Night, by Elie Wiesel’s, and Roberto Begnini’s film Life is Beautiful Show Sufferig of the Holocaust

721 Words2 Pages

The Holocaust was one of the darkest times in history. Both Night, by Elie Wiesel’s, and Roberto Begnini’s film Life is Beautiful, are set in the time period of the Holocaust. The Holocaust is portrayed very differently in the two pieces. Night has a much more serious tone. It tells how it really was. Life is Beautiful has a happier tone. It uses humor to explain what is happening. Night and Life is Beautiful are similar in the strong emphasis on the father-son bonds formed in each. Also, even though they were written in the same time period, the way that they portray the Holocaust is very different. Lastly, in each the boys are affected by what happened to Jews during the Holocaust. These pieces present themselves as powerfully magnificent and moving, but when it comes to the question of which is more effective in telling the story of the Holocaust, the answer is simple. Night.
Night and Life is Beautiful were written with a strong bond between the father and son. Wiesel and Joshua are dependent on their father, as each respective man tries as hard as they can to protect their son from the horrors of the 1940’s. This shows how special and important family was to the Jews during that awful time. It also showed how much they needed each other. When Joshua’s father died, he didn’t ever notice, because he was too busy enjoying being reunited with his mother. However, when Wiesel’s father died Wiesel didn’t know what to do. Wiesel even said, “I spent my days in total idleness. With only one desire: to eat,” (Wiesel 113). Wiesel had lost the want, even the desire to live. His father was gone. The only person who had helped him through the Holocaust. This is what the Holocaust really was. The death of a parent with no one to comfort h...

... middle of paper ...

...n the beginning of the movie, as he was when he was reunited with his mother at the end. The way that the book Night showed how much Wiesel changed was much more powerful than the depiction found in Life is Beautiful. The Holocaust changed everyone who was involved, especially the Jews. Night really captures how much it affected people.
In summary, Night is more effective in telling the story of the Holocaust. This is because it tells what really happened, and does not try to lighten and sugar-coat the dark subject. It also showed how much Wiesel was affected by the death of his father, which was more characteristic of the Holocaust than the happy ending in Life is Beautiful. Also, the way Wiesel changes in Night shows the reader how awful the Holocaust really was. Because of how real Night portrays the Holocaust, it has a greater effect on the readers.

Open Document