Plot
The movie is about Guido, an Italian Jewish man who came to Italy hoping to open a bookstore. He took up a job as a waiter with his uncle and falls in love with a local school teacher, Dora. After several attempts of impressing her and even stealing her away from her own engagement party to another man, they eventually got married and had a son, Giosuè. However World War II broke out and the whole family was taken away and separated to a concentration camp. Throughout their internment, Guido had to find means and ways to convince his son everything is okay by telling him they are participating in a game. Just one night before the Americans took over; Guido was caught outside trying to find Dora and was shot to death by a Nazi soldier. The movie then ends with young Giosuè reuniting with his mother, not knowing that his father had died, and a grown up Giosuè narrating in the background of his father’s sacrifice for him.
Plot Holes
The film shows inconsistencies in terms of information and facts regarding the war and the storyline of the characters. Audiences were shown that Guido was to open a bookstore, but somehow being a waiter with his uncle without much explanation. Also the film does not show enough information to let audience know that the Holocaust period was approaching. There wasn’t ample background information about the film setting.
Plot Twist
The film started out as being a romance and comedy film but after Guido and Dora was shown settling down with their son; the plot took an immediate twist. Dora who just fetched her estranged mother to attend her son’s birthday, came home to the whole house being ransacked and both Guido and Giosuè were gone. From there the film starts depicting the characters being taken away to the concentration camp.
Characters
Guido Orefice is the film’s protagonist. He came across as someone being smart and funny, very quick to react to situations and very witty. Despite his Jewish backgrounds he was able to fit in with the locals well. He appears to be very friendly and someone who does not care much about race or politics. One could tell that Guido was very determined as he went through a lot to impress Dora, who was not Jewish and came from a wealthy family while he had nothing. During his internment in the concentration camp he was also very protective towards his son, making sure Giosuè does not feel threatened about the real situation. He put himself in many dangerous situations just to maintain his story right for Giosuè about them participating in a game. As he was separated from Dora and does not know where she is, he tried means and ways to ensure Dora that he and his son are safe and still loves her, by using the loud speakers. It really shows how much he loves her and all the effort he would put in to protect and ensure the people he loves that he is there for them always. He was killed by a Nazi soldier while trying to find Dora in the camp, just one day before the Americans came in to take over the camp.
Dora is the film’s second protagonist. She was local school teacher from a wealthy family, initially engaged to a wealthy man. However she was not happy about the engagement and having met Guido and amused by him, she falls in love with him and runs away from her own engagement with him. They settled down, had a son Giosuè and Guido succeeded in opening his own bookstore. However Guido and Giosuè were taken by the Nazis when World War II started. She was not captured as she was not Jewish, but she was determined to be with her family and demand on being in the same train as her family. It shows how much sacrifice she was willing to make just to be with them.
Giosuè Orefice is the son of Guido and Dora. He was about 4 years old in the film and was a very clever child. He was taken to the concentration camp during the Holocaust with his father and being an innocent child, believed that they were participating in a game as told to him by Guido. In the film he was seen mostly being taken care of by Guido, but kept questioning the situation.
Theme
The theme of the film is rather hard to determine as there are elements of relationship, comedy, sacrifice and struggle throughout.
Critique – Likes and Dislikes
I personally loved the way the film started, very classic 90s setting in Italy and thought it was a romantic and comedy film. All the tricks that Guido used to impress Dora were very funny and witty. However I thought the film could show a bit more of how they eventually overcome the part where Dora’s family did not like the idea of her marrying a Jewish man who is not very well to do and how Giosuè came about. The film was somewhat hasty in that as suddenly, they were settled down, showing that the film is beginning to rush into something. Also another part that I did not like is the ending. I was not aware of the film being narrated by a son telling of his father’s story from the start. It felt as though there has to be some way to end the film and the director did not know how to end it, and therefore resort to a narrator.
Strength and Weakness
One of the strength I think the movie has is that it has got all the elements of all emotions. There are parts when audiences are laughing, worried, nervous, confused, sad, angry and relieved. One could sense that there should be a strong meaning behind the film. However it does not come across as being a war film as it doesn’t start as one; but when it ends one might think there is a very strong anti-war sentiment. It could come across as not being clear enough: One might not be sure what exactly the director is trying to portray more: a Jewish man going after a non-Jewish woman in a time where race can be a problem, a father’s love for his son or the cruelty of the war.
Opinions
Generally I think it is a good film to give people the general idea of what Jewish families go through during World War II. It does portray the racism and a little bit of the problems Jewish people went through back in those days. However the history and information was not enough to inform the audience how bad the situation was exactly. Also there is no balance in the film in terms of the comedy, the romance, yet not entirely about the war either. Audience could be laughing away at the front as all the funny parts are there, but totally heart wrenched as there is almost no sense of humor at the later part of the movie. Also given all the information we get on history today, one would definitely know that the movie is entirely made up as life in a concentration camp is definitely not that easy during the Holocaust. There is no way you can hide a child in a camp so long with no other people in the same camp telling it out.
Feelings
I think the film definitely portray out the sense of unworthy well. For example, just one day after Guido was shot by the Nazis, the Americans immediately took over and Giosuè was reunited with his mother. The director was smart in the sense to make audience feel that it was just the next day after Guido died. Also, Jewish people may take to offense after watching the film, as the seriousness of their suffering during the Holocaust was just not depicted well in the film at all. There wasn’t really much suffering shown in the film. But that might be on purpose to maintain the light feeling of the film the director is trying to portray.
Overall, I did not regret watching this film as the actors are excellent and the plots and twists did caught me by surprise. However I would not recommend this film to anyone who is going after something that educates about World War II.
(1404 words)
No comments:
Post a Comment