Sai and Shujath talk Cinema

A humorous take on the Holocaust is not something that many would imagine attempting. Roberto Benigni not only imagined it but attempted it and successfully too. To summarize, this movie is about how a father tries to shelter his young boy from the harsh realities of a concentration camp while trying to find a way to help him escape. This film depicts how a positive outlook and imagination can help even in the worst of conditions.

The chaplinesque Benigni is not someone that you imagine seeing in a movie about the Holocaust but here he is as the main protagonist. The early part of the film does provide some scope to display his natural comedic talent while the latter part of the film is a great showcase for his talent behind the screen. Roberto Benigni co-writes (alongwith Vincenzo Cerami) and directs this movie that won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film alongwith the Best Actor for Benigni apart from the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. That speaks voulmes for Benigni and therefore I will not elaborate further. This is a moving and uplifting film that is really about love and positive thinking under damning circumstances more than it is about the Holocaust and everybody should watch it.