# Life Is Beautiful (1997) — Celluloid fact sheet

Source: https://celluloidscore.com/movies/life-is-beautiful-1997/
Last reviewed: 2026-08-31

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Celluloid Score | 78% |
| Editorial Rating | 80/100 |
| Audience Snapshot | 85% (excluded from composite) |
| Metascore | 59/100 |
| Letterboxd | 4.3/5 |
| IMDb | 8.6/10 |
| Director | Roberto Benigni |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama |
| Runtime | 116 min |
| Festival premiere | Cannes 1998 (Grand Prix) |
| Major awards | 4 wins, 0 nominations |

## Quick answer

Life Is Beautiful (1997) earns a 78% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Benigni's risky Holocaust fable won Oscars by insisting on love as the ultimate act of resistance. Metascore 59/100. Directed by Roberto Benigni.

## Celluloid verdict

Benigni's risky Holocaust fable won Oscars by insisting on love as the ultimate act of resistance.

## Synopsis

A Jewish Italian waiter uses humor and imagination to shield his son from the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp.

## Cast

Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini

## Accolades

Premiered at Cannes 1998, where it won the Grand Prix.
- Won Best Film — David di Donatello 1998
- Won Best Foreign Language Film — Academy Awards 1999
- Won Best Actor — Academy Awards 1999
- Won Best Director — David di Donatello 1998

## Where to watch

Global: Paramount+, MGM+
the United States: Paramount+, MGM+
India: Prime Video
Japan: U-NEXT

## Critic reviews on Celluloid: 1

## Common questions

**Is Life Is Beautiful worth watching?**
Life Is Beautiful holds a 78% Celluloid Score. Benigni's risky Holocaust fable won Oscars by insisting on love as the ultimate act of resistance.

**What is Life Is Beautiful about?**
A Jewish Italian waiter uses humor and imagination to shield his son from the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp.

**Who directed Life Is Beautiful?**
Life Is Beautiful (1997) was directed by Roberto Benigni.

**What is the Celluloid Score of Life Is Beautiful?**
78% — calculated from available Celluloid editorial (80/100), Metascore (59/100), Letterboxd (4.3/5), and IMDb (8.6/10) inputs. Audience sentiment is excluded.

**What awards did Life Is Beautiful win?**
Life Is Beautiful won Best Film (David di Donatello 1998), Best Foreign Language Film (Academy Awards 1999), Best Actor (Academy Awards 1999), Best Director (David di Donatello 1998).

**Where can I watch Life Is Beautiful?**
Life Is Beautiful is streaming on Paramount+, MGM+; on Paramount+, MGM+ in the United States; on Prime Video in India; on U-NEXT in Japan. Availability varies by region.

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Reviewed and scored by Celluloid · Editor: Kaiser Khan (https://celluloidscore.com/author/kaiser-khan/)

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