Life Is Beautiful

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Life Is Beautiful

PG-13

1998

2h 2m

Comedy

Drama

War

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

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92 Reviews

96%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

A gentle Jewish-Italian waiter, Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni), meets Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), a pretty schoolteacher, and wins her over with his charm and humor. Eventually they marry and have a son, Giosue (Giorgio Cantarini). Their happiness is abruptly halted, however, when Guido and Giosue are separated from Dora and taken to a concentration camp. Determined to shelter his son from the horrors of his surroundings, Guido convinces Giosue that their time in the camp is merely a game.

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Critics Consensus

Benigni's earnest charm, when not overstepping its bounds into the unnecessarily treacly, offers the possibility of hope in the face of unflinching horror.

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Ben Dowell

The Times (UK)

Sep 20, 2022

Schmaltzy, treacly, saccharine — call it what you like, if you’re not blubbing by the end, check your pulse.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Dec 25, 2010

5/5

Wrenching Holocaust fable with bittersweet humor.

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Tom Dawson

BBC.com

Jun 10, 2002

2/5

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.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Aug 25, 2024

10/10

The last act is monumental - in its crushing revelations, the inevitable deterioration and near-misses of the complex charade, and the chance coincidences that constitute alternating hope and despair.

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Matthew Rozsa

matthewrozsa.com

Aug 26, 2023

3.5/4

"It makes you wonder if “Shakespeare in Love” really deserved the Academy Award for best movie of ’98."

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Dec 25, 2022

2/4

“Life Is Beautiful” is quite entertaining and well acted for the most part. Benigni isn’t extremely impressive in the lead role, nor is Cantarini very effective. The plot contains various elements seen in other films and not done much better.

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Anthony L

Mar 5, 2026

Stays away from the actual horrors of the Holocaust in order to make a fairytale based in a conceration camp.

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christopher b

Oct 4, 2022

I’m so glad I was the only person in the theater because I lost it.

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Ed J

@jonesedm Aug 11, 2026

The power of the movie comes from the contrast between the innocent life that the father tries to preserve for his boy and the nightmare Italy that surrounds them.

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SurvivorAlways 7

@MyLife4Me79 Aug 1, 2026

I think the first half was really not my cup of tea. It was too zany funny for my personal taste and it looked and felt like something filmed in the 70s for some reason. I think I would have enjoyed these two people falling in love more, without all the zany comedy. When the tone starts to shift going into the second half it feels like a whole separate film. I didn’t like the tonal shift, even though I did prefer the second half of the movie, to the first half. I understand the point of the film was to show the depths a parent will go to, to protect not just their child’s body, but also their heart and mind. Yet, still so many aspects of this movie felt wrong and not in keeping with things we know to be true about how these camps operated, that it was hard to really take it seriously. Still, the ending was heartbreaking and beautiful all at once. I understand why so many people love and adore this film. I’m just maybe not one of them. It was okay.

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Pam H

@Pjh9999 Jul 29, 2026

I loved the fact they didn’t show the horrors of the holocaust. We all know and have seen the movies museums horrific horrors. This is not what the movie was about!!!!

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Priyanshu R

@Rockstar1339450 Jul 20, 2026

I always gone stand with Jewish and hindu people

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Roberto Benigni

Director

Roberto Benigni

Guido Orefice

Nicoletta Braschi

Dora

Giorgio Cantarini

Giosué Orefice

Giustino Durano

Eliseo Orefice

Sergio Bini Bustric

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Synopsis

A gentle Jewish-Italian waiter, Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni), meets Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), a pretty schoolteacher, and wins her over with his charm and humor. Eventually they marry and have a son, Giosue (Giorgio Cantarini). Their happiness is abruptly halted, however, when Guido and Giosue are separated from Dora and taken to a concentration camp. Determined to shelter his son from the horrors of his surroundings, Guido convinces Giosue that their time in the camp is merely a game.

Director: Roberto Benigni
Producer: Gianluigi Braschi, Elda Ferri
Screenwriter: Vincenzo Cerami, Roberto Benigni
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Miramax, Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinema, Melampo Cinematografica
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama, War
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 22, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 25, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $57.6M
Runtime: 2h 2m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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