If Life is Beautiful would have come out a year earlier, it would have blasted Titanic out of the water in the race for the Oscar - in any language. The film was flawless, creating an impressive balance of comedy and tragedy - the key ingredients of all great films.

After the first five minutes of the film, reading the subtitles comes naturally. Life is Beautiful takes place during World War II and most of the plot occurs in a concentration camp.

Roberto Benigni (who won the Academy Award for Best Actor), directed, co-wrote, starred and shined in this film about triumph of the human spirit, survival and keeping a sense of humor in the worst circumstances.

Life is Beautiful begins with the high-spirited Guido (Benigni) traveling to his uncle's house in Italy. During his journey he meets, or rather catches, Dora (Nicoletta Braschi) as she falls from a hayloft . He utters "princess" at first sight of her and is immediately captivated.

After settling in at his uncle's place, Guido plans to open a book store but settles for a job waiting tables until the time is right. Here he razzles and dazzles high-positioned people, and even bumps into Dora every now and then. Every time the two meet it is under strange circumstances.

Dora, however, is engaged to a controlling and insensitive man. With help from Guido, she breaks her ties with the man and runs off with Guido. In a great scene, Dora walks into a greenhouse while Guido is trying to unlock his uncle's door. When he finally realizes what she wants to do (take a guess), he joins her. The camera then cuts to the door, a couple years later, and out walks their son, Joshua (Giorgio Cantarini).

The two are married and Guido has his bookstore. However, the environment of the war is beginning to affect their town, and Guido, who is Jewish, is a prime target. Anti-semitic symbols and words are painted across his storefront, and soon officers come to take Guido and Joshua.

The entire time the two are on their way to a concentration camp, Guido explains to Joshua that this is all part of a game. When they finally arrive and he realizes what is happening, he tells his son the rules of the game.

He explains that everyone is trying to get a thousand points in this "very organized" game. Once you get the points, the prize is a real tank (Joshua's favorite toy). Guido manages to keep him alive and hidden even after the rest of the children found their fate in the gas chamber.

Meanwhile, Dora, who is not Jewish, gets on the train too. She is separated from the two and forced to work with the Jewish women in the camp.

The goal of the movie is survival, but it is not as dark and dreary as you might imagine. The funniest parts are when Guido is explaining the rules of the game and keeping the truth from Joshua.

The movie was a first for me in a couple ways - for the subtitles, which again, didn't take away from the viewing; and it was the first time no one stood up to leave when the credits rolled on screen.