Life Is Beautiful

Guido Orefice arrives in Arezzo to work at a hotel restaurant with his uncle Eliseo, quickly revealing his comic, sharp personality. He notices Dora, a gentle teacher, and begins pursuing her with playful, almost magical stunts. His charm and audacity set the tone for their romance.

In Arezzo, Dora is already engaged to Rodolfo, a rich local official with whom Guido clashes. He continues his humorous schemes to win her heart, staging coincidences and bold gestures to break through her defenses. The pursuit intensifies as Dora's engagement creates a rival obstacle.

Guido steals Dora from her engagement party on Uncle Eliseo's horse, humiliating her fiancé and his mother. The couple marries and starts a life together, eventually having a son named Giosuè and running a bookstore. Their love provides a fragile refuge as the world darkens with war.

Dora's mother visits and meets her grandson, confirming the family ties they've built. The couple's prewar life continues in their small bookstore and everyday routines.

In 1944, Nazi Germany occupies Northern Italy, and Guido, Eliseo, and Giosuè are arrested on Giosuè's birthday. They are forced onto a train bound for a concentration camp, separating from Dora.

Dora chooses to board the train to stay with her husband and son, joining the group bound for the camp. Her presence complicates the dynamics as the family is torn apart and the harsh reality of internment looms.

Upon arrival, Eliseo is murdered in the camp's gas chambers while Guido and Giosuè are subjected to the brutal routine of internment. The family is forcibly separated, leaving Dora behind and forcing Guido to protect his son.

Guido keeps the grim truth from Giosuè, turning the camp into a game where points determine a promised tank. He explains only as much as needed to keep his son calm and cooperative.

During a visit by German officers, Guido pretends to be feeding a German nanny's infant and coaches Giosuè to stay quiet, using the ruse to keep him safe from suspicion.

Giosuè almost gives away the ruse when he says 'thank you' in Italian to a server; Guido covertly saves him by teaching all the German children how to say 'thank you' in Italian, confusing the guards.

As the camp's operations wind down, Guido tells Giosuè to stay hidden until everyone has left, completing the final 'task' before the promised tank.

Guido is shot by a German officer, but he winks at Giosuè as he dies, keeping the game alive in his son's memory. The next morning, American troops arrive and liberate the camp, though Dora remains unaware of his fate at first.

Giosuè emerges from hiding and reunites with Dora as the U.S. Army and a Sherman tank arrive. The boy proudly recounts his 'tank victory' while the narrator reveals that he is the adult Giosuè, reflecting on his father's sacrifices.