The Different Perspectives Of The Holocaust In The Film Life Is Beautiful

Perspectives of the Holocaust

Steven Gray once said, “Life is a matter of perspective. It can be amazing or wonderful, or it can be depressing and worthless” (Gray. n.d.). Even in the midst of the Holocaust, perhaps the greatest example of a failure in human morality, this is still true. One can see how this perspective can quickly affect one’s actions, even in the direst of circumstances. In the book Night and the motion picture “Life is Beautiful”, the audience is rapidly exposed to two distinct experiences of the Holocaust, one where a son is protected from the horrors by his father, and one where the protagonist is exposed to the depths of human depravity. Interestingly, the differences and similarities in these stories can be best explained

Elie’s father, though he began as a respected man, eventually lost the will to survive, resulting in his death, and even though it is difficult to blame him in light of the horrific circumstances, he failed to protect his son (Night, 2006). This proves Elie’s father to be an ordinary man, one who may love his child dearly, but isn’t willing to clearly and exceptionally sacrifice for his child when faced with his own mortality. However, Guido is an entirely different story; he showed that he was extraordinary in his ability to care for his son. Throughout the whole motion picture, Guido, a formerly silly and largely carefree man, is able to convince his young son that the internment he is experiencing is merely an elaborate game with the prize of a tank, therefore protecting him not only from physical danger, but also from mental trauma (“Life is Beautiful”, 2000). This shows that Guido grew from a simple man to one who did the nearly impossible in protecting his son. Some may say or argue that this amazing ability came from his growing faith in God, his love for his son, or simply the creative liberties taken by the producers, but one this is certain if it is true: Guido was extraordinarily different from Elie’s father. These two men serve as archetypes of where one can turn in difficult circumstances, inward towards one’s self or outward toward others and even to

Elie, in Night, goes through a massive psychological, religious, and moral shift away from the faithfully Jewish boy he was before his imprisonment (Night, 2006). These struggles proved to be a crucible that changes and distorts Elie, likely because he was unable to reconcile his faith with the horrors he saw committed. He experienced the lowest possible nature of man which forced him to reevaluate who he believed he was. However, Joshua, Guido’s son, is protected by his father. The game that his father designed is so effective that he does not change significantly during his imprisonment (“Life is Beautiful”, 2000). His young innocence was protected and because of this he is able to continue to be and function as a normal boy. In contrasting these two, one is able to see that Elie experienced the full nature of human depravity, while Joshua experienced nearly none of it. Elie became a man, even a new man, because of his experience, but Joshua remained an innocent boy. The development of the sons, and the difference between the two, is radically important to the contrasting nature of Night and “Life is