Life Is Beautiful (1997)
Original title: La Vita è bella
dir: Roberto Benigni
The first half of the movie is a whimsical, romantic comedy and often slapstick. Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni), a young Italian Jew, arrives in Arezzo where he plans to set up a bookstore, taking a job in the interim as a waiter. He lives with his uncle Eliseo. Guido is both funny and charismatic, especially when he romances Dora (Italian, but not Jewish; portrayed by Benigni's actual wife Nicoletta Braschi), whom he steals – at her engagement – from her rude and loud fiancé. Several years pass, in which Guido and Dora have a son, Joshua (written Giosué in the Italian version; portrayed by Giorgio Cantarini). In the film, Joshua is around four and a half years old. However, both the beginning and ending of the film are narrated by an older Joshua.
Cast:
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Roberto Benigni
Guido Orefice
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Nicoletta Braschi
Dora
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Giorgio Cantarini
Giosué Orefice
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Giustino Durano
Eliseo Orefice
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Sergio Bini Bustric
Ferruccio Papini
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Marisa Paredes
Madre di Dora
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Horst Buchholz
Doctor Lessing
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Lidia Alfonsi
Guicciardini
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Giuliana Lojodice
School Principal
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Amerigo Fontani
Rodolfo
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Pietro De Silva
Bartolomeo
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Francesco Guzzo
Vittorino
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Raffaella Lebboroni
Elena
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Claudio Alfonsi
Amico Rodolfo
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Gil Baroni
Prefect
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Massimo Bianchi
Man with Key
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Jürgen Bohn
German Orderly at Party
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Verena Buratti
German Auxilliary
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Robert Camero
German Executioner
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Ennio Consalvi
General Graziosi
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Giancarlo Cosentino
Ernesto - Waiter
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Aaron Craig
U.S. Tank Soldier
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Alfiero Falomi
King
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Daniela Fedke
German Auxilliary
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Antonio Fommei
School Janitor
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Stefano Frangipani
Card Player
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Ernst Frowein Holger
German Sergeant
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Alessandra Grassi
Teacher
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Hannes Hellmann
German Corporal
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Wolfgang Hillinger
German Major at Party
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Margarita Lucia Krauss
Female Soldier at Children's Dinner
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Patrizia Lazzarini
Woman #1 at Grand Hotel
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Maria Letizia
Woman #2 at Grand Hotel
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Concetta Lombardo
Gigliola
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Maria Rita Macellari
Queen
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Carlotta Mangione
Eleonora
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Franco Mescolini
School Inspector
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Francesca Messinese
Woman at the Opera
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Inger Lise Middelthon
German Auxilliary
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Andrea Nardi
Tappezziere
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Günther Pfanzelter
German Soldier
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Cristiana Porchiella
Old-Maid Teacher
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Antonio Prester
Bruno
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Gina Rovere
Governante Dora
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Laura Susanne Ruedeberg
German Auxilliary
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Massimo Salvianti
Bookstore Polceman
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Richard Sammel
German Lieutenant at Station
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James Schindler
Tedesco - German Guard
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Andrea Tidona
Grand Hotel Doorman
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Dirk K. van den Berg
German Soldier
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Giovanna Villa
City Hall Secretary