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
è 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.