key words/focus:

camera angle (low, high, eye-level), vectors, lighting, composition

(4:20) How are camera angles used when Joshua says 'Thank you' (not in German)? Which angles are used to view each of the characters? What does each of these angle signify?
Joshua is in a high angle while the German Waiter is low angle. The shots signify that the Waiter rules over Joshua(4:45) What shot distance and angle is used to show Guido's concern for Joshua when the German waiter leaves the room? Describe the composition)
Guido is in a eye level medium distance to show his face and nothing else(4:46) How is shot of Guido contrasted to the shot of the German waiter walking away to tell someone what has just happened? Describe the composition and compare it to the previous shot of a concerned Guido.
it is contrasted because the waiter is in a long distance and everything is symmetrical and is geometric while Guido is not symmetrical and is not geometric. also the German being completely geometric shows power and control while Guido is out of balance a symmetric and a show of emotion.
(5:02-05) How is the shot of the German's contrasted to that of Guido teaching the children to say 'Thank You'?
When Guido is in a high angle and he is lowering himself down to the children level while the Germans have a small low angle shot and they are very rigid. also Because Guido is in the same level as the children. also when the Maid tells Guido off and then tells off the children she doesn't move at all to speak to them she just yells at them while Guido moves down to their level to speak to them and he moves his hands.
HW: How are visual techniques utilised to evoke empathy from the audience and clearly delineate (indicate) who are the heros, villains, and victims in this scene?

Heroes and Villains in Life is Beautiful

• Describe what is happening in this scene.

• In this scene a Nazi is giving the instructions of the camp and Guido is translating them to Italian but he is translating them wrong so his son doesn't think that the camp is bad but instead it is a game that they have to play.

• Who are the heroes and villains in this scene? Why are they heroes and villains?
• The Hero is Guido the Villain is the Nazis. Guido is a hero because he goes up to the Nazis and translates  their instructions completely wrong. The Nazi is the Villain because he is giving the rules of their internment in this camp which is mainly hell.
• For the hero/es and villain/s, describe techniques used in this shot which highlight their opposing role and how they connect with the audience.
• The shots highlight the difference because the Nazis are all ordered and structured while the Jews are not Ordered. also the Nazis are standing in the light which highlights that the Nazis have the power because they have the light while the Jews are in the darkness which indicates the lack of power.

HW: How do the characters in 'Life is Beautiful' represent an engaging and unique presentation of the Holocaust experience?

'Life is Beautiful's' characters represent an engaging an unique representation of the Holocaust Experience because Guido changes the camp from being a camp of hell and misery to a game, he tries to communicate with his wife in many different ways and most of all he presents a very unique way of making the Concerntration camp a game and fun for Joshua.

Holocaust Unit: Key Question and 'Life is Beautiful'

1. What is a tragedy? A tragedy is when something tragic happens to people who have no knowledge or even if they do have knowledge                                                                        
2. How is Life is Beautiful a tragedy? it is a tragedy because Guido who just one day was taken from his home to go to this Nazi concentration camp and all the people who were just taken as well
3. Could it also be a comedy? Unlikely because it seems to serious to be a comedy even though it has some comic appeal
4. What is a villain? What is a hero? What is a victim? Give examples of each both from real life and from fiction. Villain: Fiction:Doctor Evil Real: Stalin  Hero: Fiction: Guido  Real: Winston Churchill.  Victim: Real: the Cambodians who were massacred: Fiction: all the Jews. A villain is some one who does something evil to some one with the intent of being evil. A hero is a person who does something good to people and/or helping people and will have a admiral trait. A victim is a person or people who are drawn into a situation due to no fault of their own with no way of avoiding them
5. Who are the villains, victims and heroes? Hero: Guido  Villain: all the Nazis  Victims: Joshua
6. What value do each of these characters play in the movie? What role do they play in the plot? What role do they play in connecting the movie to history? What role do they play in evoking a reaction from the audience? (List the important characters in the movie and label them as either villains or heroes. Then, in dot points, list the important role they play in regards to plot, history, and to the audience.) Joshua evokes a reaction from the viewers because he is just an innocent child and has no knowledge of what is happening around him. he links the movie to history because there were many many children who were in nearly exactly his situation apart from the dads who make it a game. The Nazis don't evoke a reaction because they did exactly what happened in history but they may make the audience hate the Nazis more. The Nazis play the Antagonist in the movie they play the value for evil, hate and malevolence. Guido evokes the reaction of compassion because he is a funny man who does nothing wrong and yet still gets sent to a death camp/ labour camp. He links the movie to history through the fact that many many Jews went through what Guido went through. he plays the Protagonist.