What's "La Vita E bella" really about?

I remember being at home on a random Sunday afternoon when I was like 7 years old, with really nothing to do other than sleep or watch the boring TV shows. But luckily, we had a DVD player and a selection of different movies. So, I started looking for one to help me get rid of my boredom. "La vita E Bella" was a title that stood out to me, catching my curiosity. And to be honest, I didn't want to spend more time searching, so I decided to watch that one.

The movie had a calm tone; it was going well—a man courts a woman, they fall in love, have a family. It was a bit cliché, but still interesting enough to keep watching. After they started a family, something peculiar happened. I should mention that this whole story takes place during World War II, in a small Italian village. Amid everything, groups of people are taken to concentration camps. Without getting too detailed, I’ll just say that a lot happens—some moments are harder to watch than others. But what’s relevant to this blog is that the main character always keeps a positive attitude, imagining all sorts of things to keep his son happy and smiling throughout it all, making him believe they’re in a very elaborate game. 

This is where the true meaning of the movie comes into focus. What are you willing to do for the people you love? How much pain would you endure for someone? These are questions worth thinking about, and the movie portrays them in a somewhat tragic, yet very realistic way, based on a real event that marked world history. This is where you should ask yourself: Who would I do this for?