People often shudder at the thought of the Holocaust. During this gruesome time nearly six million Jews, and an additional five million non- Jewish victims, including gypsies, homosexuals, and handicapped, were inhumanely murdered by the Nazis. There was no escape from the brutality of the German dictator, Adolf Hitler. The Holocaust was Hitler’s effort to exterminate any person he believed to be inferior. Anyone deemed fit for the title was lugged away to concentration camps, then sentenced to obligatory labor or demise. Now, imagine this as a comedy. The notion that such an event could be portrayed as a comedy seems unfathomable. However, director Robert Benigni is able to take this occurrence and apply a comedic sense in order to set the …show more content…
story of an Italian Jewish man and his family, whose lives change drastically when they are forcibly towed away to these concentration camps. Throughout the film Guido, played also by Benigni, is able to maintain a charismatic and endearing sense of humor that ultimately leads to the survival of his family. The use of humor in Roberto Benigni’s film Life Is Beautiful contrasts to drama to effectively engage the audience, present a father’s passionate preservation of his son’s innocence, and encapsulates the absurdity of the Nazi regime. Life Is beautiful is separated into two distinct parts, the first being a light hearted comedy, and the second, dark and emotional with comedic elements, allowing humor to draw the audience in and keep them engaged through the entire film. Guido, the Italian Jew, entices the audience with his wit and sense of humor. The film opens with Guido and close friend, Ferrucio, barreling down the hill in their car, which they suddenly realize has lost its breaks. The two men are sent through the woods, and headed straight for a crowd of people. In desperate attempt to get the acknowledgement of the crowd, Guido gestures hand movements to warn the people, his gestures resembles that of the “Hail Hitler” insignia. At this point the audience is enthralled at what may transpire and already caught laughing at the chaos. The first half of the film does not heavily deal with the holocaust aspect. Instead, the beginning is light hearted, and lets the viewer connect with the characters. The story takes place in Italy, where Guido lives life to the fullest. Through a series of planned coincidences, and humorous romantic gestures he meets the love of his life, Dora. The two seem to be on their way to happily ever after. The film takes a turn when Dora and Guido have a son, who is then hauled away to the concentration camp with his father. Acknowledging the chance she may never see her family again, Dora boards the train set for the camp. Once the second section of the film begins the audience is able to see that even through the trials the characters are still humorous people who are forced into an abysmal situation. While the characters enter the climax of the story the audience is already attached to each character through the sense of humor and emotionalism. Humor is used throughout the film to depict how Guido protected, his son, Joshua’s innocence and the effect it played on him.
Joshua and Guido are abducted put on a train to the concentration camp. Immediately, he begins the attempt to protect his son by telling him the train is part of a surprise for Joshua’s birthday. Guido continues this adlibbing as they arrive at the camp by constructing a game. He tells Joshua that everyone in the concentration camp is partaking in the game, and the first to reach a thousand points is the winner. The winner of the game will receive the grand prize of a real tank, Joshua’s favorite toy. Guido knew this was the only way to preserve his son’s life. Guido’s role is not only to protect himself, but his son as well. An applied comedic section begins when several guards enter the room, and yell something in German. Unable to understand, Guido asks Bartolomeo, a fellow prisoner, what the guard said. Bartolomeo says the guard asked if any one spoke German. Guido’s hand shot up right away, even though he of course did not speak German. This contributes to the humor of the film. Pretending to understand, he “translates” what the guard had said into the rules of the game. Joshua giggles at the rules his father proposes, when in actuality this was destined to be a serious moment by the Germans and prisoners of the camp to explain the rules of the camp. In fact, however, this is another attempt to save his son from the monstrosities of the encampment. Later, Guido finds Joshua in the room after he had ran away from the group that was heading to showers. He tells Joshua to return to the group and go take a shower. Little did they both know, the showers were actually gas chambers. Guido’s fatherly advice is indeed a death sentence. The dramatic effect of the irony closely portrays an essence of comedy. Joshua’s childlike stubbornness essentially saves him. The enormity of the situation strikes the comedic effect. This scene reflects the
bold statement of humor in the film. Maintaining faith and hope in the appearance of danger and death makes it possible to conquer anything. This scene also polishes the pain of the holocaust by placing it into a comedic light. If it weren’t for Joshua’s hatred of showers he would have been killed. Guido’s optimism and coincidences are a reminder that not all prisoners in the camps were fortunate enough to have fate play on their side. The connection between humor in the film, and the senselessness of the war is inevitable. The holocaust has become the epitome of all evil. One man was able to come into power, and abolish the lives of millions of people. Victims were nothing short of innocent, yet still brutally punished for a ludicrous crime. It is probable to relate the comedy in the film to the comedy of the war. By no means was the war comical, however, the insanity of the reasoning behind the war is virtually comical. While waiting tables one night Guido realizes an inspector will be attending the school where his beloved princess works. After learning this, he dresses up as the inspector, and is told to explain to the students why their race, the Arian race, is the superior of all others. Using his gift of improvisation, he lifts up his shirt and points out how outstanding their belly buttons are. The film is mocking the Nazi’s thinking, and how absurd it is to think one race is superior over another. The rationalization behind the war is conceivably, the most, illogical reasoning combatted against in this world. It is senseless to think that the murders to an abundant amount of people came from being one race, and not an alternative. When Guido returns home one night he sees his uncle’s horse comically painted green with the words “Jewish horse” inscribed on him, trailed by a lightning bolt and stars. His uncle warns him that this is only the beginning of what is to come to them. Unperturbed, Guido later rides on the painted horse to steal his beloved bride away from her grueling fiancé. This makes a mockery of the Nazi regime by proudly flaunting the Jewish horse, and in the end winning the girl of his dreams despite the fact he was Jewish. The game that Guido creates for Joshua also plays a role in this matter. Even to his death, Guido fake marches and shoots a wink to Joshua in order for him to believe he is still playing the game. The game relates to the meaning of the war in the same way as humor. Guido’s translation of camp rules also plays into the aspect of comedy. He makes the German guards seem imprudent by making a mockery of them in this scene. In this way, the concepts of the German’s beliefs in the war seem injudicious. The obscenity of the war makes it seem practically fabricated. Roberto Benigni is able to construct a thoroughly comical film with the appropriate use of humor. He uses humor as his weapon against the fascist Germans and the idea of the Holocaust. Benigni is able to add the comical aspect without overstepping the boundaries. He is vigilant in protecting the sensitivity of the Holocaust, and conveys the story of a boy and his father whose only weapon is humor. His use of humor is able to ease the pain of the past condition. In the conclusion of the film Guido is caught and killed, however, Joshua and Dora make it out of the camp alive. Joshua is greeted by an American tank who transports him out of the camp making him believe he has truly won the game. Roberto Benigni captures the beauty of life in his film. He conveys hope through the title Life Is Beautiful by Guido’s ever present sense of optimism and unconditional love for the people dearest to him. Despite the destitution he and his family face he would still be able to look at what he had, laugh, and think life is the utmost exquisite thing a man can possess because life is beautiful.
In the Holocaust, there were things that happened that were poignant. Elie Wiesel has made a book that showed things that happened during the holocaust. In the book, Night, there are quotes that are poignant and significant.
As a son watches his mother take her last breath on her deathbed, an overwhelming grief sets in. Although knowing that his mom smokes and drinks, he never told her to quit or ease up because he thought his mother can never die. In this case, the offset of this denial is his mom’s early death but, the denial by the Jews during 1942, caused a far more superior calamity, six million deaths! Alas, just like the boy who lost his mother, the Jews have signs and warnings to escape the invasion and Elie Wiesel does a superb job of incorporating that in his book, Night. These overlooked chances, or motifs, are Moshe not getting the respect for his word, uncomprehending the news that is given to the Jews, and the misjudgment of how evil a man Hitler is.
In Elie Wiesel’s Night, he recounts his horrifying experiences as a Jewish boy under Nazi control. His words are strong and his message clear. Wiesel uses themes such as hunger and death to vividly display his days during World War II. Wiesel’s main purpose is to describe to the reader the horrifying scenes and feelings he suffered through as a repressed Jew. His tone and diction are powerful for this subject and envelope the reader. Young readers today find the actions of Nazis almost unimaginable. This book more than sufficiently portrays the era in the words of a victim himself.
In this world, people go through the process of dealing with both empathy and malice. As a matter of fact, almost everyone has been through times where maybe they feel understood by some and misunderstood by others. Specifically, in the book “Night”, by Elie Wiesel, a character named Madame Schachter goes through the experience of fellow Jews displaying empathy and malice during in result to her behavior. Along with this, the reactions reveal just how inconsiderate we can act when in uncomfortable situations. One example of the malice and lack of sympathy they provided her was during the cattle car ride to Auschwitz. During this ride, she went a bit insane due to the devastating separation of her family. Elie explains, “She received several blows to the head, blows that could have been
It’s normal to be scared but staying positive is a major key. Rhetorical devices are used throughout “Night” to describe the emotions, feelings, situations, and faith that were being felt. The author Elie Wiesel did a fantastic job of showing that. Though times were rough Elie was always staying positive because he knew that there is always a chance for something good to happen despite how bad the situation can get and rhetorical devices were a great way of showing that.
The Holocaust was one of the most devastating events to happen to us a world. On an ordinary day 1,000 people would be plucked from their everyday lives in ghettos. Over 30,000 Jewish people were arrested on Kristallnacht and taken to concentration camps. According to one source, “Over eleven million people were killed and about six million of them happened to be Jews” (“11 Facts”). Producing movies based around the Holocaust is a very controversial topic. There is the ever prominent argument on wheatear or not Holocaust based films can help us understand the different aspects of its reality.
In Night, Elie Wiesel uses tone to express the emotions he felt and explain the situations he endured during the Holocaust. The most prevalent tones in the book are anguish and hopelessness, but many more are also present. At the beginning of the book, Wiesel’s tone is more optimistic towards his situation and hopeful for a better outcome, but as the book progresses, Wiesel changes the tone to one of dreariness and hopelessness due to the new environments and events he endures.
However, the servant to a Dutchman was not like this at all. He was loved by all and, "He had the face of a sad angel." (Wiesel 42). However, when the power station that the child worked at blew up, he was tortured for information. But the child refused to speak and was sentenced to death by hanging.
The significance of night throughout the novel Night by Elie Wiesel shows a poignant view into the daily life of Jews throughout the concentration camps. Eliezer describes each day as if there was not any sunshine to give them hope of a new day. He used the night to symbolize the darkness and eeriness that were brought upon every Jew who continued to survive each day in the concentration camps. However, night was used as an escape from the torture Eliezer and his father had to endure from the Kapos who controlled their barracks. Nevertheless, night plays a developmental role of Elie throughout he novel.
Inked on the pages of Elie Wiesel’s Night is the recounting of him, a young Jewish boy, living through the mass genocide that was the Holocaust. The words written so eloquently are full of raw emotions depict his journey from a simple Jewish boy to a man who was forced to see the horrors of the world. Within this time period, between beatings and deaths, Wiesel finds himself questioning his all loving and powerful God. If his God loved His people, then why would He allow such a terrible thing to happen? Perhaps Wiesel felt abandoned by his God, helpless against the will of the Nazis as they took everything from him.
In his memoir Night, Elie Wiesel uses symbolism and imagery to show when people are faced with difficult challenges in life it results in the loss of faith.
As humans, we require basic necessities, such as food, water, and shelter to survive. But we also need a reason to live. The reason could be the thought of a person, achieving some goal, or a connection with a higher being. Humans need something that drives them to stay alive. This becomes more evident when people are placed in horrific situations. In Elie Wiesel's memoir Night, he reminisces about his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust. There the men witness horrific scenes of violence and death. As time goes on they begin to lose hope in the very things that keep them alive: their faith in God, each other, and above all, themselves.
In Art Spiegelman’s Maus, the audience is led through a very emotional story of a Holocaust survivor’s life and the present day consequences that the event has placed on his relationship with the author, who is his son, and his wife. Throughout this novel, the audience constantly is reminded of how horrific the Holocaust was to the Jewish people. Nevertheless, the novel finds very effective ways to insert forms of humor in the inner story and outer story of Maus. Although the Holocaust has a heart wrenching effect on the novel as a whole, the effective use of humor allows for the story to become slightly less severe and a more tolerable read.
Many Americans have watered down the Depiction of Jewish oppression during Nazi reign to swift easy round up into concentration camps. What Quentin Tarantino and the Jewish film community wanted to illustrate through this film is how this is an incorrect overgeneralization. Inglourious Basterds illustrates more realistic Jewish life during Nazi reign and the constant terror they faced. This oppression was far more personal, intimate, and cordial yet brutal altercations invoked through self-defense and hatred. This film illustrates this internal oppression and revolt through schemes, interrogations, threats, and abrupt violence.
Director Mark Herman presents a narrative film that attests to the brutal, thought-provoking Nazi regime, in war-torn Europe. It is obvious that with Herman’s relatively clean representation of this era, he felt it was most important to resonate with the audience in a profound and philosophical manner rather than in a ruthlessness infuriating way. Despite scenes that are more graphic than others, the films objective was not to recap on the awful brutality that took place in camps such as the one in the movie. The audience’s focus was meant to be on the experience and life of a fun-loving German boy named Bruno. Surrounding this eight-year-old boy was conspicuous Nazi influences. Bruno is just an example of a young child among many others oblivious of buildings draped in flags, and Jewis...