Beyond Life is Beautiful

Grace Russo Bullaro's timely and vibrant edition of essays about Roberto Benigni covers the bases of Benigni's foundations as a comedian, from his directing debut "You Upset Me," his brilliant comedy "Johnny Stecchino," the apex of his work as a comic actor in "The Monster," even musings about the ethnocentricity of the reception of "Pinocchio." Russo Bullaro's collection wisely focuses on Benigni's Oscar winning "La vita h bella" (Life is Beautiful), a film which has set off continuous and often bitter debate about Holocaust representation and historical consciousness. The topics covered in Russo Bullaro's collection offer rich insights from critics around the world in a compelling forum for the consideration of the wider issues that Benigni's films provoke.