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An 'M' rating (recommended for mature audiences 15 years and over) seems
logical for La Vita È Bella (Life Is Beautiful),
because of the grim subject matter of its second half: the
existence of Jerwish prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp. However,
the animated feature The Prince of Egypt has been given a 'G'
(general exhibition) rating, although its story contains concepts likely
to be too difficult for very small children, say aged about seven or
under.
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Both are stories of sacrifice and liberation, but just because The
Prince of Egypt is Biblical doesn't mean it's all benign.
Based on the story of Moses (his adoption into the Egyptian royal family
and eventual acceptance of his role leading his Jewish people), the
film's subject dictates downplaying of traditional
cartoon cuteness and comedy.
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The main difficulty for very young viewers concerns the turning point
that finally prompts Pharaoh to free the Hebrew slaves. Although small
children may see that it's bad to make slaves of people and compound
that offence by mistreating the captives, they may have problems
understanding why, in order to free these slaves, God ordains that some
children have to die, even if they're the children of the bad guys.
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Given confidence by a 'G' rating, parents taking little children to see
the animated adventure may find themselves a bit out of their depth
explaining the death of the Egyptian first-born -- even if they
negotiate explaining all the preceding plagues.
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By contrast, Benigni's audience will be those with some knowledge of
the historical setting and its events; but even then, it shows no
horror, save for one vision which makes the fate of the Jewish prisoners
explicit. Benigni pulls off what seems to be the impossible feat of
concealing the grimmest of reality under the guise of a great game.
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La Vita È Bella starts with a bang and runs
through the history of pre-war movie comedy, from slapstick to
screwball as Jewish waiter Guido (Benigni) satirises life in Fascist
Italy in the course of winning his "principessa" (Nicoletta Braschi).
Their courtship starts with a "meet-cute" and progresses in screwball
style, even including a variation on a gag from Bringing Up Baby.
In Guido's world of knights, ladies, and serenades, when
anti-Semitism rears its head, it's a horse of a different colour.
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Their idyllic little town has Nazi troops in the streets and sandbagged
monuments and their son Giosué is about ready for school
when the order goes out for Jews to be rounded up for transportation.
But the fairytale doesn't stop there; Guido invents a whole cover story
to convince Giosué that they are on a team which can win a grand prize
from the Nazis.
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Although it's true that the masquerade of La Vita È Bella
and what that conceals would be as difficult to grasp for viewers of
Giosué's age as some ideas in The Prince Of Egypt, I think older
children -- not necessarily as old as 15 -- could appreciate the concept
of Guido's bravery and what inspires it. Similarly, older children, and
certainly the adults at whom it aims, are likely to derive satisfaction
from the scale of the animation concepts and the sweep of the
story-telling in The Prince of Egypt.
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Details
La Vita È Bella, by Miramax Films, 1997.
Director: Roberto Benigni.
Screenplay: Vincenzo Cerami, Roberto Benigni.
Cinematography: Tonino Delli Colli.
Production and Costume Design: Danilo Donati.
Cast: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini, Horst Buchholz.
The Prince of Egypt, by DreamWorks Distribution, 1998.
Director: Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells.
Screenplay: Philip LaZebnik, Nicholas Meyer.
Supervising Animator: James Baxler.
Score: Hans Zimmer.
Songs: Stephen Schwartz.
Cast: Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock.
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Citation reference for this article
MLA style:
Shane Lewis. "Children in Understanding: 'La Vita È Bella'/'The Prince of Egypt'." M/C Reviews 3 Jan. 1998.
[your date of access] <http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/reviews/screen/vita.html>.
Chicago style:
Shane Lewis, "Children in Understanding: 'La Vita È Bella'/'The Prince of Egypt'," M/C Reviews 3 Jan. 1998,
<http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/reviews/screen/vita.html> ([your date of access]).
APA style:
Shane Lewis. (1998) Children in understanding: 'La vita è bella'/'The prince of Egypt'. M/C Reviews 3 Jan. 1998.
<http://www.uq.edu.au/mc/reviews/screen/vita.html> ([your date of access]).
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