Both Robert Benigni's film Life is Beautiful and Pascal Croci's graphic novel Auschwitz depict the horrors of the Holocaust and portray a family's struggle to survive and protect their child in the Nazi concentration camps. Both texts use visual techniques like camera shots, lighting, framing and panel composition to convey the themes of silence, innocence and the Holocaust. The directors aim to educate audiences about the events and spread messages of bravery, humanity and the importance of breaking silence about the past.

1. R O B E R T B E N I G N I ‟ S L I F E I S B E A U T I F U L A N D P A S C A L
C R O C I ‟ S A U S C H W I T Z
DECONSTRUCTING
VISUAL TEXT

2. DECONSTRUCTING VISUAL TEXT
Robert Benigni’s Life is
Beautiful
Pascal Croci’s Auschwitz

3. PURPOSE
ENTERTAIN
• To keep, hold or maintain the
attention of the
audience, often through the
use of humour.
INFORM
• To give the audience facts or
information to make them
aware of something.
EXPLAIN
• Make (an idea, situation, or
problem) clear to your
audience by describing it in
more detail or revealing
relevant facts or ideas

4. SUBJECTMATTER
•Life is Beautiful and
Auschwitz portray the
horrors of Holocaust.
•Both texts display a
family‟s plight to stay
alive and to save their
child.

5. AUDIENCE
Age Gender Race
Background Education Interests
Religion
Socio-
Economic
Status
Lifestyle

6. CONTEXT
• All texts are influenced by
context
• Texts are influenced by the
fact that they are created
at a particular time, in a
particular place, and by a
particular person with
particular purposes, ideas,
experiences and attitudes.

7. STRUCTURAL FEATURES
ROBERT BENIGNI‟S LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL AND PASCAL
CROCI‟S AUSCHWITZ

8. STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS
• Both texts were recounts divided into clear sections
to highlight the horror of the holocaust.
• Life is Beautiful had two sections: One showed the
life of whimsy created by Guido and this was
signified using bright vibrant colours, the second
was in the concentration camp and a monotone
colour was utilised by Benigni.
• In Auschwitz Kazik and Cessia both gave us there
recollection of the Nazi War Camp and what they
had to do to survive.

9. •How has the story been established?
Orientation
•What is the problems that needs to be resolved?
Problem
•What will happen to prevent the character from solving
the problem?
Complication
•What do you think is the climax of the story?
Climax
•How does the story end?
Resolution

10. CHARACTERISATION
Characterisation is about focusing on the decisions that
the director/author has made into character choice
(age, gender, race etc.) and the action that surrounds
them as the story line develops.
Life is Beautiful:
• Guido Orifice
• Dora Orifice
• Joshua
• Dr Lessing
• Nazi Soldiers
Auschwitz:
• Kazik
• Cessia
• Ann
• Nazi Soldiers
• Kapo

11. NARRATION
Narration is about how the story is told and from
what point of view.
Life is Beautiful:
• We don‟t learn until the
end of the film the the
narrator is in fact
Joshua, the child
recounting his
experiences and telling
us what happened to
his father.
Auschwitz:
• Also a recount, Kazik
and Cessia individually
tell the viewer their
story about what
happened in
Auschwitz.

12. WRITING ACTIVITIES:
1. How does the choice of narrator affect
both of these texts? Are they reliable?
2. In what ways do these texts depict the
inner journeys of the main characters?

13. COMPOSITIONAL FEATURES
ROBERT BENIGNI‟S LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL AND PASCAL
CROCI‟S AUSCHWITZ

14. R O B E R T O B E N I G N I
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL

15. Cinematography
•Special Effects
•Sound and Music
•Camera Shots
•Camera Angles
•Framing and
Composition
•Lighting and
Colour
•Editing and
Juxtaposition
MakingMeaning
•The Story on
Screen
•Film, Opening
Sequence
•Plot: Scenes and
Sequences
•Characterisation
•Sets, Costumes
and Setting
•Mood or
Atmosphere
TheArtofFilmMaking
•Film Creators
•Artistic Vision
What decisions has Begnini made in the creation of his film to convey
meaning?

16. CINEMATOGRAPHY
THE DIRECTOR MANIPULATES HIS AUDIENCE USING SOUND
AND VISUAL EFFECTS.
Special Effects Sound and
Music
Camera Shots
and Angles
Camera
Movement
Framing and
Composition
Lighting and
Colour
Editing and
Juxtaposition

17. SPECIAL EFFECTS
Directors use special effects to
draw the attention of the viewer,
in Life is Beautiful Benigni uses very
few special effects, relying on
realism to get his point across.
When Guido is killed by the Nazi‟s,
there is little special effect, no fan
fare, just a single „bang‟ that
breaks the silence, which is
followed by the feeling of the
audience‟s collective heart
sinking with the tragedy that has
just taken place.

18. SOUND AND MUSIC
Films are a visual experience; however, sound and music
play a very important part in conveying feeling, developing
atmosphere and capturing the attention of the audience.
Sounds Include:
•What the characters says, as well as voice over from a
narratorDialogue:
•Synchronous which are those sounds matched to action
(a car driving) and Asynchronous sounds which develop
tension and atmosphere (a door creaking).
Sound Effects:
•Background music can link themes and can help to
convey emotion and feeling of the character and to the
audience (developing empathy).
Music

19. CAMERA SHOTS AND ANGLES
Camera Shots
• A camera shot is the
amount of space that is
seen in one shot or
frame.
• Camera shots are used
to demonstrate
different aspects of a
film's setting, characters
and themes.
Camera Angles
• Camera angles are
used to position the
viewer so that they can
understand the
relationships between
the characters.

20. CAMERA SHOTS
Point of View:
Framed from
a particular
character's
point of view.
Audience
sees what
character
see.
Tracking
Shot:
single
continuous
shot made
with a
camera
moving
along the
ground
Long Shot:
Often used
as an
establishing
shot.
Mid Shot:
Can give
background
information
while still
focusing on
subject.
Wide Shot:
These show
the
characters in
full, as well as
other
characters in
the
foreground
and
background.
Close-up:
Focuses on
detail /
expression /
reaction.
Extreme
Close-up:
Focuses on
detail such as
the eyes.
These shots
show
emotion, con
vey
empathy, fee
ling.

21. CAMERA ANGLES
Bird‟s Eye
View:
Dramatic
High Angle:
Draws
importance to
the setting or
for a
character can
symbolise
being
powerless
Eye Level:
Explain story
development
Low Angle:
Show power
and authority,
the person
that is higher
asserts power
of the
character that
is lower.

22. FRAMING AND COMPOSITION
Background
Middleground
Foreground
• Composition is about the
arrangement of everything in
a frame.
• Placing items/people in the
frame in different positions
has different effects.
• The director can place
items/people in a frame to
show relationships, to convey
feelings and emotions and to
draw attention to setting.

23. LIGHTING AND COLOUR
Benigni‟s use of colour, or lack of colour, highlights the main action and the
thoughts and feelings of the main characters. The first half of the film is in
full colour it is peace-time between the wars and a testimony to Guido‟s
sense of fun and fantasy (he has fought and won the love of his „princess‟).
The second half of the film is dark and in monotones highlighting the horror
of the Holocaust and the sense of despair and desperation felt by Guido.

24. EDITING AND JUXTAPOSITION
• The ending of a shot. If the cut seems inconsistent with
the next shot, it is called a jump cut
Cut
• The image appears or disappears gradually. Often
used as a division between scenes.
Fade in Fade out
• One image fades in while another fades out so that for
a few seconds, the two are superimposed.
Dissolve

25. P A S C A L C R O C I
AUSCHWITZ

26. VisualFeatures
•Action
•Visual Symbols
•Angles
•Framing
•Composition
•Use of Space
•Light and Shade
•Juxtaposition MakingMeaning
•Theme (s)
•Characterisation
•Setting
•Mood or
Atmosphere
TheArtoftheGraphicNovel
•Author
•Artistic Vision
What decisions has Croci made in the creation of his graphic novel to
convey meaning?

27. ANGLES
Angles are an important technique for creating a relationship between the
audience and the subject of the Frames
Extreme Long
Shot:
These shots are
used to introduce
the setting and
atmosphere
Long Shot:
These are used to
give an overall
picture, placing
the characters in
there setting.
Mid Shot:
Can give
background
information while
still focusing on
subject.
Wide Shot:
These show the
characters in full,
as well as other
characters in the
foreground and
background.
Close-up:
Focuses on detail
/ expression /
reaction.
Extreme Close-
up:
Focuses on detail
such as the eyes.
These shots show
emotion, convey
empathy, feeling.

28. VISUAL SYMBOLS
Are there any visual symbols? What do they represent?
• Feet
• Smoking
• Doll
• Crows
• Rats
• Vampire
• Shadows

29. USE OF SPACE
How is the space in each
frame used? What is the
effect of this?

30. LIGHT AND SHADE
How do light and shade affect your interpretation of the
frames?

31. COMPOSITION
• Composition refers to the way that the various
elements within an image/frame are structured and
placed in relationship to each other and to the viewer.

32. JUXTAPOSITION
Juxtaposition refers to
how things are put
together. Croci has
made choices about the
different frames/panels
he has put together.
Juxtaposition can be
used to convey feelings,
develop suspense and
create atmosphere.

33. ENGAGEMENT WITH THE
VIEWER/RESPONDER
ROBERT BENIGNI‟S LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL AND PASCAL
CROCI‟S AUSCHWITZ

34. THEMES - LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL
•Silence marks both bravery and cowardice in the film.
Uncle Eliseo illustrates the concept of silence as bravery.
Silence is also what keeps Joshua alive. Silence is also
cowardice as witnessed through Dr Lessing who was quiet
through the horrific treatment of the Jews.
Silence
•The Holocaust is a major part of this film as the hostility of
the time is depicted throughout the film and in the second
half, Guido is forced to help his son survive in a Nazi Death
Camp or Concentration Camp.
Holocaust
•In the beginning, Guido is seems naïve; however, as he is
forced to come to terms with the reality of the time the
viewer sees some changes to his character. Joshua‟s
innocence is intact until we hear his voice as narrator at
the end.
Innocence

35. THEMES: AUSCHWITZ
• Silence also features in Auschwitz. The story begins
with Kazik and Cessia saying that they need to
break their silence and telling each other their
accounts of Auschwitz all of those years ago.
Silence
• The text depicts life during The Holocaust in the
Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Vividly depicting
the choices people had to make to survive.
Holocaust
• The loss of innocence is a feature of this book. We
see the Jewish people, the Czech‟s, Ann and
even a baby are no match for the cruelty of the
Nazi soldiers.
Innocence

36. EXTENDED METAPHOR: LIFE IS
BEAUTIFUL
•Guido turns the arrest of himself and Joshua into a game. He tells Joshua
that they are on a family holiday and then convinces him that they are part
of a game where they need to achieve 1000 points to win a tank.
The Game
•Guido likes to tell stories and it is through these stories that he can escape
the horrible reality of the War. In these „fairytales‟ Dora is his “princess”. He
rescues her on horse back and they begin a beautiful life together;
however, they do not live „happily ever after‟.
Fairytale
•Guido attempts to give the audience the impression that he can alter the
course of fate. This can be seen through his courting of Dora and also the
action of the „game‟ itself. We realise however; that Guido is a smart man
and is manipulating events can creating these so=called coincidences.
Coincidence

37. MAKING MEANING
1. What event/situation is being referred to in both of
these texts?
2. How do both authors portray the different groups
of people in their texts?
3. How do both authors use visual techniques to
contribute to the viewers understanding of the
main ideas/themes of the texts?
4. What message(s) are Benigni and Croci trying to
get across to their audiences?