I finally got to see Life Is Beautiful. (Unfortunately
where I live, arty or foreign films last about a week, so if you
don't see them then, you have to wait for video.) As usual, I
have little to add to Niner's opinion, though I'm probably not quite
as enthusiastic about it as he. Great movie, better than the
recent Oscar winners, well worth the time invested, but not one
I'd want to see again and again. (Few films qualify for
that laurel.)
I did have one question. (I assume everyone has seen the
movie, but if you haven't you shouldn't read the rest of the post.)
When the guard captures Begnini at the end, he starts to shoot
him, but instead (after another German intervenes) leads him for
several seconds of film through the camp into a dark alley, and then
shoots him. Why?
Was this just so he could pass by his son and mock the Nazis
the last time? Plot-wise and film-wise, I couldn't really find
sufficient justification for this. I quibble only because it was
the end, so it was pretty important. Thus I'm afraid I might have
missed some deeper artistic reason.
