I'm sorry, but I don't get it.

If you've really read a lot of posts you had to come across those that state that the point of the movie was not historical accuracy as much as the message contained in the title. The movie is a tale, a fairytale told from the perspective of the boy, and how he saw it. Yes, in "real world" he would realize what was going on, but again, the point was father's sacrifice and attempt to save his son's innocence and sanity as much as he could. Is the way he went about it the most believable thing in the world? No, but the message came across. As for undermining WWII and the reality of concentration camps, something I once read stuck in my memory, and that is that we cannot shake the burden of the past nor claim that we overcame it, that we are not its victims anymore if don't find a way to laugh at it, to make a comedy on the subject. And the movie is described as comedy/tragedy. Now, before someone twists my words, I'm saying that what happened is not terrible, nor do I mean disrespect to the victims. However I don't mind seeing such events made less serious, with different approach to it. There is enough tragedy out there, laughter is more needed.

Well I guess you know better then the many Holocaust victims who loved this film.

This has been asked millions of times, and this movie has been atacked of making fun of serious and tragic events like the holocaust.
I really dont understand that. It's not like it hasn't been done before.
The famous show Allo allo also made a comedy about the same thing, and much before that, even more famous Charlie Chaplin to, in his Great Dictator. All great movies, and all missundrstood for being funny, when actually they are realy tragic and sarcastic cinema.

Don't be sorry. It seems there are quite a few people that lack the imagination necessary to separate reality from fantasy in order to enjoy a fictional story. It's not a slight on you either. This kind of thing just bothers some people.

Didn't bother Mark Twain, who said one should "Never let the facts get in the way of a good story."

[deleted]

didn't win Best Picture...

I watched 'Life is Beautiful' for the second time several hours ago.

Whilst I agree that much of the movie's storyline is ridiculously unrealistic, I've come to the following conclusion:-

In order to get through the movie, we the viewer have to suspend our disbelief at the highly-improbable premise, just like how the boy — in order to tolerate his ordeal — reluctantly accepted being cajoled/ flattered/ persuaded/ pseudo-threatened into suspending his disbelief at how ridiculous, unrealistic & unfunny the whole horrifying tragedy actually is.

The above is appropriately exemplified by the Nazi dining scene, which sublimely juxtaposes Doctor Lessing who had surreptitiously called Guido aside just to complain about being tortured by his inability to solve the pseudo-funny "duck-but-not-duck" riddle ... against Guido the concentration camp prisoner, who not only lacked the means to duck the "Final Solution" of the murderous Nazi regime, but also had to suspend his own flabbergasted (& speechless) disbelief at that moment in order to endure Doctor Lessing's inconsequential, banal & callous grumbling.


That ultimately, I feel, is the main point of the movie.

There are adults that believe ridiculous things (conspiracy theories, cults), so I don't see what's unbelievable in making a small children believe in things.