Homework Essay

Joshua as a character throughout 'Life is Beautiful'' represents unique and engaging presentation of the Holocaust experience. Joshua's perspective is through the eyes of an innocent child who doesn't understand the whole experience. This innocence allows us to connect with Joshua and have more sympathy for the Jews as a whole because of his symbolic reference to them as being the innocent Jewish people who have been oppressed.

Joshua's perspective allows us to see the whole experience from someone who doesn't understand the whole experience. This is important because it plays upon the issues related with the Holocaust. This is seen through the scene where Joshua doesn't want to go to the gas chambers. The reason why he doesn't want to take a 'shower' is because he is a plays upon the cliche little kids don't like taking showers.

Joshua's innocence is important to the uniqueness of the movie because it adds and extra element of sympathy to the film. You feel more for the Joshua because he is a small child and that his inability to comprehend the situation of the mass killing of many of the Jews. This perspective is important as well because of the perspective is from someone who suffers from the Holocaust.

Therefore, Joshua is a symbol not just of innocence but the whole jewish race who suffered in the Holocaust. He shows the weakness of the Jewish people during the holocaust and there inability to stop the situation. He is needed to represent the movies unique and engaging presentation of the Holocaust experience within the movie.

Heroes and Villains in Life is Beautiful

• Describe what is happening in this scene.

Guards walk in, ask if anyone speaks German and Guido says he does and makes up the translation into rules for a game

• Who are the heroes and villains in this scene? Why are they heroes and villains?

Heroes are Guido 

Victim are all the Jews 

Villain is the guard who is demanding orders and yelling, on a platform, in uniform

• For the hero/es and villain/s, describe techniques used in this shot which highlight their opposing role and how they connect with the audience.

Long shot used to show the smaller connection and the close up shot of guido shows that they are more easy to relate to. Line between guard and guido to show the power.

In balance in power, big guard with tall guard in uniform, Guido casually dresses and has the smaller guard on his side

Guido is higher than the deep-voiced guard, casually voice of Guido and stern voiced guard different point of view of the people.

Joshua represents innocence which is being taken advantage of in the holocaust, elevated to show he is so important to Guido

Close ups to show he is saying to his son, the close up shows and try to show that there is other parts to the holocaust, the lighter side of the concentration camps

German soldier standing up straight and is slightly fat being well feed, Guido casually standing

Not needing to understand because the Germans are being oppressed 

Life is Beautiful Questions

• What is a tragedy? 

a dramatic composition dealing with a serious theme, typically that of a great person destined through a feature of character or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate to downfall or destruction. 

• How is Life is Beautiful a tragedy? 

It is a tragedy because it is revolved around the holocaust which in itself is a tragedy and the fact that the father is going to great lengths to make his father happy that he that towards the end of the story he must confront  the Germans to save his son.

• Could it also be a comedy?

It could also be considered a comedy because Guido is a very funny and charismatic character that goes to great lengths to make his son happy. This is also seen towards the end of the where he tries to lift his son's spirits by mocking and imitating the German soldier.

• What is a villain? What is a hero? What is a victim? Give examples of each both from real life and from fiction.

A villain is a character who adds a sence of evil and is devoted to maliciousness within a story. An example of a villain a 'Life is Beautiful' is the German solider at the end who kills Guido. A Hero is someone who shows courage, is able to put others needs before his and also able to be brave in difficult situations. An example of a hero in 'Life is Beautiful' is Guido who puts his sons' needs before his in order to protect and conceal his son from the German soldiers and the concentration camp. A victim is someone who is caught in and suffers from someone else act which is portrayed within the movie through Giosuè who is suffers from the German camps and has to stay in a concealed place.

• Who are the villains, victims and heroes?

The villains are the Germans, the victims are Giosue and Dora and the hero is Guido. 

• What value do each of these characters play in the movie? What role do they play in the plot? What role do they play in connecting the movie to history? What role do they play in evoking a reaction from the audience? (List the important characters in the movie and label them as either villains or heroes. Then, in dot points, list the important role they play in regards to plot, history, and to the audience.)

Name

Guido and a Hero

Plot

He is the driving force within the story e.g. meeting Dora, going to the camp, etc.

History

Him being Jewish puts him in the actually historical event and he represents the Jews within the Holocaust. 

Audience

The audience sees the view of the holocaust through the fact that he is a likable character

Name

Joshua and a victim

Plot

He is the complication within the concentration camp.

History

Joshua connects to history the fact that he is a child and heightens the fact that the Germans are cruel.

Audience

Because he is so innocent because he is a child and the struggle and innocence of him.

Name

Germans and villain

Plot

No set villain and it allows more emphasis on the main characters as well as Heroes and Victims, they create the main complication 

History

They are connected to the Nazi Germans

Audience

You feel hatred towards them for the killing of the Jews