Life Is Beautiful (La Vita è bella) (1997)
92%RT Audience Score: 96%
Awards & Nominations: Won 3 Oscars
72 wins & 52 nominations total
Benigni’s earnest charm, when not overstepping its bounds into the unnecessarily treacly, offers the possibility of hope in the face of unflinching horror.
Life is Beautiful is a heartwarming and hilarious film that will make you laugh, cry, and appreciate the beauty of life. Roberto Benigni’s performance is infectious and his comedic talents are on full display, delivering a message of hope and love in the midst of tragedy. While some critics may find fault with the film’s sentimentality, it’s hard not to be moved by the genuine poignancy and sincerity that shines through. So grab some popcorn, tissues, and a loved one, and get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions that will leave you feeling grateful for every moment of life.
Production Company(ies)
Diamond Docs Fish Films, Oceanic Preservation Society
Distributor
Miramax Films
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for holocaust-related thematic elements
Year of Release
1997
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 2m
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Language(s):Italian, German, English
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Country of origin:Italy
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 22, 1998 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 9, 1999
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini, Giustino Durano, Sergio Bini Bustric, Marisa Paredes, directed by Roberto Benigni, written by Vincenzo Cerami, Roberto Benigni, Comedy/Drama, PG-13, box office gross $57.6M, reviewed by Nell Minow, Steven D Greydanus, Tom Dawson, Rick Groen, Colin Maccabe, Kenneth Turan, Esteve Riambau, Fico Cangiano, Gianluigi Braschi, Elda Ferri, Miramax Films, Surround, Dolby Digital, Flat (1.85:1), Holocaust, concentration camp, Italian, hope, love, tragedy, Charlie Chaplin, JEWISH STORE
Worldwide gross: $230,098,753
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $428,922,682
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 361
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 46,774,556
US/Canada gross: $57,563,264
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $107,302,579
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 701
US/Canada opening weekend: $118,920
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $221,676
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,630
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $20,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $37,281,617
Production budget ranking: 1,008
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $20,076,151
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $371,564,914
ROI to date (est.): 648%
ROI ranking: 192
Nicoletta Braschi – Dora
Giorgio Cantarini – Giosué Orefice
Giustino Durano – Eliseo Orefice
Sergio Bini Bustric – Ferruccio Papini
Marisa Paredes – Madre di Dora
Director(s)
Roberto Benigni
Writer(s)
Vincenzo Cerami, Roberto Benigni
Producer(s)
Gianluigi Braschi, Elda Ferri
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 3 Oscars
72 wins & 52 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures Winners, Oscar Best Foreign Language Film of the Year Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Original Score Winners, Oscar Winners
All Critics (89) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (72) | Rotten (17)
Wrenching Holocaust fable with bittersweet humor.
December 25, 2010 | Rating: 5/5
Nell Minow
Common Sense Media
TOP CRITIC
October 29, 2008 | Rating: A
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films
TOP CRITIC
How appealing you find it will probably depend on your response to Benigni’s screen-hogging routines — the line between endearing and irksome is a fine one.
June 10, 2002 | Rating: 2/5
Tom Dawson
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
Yes, there are heaps of charm and poignancy in this trifle, but it’s a trifle nonetheless — light-and-bright, for sure, but also slight-and-trite.
April 12, 2002 | Rating: 3/4
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
If this is a fantasy, it is probably a compensation we need when facing the reality of history.
March 5, 2002
Colin Maccabe
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
Its sentiment is inescapable, but genuine poignancy and pathos are also present, and an overarching sincerity is visible too.
February 14, 2001 | Rating: 3.5/5
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Denounces the holocaust with a sentient fairy tale. [Full review in Spanish]
June 30, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Esteve Riambau
Fotogramas
Benigni’s infectious energy and sharp comedic talents deliver a beautiful message of hope and love amongst such horror and tragedy. [Full review in Spanish]
June 5, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
Fico Cangiano
CineXpress Podcast
Exceptional, well-crafted, uplifting.
March 21, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
CSM Staff
Christian Science Monitor
Roberto Benigni’s finest hour arrived in 1997 when the triple-threat writer/director/actor delved deep into Charlie Chaplin territory – see “The Great Dictator” (1940).
March 8, 2013 | Rating: A+
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
The film’s title, which very well could have been a straightforward declaration prior to the war, becomes a source of twisted irony once we witness Guido pull down the grate outside his humble bookshop and the words JEWISH STORE are seen sprayed across th
August 20, 2009 | Rating: 4/4
Jordan Hiller
Bangitout.com
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review…
Plot
In 1930s Italy, a carefree Jewish waiter named Guido starts a fairy tale life by courting and marrying a lovely woman from a nearby city. Guido and his wife have a son and live happily together until the occupation of Italy by German forces. In an attempt to hold his family together and help his son survive the horrors of a Jewish Concentration Camp, Guido imagines that the Holocaust is a game and that the grand prize for winning is a tank.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Roberto Benigni not only starred in Life is Beautiful, but he also co-wrote and directed the film.
Roberto-Benigni.jpg
