Is Begnini a Genuis Yet?

With LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL under his belt, would anyone classify Roberto Begnini as a genius? Also, how does Begnini compare to other present day comedians?

Is Robin Williams a genius?

~ Crooner

Am I?

Short answer - yes. Roberto has a perfect touch. His beautiful balance of elements puts him in a class all by himself (like Chaplin in his day) when compared to other modern day comedians.

Robin Williams - yes. Quick wit and quirky, like Jonathan Winters. But neither is always so funny.

Crooner? Hmmm, if you have to ask, then.. well.. you have your answer.

Absolutely. He possesses the perfect blend of insight, sensitivity, and most appealing of all, a tremendous sense of humor about himself. He's everything CC could have been in the sound era, that is, if CC had not been so driven by his inner demons (difficult childhood, political obsessions, bitterness, etc.). I can't recall looking at a single photo or film of CC, even in his most prosperous and indulgent periods, without reading a certain level of sadness in his face and demeanor. Benigni, by contrast, projects a sincere joy in living.

Also, how does

He's way above his peers, because he succeeds in *feeling* his characters and the meaning in their words, rather than merely spouting out lines like a stand- up comic.

He could be, but he is not as resourceful as Benigni in recognizing what his true strengths are, so this would require his relying on others. His acting ability shows promise, but he'd have to be willing to break away from the manipulative sentimentality that he's gotten himself typecast into in recent years. He'd have to be guided by artistics directors such as Terry Gilliam with The Fisher King in order to be challenged again.

Um, well . . jeez, talk about being put on the spot. You do realize, of course, that 'genius' is a terribly overused word these days, so how about this as your shared quality with Mr. Benigni: breath of fresh air (especially on those days when AMC's 60s rhetoric is ready to turn away what few lurkers this ng has left).

WHAT other present day comedians? I didn't know there were any.

Sincerely,

Crooner wrote

FINALLY! At last I got a chance to see the movie and I can now answer my own question. Yes, Benigni is a genius. Even critic Joel Siegal made that assessment: ie, that Benigni is a genius in the tradition of Chaplin in the way he mixed humor with compassion.

The movie was great! It affected me emotionally. The scenes of concentration camp life were far more realistic than in DICTATOR. Of course, Chaplin denied that he knew of the actual horrors. But the CHAPLIN ENCYCLOPEDIA does show a photo of Chaplin as the Jewish barber within the camp's barbwire. So it's debateable as to how much he knew.

I'm trying to process Chaplin's comment now. The one that says if he actually knew of the horrors of the holocaust that he couldn't have made the DICTATOR. Was that because the juxtaposition of comedy and this kind of horror was just too far removed to do justice to both parts? I know that Jerry Lewis also tried to create a comedy out of the holocaust: THE DAY THE CLOWN CRIED. The movie bombed tho. However, it seems that that movie was more similar to Benigni's movie, in that Lewis

Actually, the film was never released because Lewis never properly cleared the rights to the novel on which it was based. Those who have seen it describe the film as unspeakably bad. As for your comments questioning how much Chaplin knew in 1939/1940 about concentration camps: few here knew the full horror until the camps were liberated in '45. Richard Carnahan

CC41689 wrote

Point well made Sweetie. If the executions didn't happen till 1941 and the movie was made in 1940

CSC1889 wrote

The reason why I would classify him as a genius is because he magnificently intertwined comedy and the 'horror of the century' into one cohesive whole. Not many folks can create such a movie and do justice to both the comedy and the horror; and STILL make it inspiring. An artist is faced with just too many hurdles to unify the comedy and the tragedy. I think Benigni did it deftly. Like I say, Jerry Lewis couldn't bring his movie to pass, which actually incorporates the same theme. And of course, Chaplin didn't either but that's only because he really didn't know the extent & depth of the horrors. However, I've always praised Chaplin for having the nerve to make such a movie as THE GREAT DICTATOR at the time that he did.

~ Crooner

I say no.

CC41689 (and I know my Charlie...)

'Who do you think you are

Hitler started sending people (including large numbers of Jews) to concentration camps in late 1938. Many of these people were killed, but there was nothing like the systematic extermination that evolved later. The 'disappearance' of people in these camps is directly referred to in _Dictator_, so Chaplin had obviously heard about them, but this was still early-stage stuff, and not fully known about outside of the camps themselves.

Late 1941 at that. The 'Final Solution' wasn't fully implemented until after the Wannsee Conference on 20 Jan. 1942.

Correct. The film very accurately reflects the state of knowldge in the US at that time about actions against the Jews.

Connie K.

<snip>

and comedy to make points about life, and I agree that he does successfully integrate comedy and the horror.

I agree. The film really reflects its title more than the Holocaust. He takes the most extreme setting and shows that the spark of life and the human spirit survives. It is a beautiful and bold statement to make. People assume that a grave matter must be treated in only a grave manner. Benigni has the artistic courage to show that life flourishes in the worst circumstances, and that, yes, humor and laughter can exist in Hell. This film establishes his genius to me because he dared to think outside the box.

that.

I disagree. The film is a jewel and time will bear that out.

I would not yet describe Wes Anderson as a genius.

You lost me here, pal, although I heartily agree with your last statement. As an aside, I think Bill Murray was gypped on that Oscar nomination.