"Life is Beautiful" vs. "Night"

Prompt: Based on the Holocaust literature and poetry we have read, what connections can be made between Life is Beautiful and our reading?  What events, scenes, or situations are similar or different? What is similar or different about the mood or tone of the pieces? Analyze how differences in points of view of characters create suspense or humor. How is life shown as beautiful throughout the film. Pull out at least two examples from different parts of the film and explain your rationale.

One connection that can be made between Life is Beautiful and other readings is the event that takes place. This is an obvious connection between the pieces, but the Holocaust was expressed throughout two different ways. Inside Life is Beautiful, the Holocaust is expressed inside a more humorous point of view. Guido substitutes the depressing event into a more humorous event such as when he creates the game for Giosue. The substitution of Holocaust expression is seen before Guido even understands the Holocaust, when Dora has her banquet with her soon to be fiancé, Guido rides into the banquet hall on the vandalized horse that has racial slurs written on it. This expresses humor to the movie because the SS officer I believe, is heiling Hitler while he rides in. 

The Holocaust inside Night is expressed in a completely different way than in Life is Beautiful. Elie expresses the Holocaust as a horrible event, which it really was. After the hangings in the middle of the book, someone calls out "for God's sake, where is God?' And from within me, I heard a voice answer. 'Where is He? This is where- hanging here from this gallows...'" The simplicity of Elie's reply shows the true horror the Holocaust has caused to the damaged souls. Although the sentence is related to religion, the gallows and hangings are events that took place in concentration camps. This resembles a complete opposite of Life is Beautiful. 

The mood of Life is Beautiful is the complete opposite of my Terezin poem. The movie's mood is happy and humorous.  Even though Guido, Dora, and Giosue are stuck under Hitler's rulings, Guido tries his best to elicit humor to keep everybody happy and smiling. This is seen throughout Giosue's and Guido's train ride to the camp. Giosue and Guido are clueless as to where they are going, but Guido makes up an entire story to give Giosue hope and happiness. Guido tells Giosue they are going to a very special place for his birthday. When they get to the camp, Guido creates the game and makes sure no one ruins it for Giosue, by "translating" the camp's rules into the game's rules, as mentioned previously. 

The mood of my poem, Terezin is more on the negative side. Like Night, the poem expresses the true horror of the Holocaust instead of eliciting humor. The mood is expressed through lines such as, "how tragic, then, is youth which lives with enemies, with gallows ropes." The poem is all about the author's dreams versus the author's reality. The reality of the poem is the Holocaust and how his life can never be an average youth's life. He is saying how a youth lives which is filled with enemies and gallows is tragic. Terezin also uses negative words like blood, tragic, hate, fear, dead, ect. 

Life is shown as beautiful throughout the film by just the simplicity of the love Guido and Dora has for their family. There are plethora of moments such as when Guido is walking with Giosue in the wheelbarrow, he risk his life to send a message to Dora over the intercom. Dora shows her love for her family when she orders to be put onto the train that is being sent to the concentration camp. These examples show that life is beautiful because when you have found someone who loves you whether it be a parent, sibling, or significant other, everything is beautiful.