"Life is Beautiful" and "Night"

-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? 

-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.

Between “Life is Beautiful” and the memoir Night there are many connections that can be made. One connection is the father and son relationship shown throughout both pieces. In the film, Guido goes the extra mile for his son and does absolutely anything to help him. One of the things he did for him was when they reached the concentration camp. Guido does everything in his power to prove to his son that the Holocaust is all a game. Guido "translates" the rules of the "game", however everyone knew that he was just making up things as he went along. 

       On the other hand, the book Night shows the father and son relationship differently. In the memoir, it is the son that does everything possible to help his father. Wiesel, the author, would always try to keep his father alive. He did this even though he father was sometimes a burden to his survival. In the memoir there were a couple times when sons betrayed their fathers during the Holocaust. One of the times was when Rabbi Eliahu’s son betrayed his father. Wiesel thought a lot of this and thought, “What if he wanted to be rid of his father?... had this thought of separation to free himself of a burden that could diminish his own chance of survival” (91). After thinking about this, Wiesel felt the need to say a prayer. Wiesel prayed to promise himself to always help his father in this time of need.He also asked for “‘the strength never to do what Rabbi Eliahu’s son has done’” (91). In both the memoir and film, in the father and son relationship, one sacrificed themselves for the others' well being. 

      There are many events, scenes, or situations that are similar or different in the novel and film. In both, they have love as a common theme. The main characters both do everything they can do for their family. Guido risks his life to help save Joshua's and Dora's lives. He risks his life when he went up to ‘translate’ orders for the German officer. He was actually making his son think that the officer was explaining the rules of the game, but he wasn't. Had he been caught, he most likely would have been killed. Which is obviously a huge risk to take for his son. In the memoir, Elie motivates his father to keep trying and moving forward. During the death march, they stopped at a small resting place. When soldiers go around collecting dead bodies, they were going to take Wiesel's dad because they thought he was dead. Wiesel explains having to, “hit him harder and harder. At last, my father half opened his eyes" (99). This saved his father’s life. In order to make these risks for your family, you need a lot of love for your family, especially during the Holocaust. 

        There are also events that are similar between the the memoir and film. An event that was similar was that both Guido and Elie were not educated while in the concentration camps. They were not aware of what would actually happen in the camps. Guido was forcing his son to take a bath when actually he would have been killed. With Elie and his father they had to lie about their age to not be placed in the gas chambers. They didn't understand why they were told to lie until later. A mother huge similarity was that both Guido and Elie's father died close to a few days before they camp the camp was liberated.

        There are many similarities and differences having to do with the mood or tone in the novel and the film. In the novel the tone is tragic and very depressing. Wiesel describes more of the hardships while he was in the concentration camp. One of the hardships he faced was finding out about the crematorium. When entering the camp for the first time he describes the smell and states, “In the air, the smell of burning flesh” (28). This brought a negative tone upon the memoir. It made it a lot more gloomy. On the other hand, the film's tone had a happy portrayal and some humor added in. Guido's reactions towards horrible situations makes you see happiness in everything. When the evacuation of the camp was happening, he hid his son and told him to stay in the hiding place. After saying goodbye for one last time, he gets caught by an officer and had a gun pressed up against him. He pretended not to be scared and marched in a goofy way. He showed his son that everything is fine. He does everything he can for anyone that matters to him. 

        There are many ways in which life is shown as beautiful in the film. One way is when Dora basically sacrifices herself to be with her family. That shows that even though she was not Jewish she would risk her life to be with her family. That personally brings light into my eyes. It shows that there are people that live their families so much they would put their life on the line for them. Another way in which life is shown as in beautiful in the film is how Guido does everything to protect his son from the truth. When he translates the "rules" of the "game" to his son was a huge risk because he didn't even speak German. Also, when the guard took Guido to kill him he exaggerated his march with a smile on his face to show to his son that he had no fear. He hid him from the horrible truth. Risking your life for the people you love, now that is what is beautiful.