March 26, 1999
"Life is Beautiful"
I couldn't help but think of this movie and the very animated, excited, overjoyed Italian 'Roberto' who won such accolades as Best Foreign Film and Best Actor. "This is-a mistake--I've use up all-e my English!"
Such a man is definately beautiful, with such an outrageous smile, and animated spirit, he makes Jim Carrey look like a tired ol' dog. For someone who appeared so genuine, so alive, he of all people deserved his acclaim, if only because he made the whole theatre full of Hollywood actors laugh. He turned what was going to be a cynical night of self-congratulation into a night that was worth spending four and a half hours to watch--and yes, I watched it all.
I was beginning to wonder about what was going on in the entertainment business lately as Americans seem to be slipping. Canadians took home a ton of Grammys, a Canadian gets a special Oscar for his career in film, the great Shakespeare stacked the Best <fill in the blank> and the Italian got Best Actor. About the only notable thing was that an ex-Communist also got a gold statue.
I thought about what all the hoopla was about. And, for the life of me, I can't say that he deserves to get all the harsh treatment some people in the entertainment industry has given him. He was a talented film-maker, and like those he named during the McCarthy witch-hunts, he got just as bad treatment. Whatever your personal beliefs, I can't say I can condemn him for his choice, because at the time he thought it was the right thing to do. Whether it was just good for him, or for some ideological reason, who says we don't have the same effect on people we know, or barely know? When people gossip, when people spread rumours, they are doing just as bad a thing, condemning an individual to social ridicule and shame. People can be more vicious as back-stabbing gossips, yet we don't give them as bad a treatment, if only because we don't know about it or don't care. Who are we to condemn someone because of their actions? Are we better? More pure?