Explain your reaction to this film?

My initial reaction to the film was quite confused as it appeared to be happy and upbeat in
the beginning and because of my knowledge of the topics discussed in this film, it felt odd to
see it begin as a comedic relief type of film. However, as the plot got deeper and towards the
end of the film, I enjoyed how the film still tried to carry on the humorous tone throughout,
even during the parts that shouldn’t necessarily be funny to an audience.
What was the theme of this film? What were the film makers trying to tell us?
The themes of this film were fascism (an extremist belief in your counties success) and also
anti-Semitism (discrimination or prejudice towards Jewish people). The film goes about
portraying these harsh and upsetting themes in a more light hearted and comedic way. For
example, during the entirety of the part where the family were in the concentration camps,
the father, Guido, was trying to make the whole thing seem like a fun kid’s game for his son
so the whole thing wasn’t upsetting for him. This had quite a light-hearted impact on the
viewers as it put a spin on what the camps were really like, all the while still keeping the
glimpse of the real things that happened in those camps.
Was there something you didn't understand?
I understood that Guido ended up being shot by the officer but what I didn’t get was that the
movie didn’t provide any sort of closure for him as his wife and kid don’t find out in the movie
and so we don’t really see any continuation to his abrupt death in the film.
What was your favourite scene in the film? Why?
My favourite scene was when the young kid came out of the box he was hiding in at the end
of the film and saw the tank which his dad had promised he would ‘win at the end of the
game’. This scene provides a bitter-sweet ending to the film as even though Guido wasn’t
there to see it, the kid still managed to win his tank nonetheless.
Who was your favourite character in the film? Why?
My favourite character was mostly Guido because he provided a comedic relief to the
unsettling themes of the film and made viewing more enjoyable for the audience. He
achieves this through his quick-witted jokes and amusing performance.
Who was your least favourite character in the film? Why?
??
Select an action performed by one of the characters in the film and explain why the
character took that action. What motivated him or her?
One of the actions that stood out to be most was when Guido used his cane to prop up his
hat when saying goodbye to Dora. I think this action emphasises to the audience that Guido
is a very unserious and slightly immature character who just likes to make people laugh and
this characteristic of his is clearly demonstrated through his clown like actions.
Describe the use of colour in the film. How did it support the emotions the film makers
were trying to evoke?
The beginning of the movie started off quite light hearted and happy and the high key
lighting, with oranges, reds and other vibrant colours of the film helped to portray a warm
and positive aesthetic to the audience. This juxtaposes the low-key lighting and dominant
blues and greys during the second part of the movie which provides a cold and dark
aesthetic to the audience as it explores the harsh themes of anti-Semitism within
concentration camps.
Analyse the use of music in the movie. How aware were you of the music? How did it
enhance the story that the film makers were trying to tell?
The music at the beginning of the film is quite calm and nice to listen to which maintains the
happier tone at the start of the film and as we watch further on, the music becomes slightly
more melancholic as the more poignant side of the movie.
Finally, write an overall summary using some of the words below…

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie; I enjoyed the different way it explored the themes of anti-
Semitism in Italy but in a slightly different way as opposed to your typical World War two
movie. It was entertaining throughout, no parts of the movie were too boring, I was always
engaged. It has a very powerful and thought-provoking message yet told in a more fun and
original way to other films with similar themes. It was quite fast paced and cuts between
different times in the movie were sometimes difficult to keep up with but nonetheless it
maintained an easy to watch and also easy to understand plot with characters viewers could
enjoy and also feel apologetic for at the same time.