is a tank (as the father tries to convince his son), and the horrific reality of life in a concentration camp, really tugs at your heart. The young boy delivers a truly exceptional performance, and the film is accompanied by beautiful music. The ending perfectly balances between a tragic and a happy conclusion. If it were more balanced, it could have aimed for a higher rating. 7.5/10 (26.08.2021)

Robert Benigni is basically a better director than he is actor. While from his position as director he managed to imprint a very positive and “humanist" mood, he fails as an actor so much that, while being the only downside, he is a massive drawback for the movie. His Guido is supposed to be a pleasantly talkative, optimistic dreamer, but in the end he is just one of those completely unbearable people who can’t keep his mouth shut even for one moment. Everything else about this movie is excellent, from the screenplay, through the technical aspects to the supporting actors... and he keeps going on and on. (30.01.2007)

An expertly crafted Italian masterpiece which I will never appreciate. In the beginning, I was given a romantic comedy, and since I watched the movie without knowing the premise, I could never have been prepared for such a drastic disruption of the atmosphere they had built. I would have accepted the complete change of storytelling style and transformation into a war drama, but the attempt to lighten the later chilling moments most of the time only made me more unsettled. Then even the most famous scene of the whole film loses its power. Objectively speaking, Roberto Benigni knows what he's doing, the concept and the entire plot are worth it, but as his audience, I don't feel connected. (04.02.2006)

Highly unrealistic but pleasantly sentimental, this deeply human film depicts childhood experienced during a brutally cruel time. The script is cleverly built on the memories of a young boy. As is known, the human brain has a unique healing ability to filter out the unpleasant from our memory, making even such an idealized version of the past acceptable and justified. Thanks to this, the survival of Jews in a concentration camp can be presented as a captivating game, allowing viewers to dream along with the main character. Overall impression 85%. Roberto Benigni surpassed himself as an actor, writer, and director. (14.07.2008)