Historic Film Impact Essay: Life Is Beautiful

Historic Film Impact Essay Throughout history there have been great stories of great sacrifice and struggle. Some of these struggles come during times of oppression and discrimination. Sometimes it’s hard to truly understand what it’s like to live through and experience such struggles. In Clint Eastwood’s Invictus, Tate Taylor’s The Help, and Roberto Benigni’s Life is Beautiful, the characters all experience some kind of struggle. In Invictus Nelson Mandela has the struggle of bringing a country together, Skeeter in The Help has the issue of writing the story of “the help” without getting in trouble with the law and last but not least Guido has the struggle of keeping his family together and alive during the holocaust. Out of the three movies Life Is Beautiful has the greatest impact because it shows the struggles of a father who is willing smile, be strong, and even die through the holocaust, not only to make his son, Joshua, happy but, also save his life. Plus, this movie shows a side of the holocaust not usually seen. It shows a side of a family staying strong through emotional, physical and life lasting struggles. Discrimination towards Jews was very prominent during WWII. In Life is Beautiful it is shown the emotional burden it puts on Guido and Dora. The first incident in the film is when Guido and Joshua see the store sign saying, “No dogs or Jews allowed.” When Joshua asks about it Guido has to push his feelings aside so his son isn’t hurt. So, instead of telling him the truth Guido tells him, “Not allowed sings are the latest trend!” Another instance of emotional struggle is when Dora is in the concentration camp with the other women. She is told that all elderly and children are sent to the gas chambers to be killed. Like any other mother this creates fear and worry. She knows that Joshua is there but the question now is whether he is still alive or not. This state of always wondering just adds to the hardships of being there. Along with emotional