Life is Beautiful – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Life is Beautiful

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie1997

84%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A father turns a Nazi concentration camp into an elaborate game to protect his son—heartbreaking, brilliant, and unforgettable.

8.6/10

80%

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Life is Beautiful

movie

PG-13, 1997

84%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A father turns a Nazi concentration camp into an elaborate game to protect his son—heartbreaking, brilliant, and unforgettable.

8.6

80%

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8.6/10

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Screenwise Verdict

Life is Beautiful is a masterpiece, full stop. It's one of those rare films that takes an impossible subject—the Holocaust—and finds a way to tell a story about love, sacrifice, and the power of a parent's protection that doesn't minimize the horror but also doesn't drown in it.

Benigni's performance is extraordinary, and the film's central gambit—turning a concentration camp into an elaborate game to preserve a child's innocence—is both audacious and deeply moving. The first half is charming romantic comedy; the second half is heartbreak. The ending will wreck you.

This isn't easy viewing, and it's not for kids under 13. But for families with teens studying WWII or the Holocaust, this is essential. It's one of the most acclaimed foreign films of all time (8.6 on IMDb, 96% audience score) and offers a perspective on genocide that's unique in cinema. Just make sure everyone's ready for the emotional gut-punch, and plan time to talk afterward.

Age Fit

Best for ages 13+ who are ready for Holocaust education and can handle the emotional weight of genocide presented through a tragicomic lens. The film is beloved by adults and remains powerful viewing at any age, but younger teens need maturity to process the juxtaposition of humor and horror.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

A father's fierce, protective love anchors this film—using humor and imagination to shield his son from horror. The relationship models devotion, sacrifice, and resilience without being saccharine. However, the Holocaust setting and tragic ending mean this isn't light viewing; it's emotionally heavy and requires maturity to process the juxtaposition of comedy and genocide.

Imaginative

The central conceit—a father turning a concentration camp into an elaborate 'game' to protect his son's innocence—is audacious and brilliantly executed. Benigni's performance is a masterclass in using fantasy, storytelling, and quick thinking to reframe nightmare into adventure. The film asks viewers to hold two realities at once, which is narratively daring.

Safe

PG-13 for holocaust-related themes. A man is shot off-camera, there's a pile of bodies briefly shown, and the entire second half takes place in a concentration camp. The horror is mostly implied rather than graphic, but kids will understand what's happening. Not suitable for young or sensitive viewers who aren't ready for genocide, death, and the weight of the Holocaust. No sex, nudity, or profanity, but the emotional trauma is real.

Enriching

One of the most powerful Holocaust films ever made, praised for its unique approach to depicting atrocity through a child's protected perspective. It's a profound meditation on love, sacrifice, the power of storytelling, and human dignity in the face of evil. The film won three Oscars (Best Actor, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Score) and has an 8.6 IMDb rating and 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This is essential cinema for understanding history and the resilience of the human spirit.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

One of the most unique Holocaust films ever made—balances comedy and tragedy in a way that shouldn't work but absolutely does
Roberto Benigni's performance is magnetic; he won the Oscar for a reason
Teaches kids about the Holocaust through a lens of love and protection rather than pure horror
The storytelling-as-survival theme is powerful: shows how imagination and hope can be acts of resistance
Widely considered essential viewing for teens learning about WWII and human resilience

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What to Watch For

The ending is devastating—the father is executed, though it happens off-screen. Be ready for tears and processing time
Second half is set entirely in a concentration camp; the reality of genocide is present even if softened for the child character
Not appropriate for kids under 12-13 unless they're already studying the Holocaust and emotionally prepared
Some parents report kids found the tonal shift from comedy to tragedy confusing or upsetting

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think Guido created the 'game' for Joshua? What would you have done in his situation?"
"How did the movie show the difference between what Joshua saw and what was really happening?"
"What does this film teach us about protecting people we love, even in impossible situations?"
"How is this Holocaust story different from other ones you might have learned about in school?"

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