February 1, 1999 -- If you thought "Schindler's List" was too heavy and depressing, then here's a light treatment of the same subject, "Life is Beautiful."

This view of the Holocaust, set in Italy just before and during World War II, stars a comedian, Roberto Benigni, as Guido Orefice, that's right, a comic, and he is funny. Although the subtext of the film is serious, it uses humor to show us there is more than one way to face the most terrible forms of man's inhumanity to man.

Orefice on the surface seems to be a small and silly man, but we soon find out he is extremely clever and imaginative and that he has a big heart. Eventually, we also find out that he is heroic in his own way. The early part of the film is devoted Orefice's romance with the lovely Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), including a memorable scene with a horse of a different color.

After the two are married and they have a son. He uses jokes to explain away the hateful signs in windows that prohibit Jews like himself from entering. When the boy and his father are taken away to a concentration camp by the Nazis, the father convinces the boy the whole thing is a game. He teaches the boy to hide from the guards so he won't be taken to the gas chambers and tells him he will earn lots of points in the game for doing this. He also tells the boy he will earn more points for not complaining about the lack of food at the camp.

There is a scene in which Orefice is led to believe that a doctor in the concentration camp, a friend of his, is going to help him and his family escape. To his horror, he discovers that the doctor only wants him to solve a riddle that has been bothering him. Totally self-absorbed, he is not at all interested in Orefice or his desperate plight. This scene is a different way of illustrating the same point as the scene in Schindler's list where a concentration camp officer shoots Jews for sport from a balcony. In both cases, the Germans allow themselves to see Jews as a lower form of life, even though in their heart or hearts, they know better.

While this film certainly doesn't depict the Holocaust in its full horror, it does deal with the subject in a meaningful way. It shows us how humor, intelligence and imagination are effective weapons in the battle against the forces of intolerance, hatred and bigotry.

Granted, this is not a realistic film, or very believable, but it is not meant to be. It is a fable, made to illustrate the above-mentioned themes of love, wit, a particular kind of bravery and self-sacrifice. It makes these points very well. I haven't seen too many foreign films released in 1988 yet, but I would have to say that "Waking Ned Devine" is the best foreign film from that year I have seen, followed by The Celebration. "Life is Beautiful," rates a B+. Click here for links to places to buy this movie in VHS and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.