The movie that never fails to make Sadie Sink cry: “I don’t think I’ve sobbed harder”
Although Stranger Things has launched nearly all of its young cast into stardom, Sadie Sink has stood out as the star with the most potential.
Beyond the fact that she delivered one of the most emotional, complex performances on the show, Sink has showcased her range when working on both the stage and in arthouse films, where she’s earned the praise of her co-stars.
It should come as no surprise that Sink’s talents as an actress stem from the fact that she’s a genuine cinephile; while some of her Stranger Things co-stars have rather infamously been indifferent about contemporary cinema, Sink’s wealth of knowledge has helped her make exciting project selections. Although she’s cited many personal favourites, Sink told the Academy that she had a very strong reaction to watching Life is Beautiful.
“I don’t think I’ve ever sobbed harder than when I watched that movie,” Sink said. “It’s tough to sit through, but I think it has to be my favourite.”
Sink said that Life is Beautiful was “very impactful” because of how it had “so much joy and hope,” despite being about one of the darkest chapters in history. Her reaction mirrors that of the American film industry in 1998, as Life is Beautiful became one of the few films in an international language to become a mainstream domestic hit. In addition to winning the Academy Award for ‘Best International Film’, Life is Beautiful also earned Roberto Benigni the ‘Best Actor’ prize, in what was considered to be an upset over Ian McKellen in Gods and Monsters and Nick Nolte in Affliction.
That Benigni wrote, directed, and starred in Life is Beautiful made his achievement impressive, but what was even more goddamn incredible was that he had managed to make a life-affirming, deeply moving story set amidst the Holocaust.
Finding humour within the material could have easily gone the wrong way and been deemed disrespectful, but the brilliance of Life is Beautiful is how Benigni tracks his character’s progression. Guido is able to use his wit and whimsy to court his future bride, Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), which takes up the first half of the film; although the second half is much darker and is set after the Nazi invasion and capture of Poland, Guido’s use of spontaneity and comic relief is are heroic actions that bring hope to his fellow Jews.
Life is Beautiful is so upfront about the cruel tactics employed by the Nazis that seeing Guido defy them with his wholesome spirit can be a very overwhelming experience. The film stood out in particular when compared to other World War II films released at the time; 1998 also saw the release of Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line, both of which focused on military combat.
Benigni never reached the same height of popularity again, as his subsequent directorial efforts on Pinocchio and The Tiger and the Snow were met with negative responses. That being said, Life is Beautiful has held up so well that it has been able to affect people like Sink, who weren’t even born when it was first released.
