Beyond 'Life is Beautiful': Comedy and Tragedy in the Cinema of Roberto Benigni (Troubador Italian Studies) (Paperback)

~ Grace Russo Bullaro (Editor)
Key Phrases: dici babbo, del film, holocaust representation, Roberto Benigni, New York, Schindler's List (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This timely and vibrant edition of essays about Roberto Benigni covers the bases of Benigni's foundations as a comedian, from his directing debut You Upset Me, his brilliant comedyJohnny Stecchino, the apex of his work as a comic actor in The Monster, even musings about the ethnocentricity of the reception of Pinocchio. This collection wisely focuses on Benigni's Oscar winning La vita e bella/Life is Beautiful, a film which has set off continuous and often bitter debate about Holocaust representation and historical consciousness. The topics covered in the collection offer rich insights from critics around the world in a compelling forum for the consideration of the wider issues that Benigni's films provoke. The contributors are: Rebecca West, Umberto Taccheri, Mirna Cicioni, Victoria Kirkham, Erminia Passannanti, William Van Watson, Laura Leonardo, Vittorio Montemaggi, Gefen Bar-on, Janice Fernheimer, David Scott Diffrient, Grace Russo Bullaro and with a Preface by Carlo Celli.

About the Author

Grace Russo Bullaro, Editor

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd (January 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1904744834
• ISBN-13: 978-1904744832
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,895,282 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars there's more to benigni than life is beautiful, March 11, 2005

By	book lover (ny) - See all my reviews

Being a great fan of the film, Life is Beautiful, I bought this book as soon as I saw it advertised. From the first time that I viewed the film I was curious about Benigni in general and his other films in particular. I've also seen and enjoyed Johnny Stecchino and The Monster, and there are essays on these films too. This book has really helped me to understand the scope of his work and above all, it has helped me to put Life is Beautiful in the context of cinema in general and Holocaust films in particular. In addition, I now understand why Life...has caused so much debate and controversy, and maybe I'm reconsidering my originally very positive opinion of the film. Maybe I had missed some points that I now see more clearly. I enjoyed almost all the essays, although there are 1 or 2 that maybe went a little overboard on the footnotes and references (I'm thinking particularly of the Kirkham essay). All in all I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to really understand Benigni's films and especially Life is Beautiful.