Roberto Remigio Benigni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto beˈniɲɲi];born 27 October 1952) is an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter and director of film, theatre and television. Benigni is probably best known outside Italy for his 1997 tragicomedy Life Is Beautiful (La vita è bella), filmed in Arezzo, also written by Cerami. The film is about an Italian Jewish man who tries to protect his sons innocence during his internment at a Nazi concentration camp, by telling him that the Holocaust is an elaborate game and he must adhere very carefully to the rules to win. Benignis father had spent three years in a concentration camp in Bergen-Belsen,[7] and La vita è bella is based in part on his fathers experiences. Although the story and presentation of the film had been discussed during production with different Jewish groups to limit the offense it might cause, the film was attacked by critics who accused it of presenting the Holocaust without much suffering, and some who considered that laughing at everything was not appropriate. More favourable critics praised Benignis artistic daring and skill to create a sensitive comedy involving the tragedy, a challenge that Charles Chaplin confessed he would not have done with The Great Dictator had he been aware of the horrors of the Holocaust. In 1998, the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards. At the 1999 ceremony Benigni received the award for Best Actor (the first for a male performer in a non-English-speaking role, and only the third overall acting Oscar for non-English-speaking roles), the score by Nicola Piovani won Best Original Dramatic Score, and the film was awarded the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, which Benigni accepted as the films director. Famously, in the midst of being so giddy with delight after Life Is Beautiful was announced as the Best Foreign Film, Benigni climbed over and then stood on the backs of the seats in front of him and applauded the audience before proceeding to the stage. And after winning his Best Actor Oscar later in the evening, he said in his acceptance speech, This is a terrible mistake because I used up all my English! As well, to close his speech, Benigni quoted the closing lines of Dantes Divine Comedy, referencing the love that moves the sun and all the stars. At the following years ceremony, when he read the nominees for Best Actress (won by Hilary Swank for Boys Dont Cry), host Billy Crystal playfully appeared behind him with a large net to restrain Benigni if he got excessive with his antics again. In addition, on a 1999 episode of Saturday Night Live, host Ray Romano played him in a sketch parodying his giddy behavior at the ceremony.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 16:22:21 +0000
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