Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Life Is Beautiful

Original title: La vita è bella
  • 1997
  • PG-13
  • 1h 56m
IMDb RATING
8.6/10
778K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
553
53
Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, and Giorgio Cantarini in Life Is Beautiful (1997)
Watch Trailer originale italiano [OV]
Play trailer1:33
3 Videos
99+ Photos
Period DramaRomantic ComedyTragedyTragic RomanceComedyDramaRomanceWar

When an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.When an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.When an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.

  • Director
    • Roberto Benigni
  • Writers
    • Vincenzo Cerami
    • Roberto Benigni
  • Stars
    • Roberto Benigni
    • Nicoletta Braschi
    • Giorgio Cantarini
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.6/10
    778K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    553
    53
    • Director
      • Roberto Benigni
    • Writers
      • Vincenzo Cerami
      • Roberto Benigni
    • Stars
      • Roberto Benigni
      • Nicoletta Braschi
      • Giorgio Cantarini
    • 1.5KUser reviews
    • 114Critic reviews
    • 58Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #27
    • Won 3 Oscars
      • 72 wins & 52 nominations total

    Videos3

    Trailer originale italiano [OV]
    Trailer 1:33
    Trailer originale italiano [OV]
    Life is Beautiful
    Trailer 1:27
    Life is Beautiful
    Life is Beautiful
    Trailer 1:27
    Life is Beautiful
    Ultimate Weeper Watchlist: Flow, Gump, Lion, & More
    Clip 4:03
    Ultimate Weeper Watchlist: Flow, Gump, Lion, & More

    Photos152

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 146
    View Poster

    Top cast57

    Edit
    Roberto Benigni
    Roberto Benigni
    • Guido
    Nicoletta Braschi
    Nicoletta Braschi
    • Dora
    Giorgio Cantarini
    Giorgio Cantarini
    • Giosué
    Giustino Durano
    • Zio
    Sergio Bini Bustric
    • Ferruccio
    • (as Sergio Bustric)
    Marisa Paredes
    Marisa Paredes
    • Madre di Dora
    Horst Buchholz
    Horst Buchholz
    • Dottor Lessing
    • (as Horst Bucholz)
    Lidia Alfonsi
    Lidia Alfonsi
    • Guicciardini
    • (as Lydia Alfonsi)
    Giuliana Lojodice
    • Direttrice Didattica
    Amerigo Fontani
    Amerigo Fontani
    • Rodolfo
    Pietro De Silva
    • Bartolomeo
    Francesco Guzzo
    • Vittorino
    Raffaella Lebboroni
    • Elena
    Claudio Alfonsi
    • Amico Rodolfo
    Gil Baroni
    • Prefetto
    Massimo Bianchi
    • Uomo della chiave
    Jürgen Bohn
    • Attendente tedesco festa
    • (as Jurgen Bohn)
    Verena Buratti
    • Ausiliaria tedesca
    • Director
      • Roberto Benigni
    • Writers
      • Vincenzo Cerami
      • Roberto Benigni
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Pianist
    8.5
    The Pianist
    City of God
    8.6
    City of God
    The Green Mile
    8.6
    The Green Mile
    Saving Private Ryan
    8.6
    Saving Private Ryan
    Schindler's List
    9.0
    Schindler's List
    The Intouchables
    8.5
    The Intouchables
    One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
    8.7
    One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
    Forrest Gump
    8.8
    Forrest Gump
    The Silence of the Lambs
    8.6
    The Silence of the Lambs
    Back to the Future
    8.5
    Back to the Future
    American History X
    8.5
    American History X
    Léon: The Professional
    8.5
    Léon: The Professional

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Guido's wife, Dora, is played by Roberto Benigni's real-life wife, Nicoletta Braschi.
    • Goofs
      Dora calls her husband (Roberto Benigni) "Roberto" rather than "Guido" on one occasion.
    • Quotes

      Bartolomeo: They are looking for someone who speaks German, to translate their instructions.

      Guido: Me! I'll do it, I'll translate!

      Bartolomeo: Do you speak German?

      Guido: No.

    • Alternate versions
      The version shown at the Cannes festival in 1998 is slightly different from the original Italian theatrical release: some scenes have been slightly re-edited and a panel has been added at the beginning of the film, showing the phrase "This is a fairy tale", supposedly to avoid controversy over the subject matter.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Godzilla/Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas/Bulworth/The Horse Whisperer (1998)
    • Soundtracks
      Marcia Reale
      (1831)

      Written by Giuseppe Gabetti (as G. Gabetti)

      Ed. Casa Musicale Pucci di Portici (Napoli)

    User reviews1.5K

    Featured review
    10/10

    The Best Movie I've seen for a long long time

    I am surprised about the negative comments that some people made on this web-page. I can see how some people might not experience the same kind of uplift or joy that most of us lived through when seeing the movie. But that some viewers felt insulted and betrayed because the movie did not depict "reality" as it really was or is, is not fair.

    I must concur with my fellow proponents of the movie -- it was a great and very satisfying movie. It provided me with something that everyone in one or another shape or form needs -- Hope. The movie showed the cruelty of life and yet managed to shed some light and insight into the beauty of love and life in general.

    I urge anyone who has not seen La Vita è bella to go out there and watch it. If we all take with us just little bit of that hope and love that this movie is trying to convey; this world would be a much better place.

    Thank you for reading this and I hope you enjoyed or will enjoy the movie as much as I did.
    • kvonarx
    • Dec 5, 1999
    • Permalink

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ21

    • How long is Life Is Beautiful?Powered by Alexa
    • What is the answer to Dr. Lessing's final riddle?
    • What does the German guard say?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 20, 1997 (Italy)
    • Country of origin
      • Italy
    • Official sites
      • Miramax
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • Italian
      • German
      • English
    • Also known as
      • La vida es bella
    • Filming locations
      • Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy
    • Production companies
      • Melampo Cinematografica
      • Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • ITL 15,000,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $57,563,264
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $118,920
      • Oct 25, 1998
    • Gross worldwide
      • $230,099,013
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 56 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, and Giorgio Cantarini in Life Is Beautiful (1997)
    Top Gap
    What is the streaming release date of Life Is Beautiful (1997) in the United States?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.