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In Life is Beautiful, Roberto Benigni finds love, comedy and beauty where you would least expect it.

One of the most basic screenwriting rules is that over the course of a film, a character should change as they learn that what they want is not what they need.

But what if we create a character whose want is the same as his need? A wise character who completely understands himself and his world? Enter Guido Orefice, a man defined by his resilience. Guido refuses to let the changing situation change him - and as a result, he becomes one of the most compelling characters in cinema.

The film is split into two acts separated by location; Act 1 in Arezza and Act 2 in the concentration camp, but in both, Guido’s want remains the same: Guido wants to love.

But what defines Guido more than just the love he wants or believes in are the tactics he uses to overcome his obstacles.

One important aspect of Guido’s character is his bravery and confidence. After learning that a minister from Rome is visiting the school where the woman he likes, Dora, works as a teacher, Guido decides to impersonate the minister, and his character trait of confidence is shown as an endearing tactic that he uses to get the love that he wants.

In Arezza, the obstacle to Guido’s love is the town official to whom Dora is engaged. In the concentration camp, the obstacle to his love is the Nazis. But remember, Guido is one of those characters who doesn’t change, nothing will break him. So in both situations, Guido’s tactics of confidence and bravery are the same.

This movie is a masterclass in setup and payoff. In the first act, the phrase ‘Buongiorno, Principessa!’ is used seven times, beginning as a witty spontaneous greeting -

- and returning every time as a symbol of Guido’s love for Dora.

The seventh time the phrase is heard, it is actually spoken by the couple’s son, Giosue.

Guido is so charismatic that he has rubbed off onto his son, and now the phrase transforms from a symbol of Guido’s love for Dora to a symbol for the love of the family as a whole. This is an important setup because a few scenes before Dora hears the loudspeaker, she is told that all the children in the camp will be exterminated in a gas chamber under the guise of taking a shower. So Dora becomes deathly worried for the life of her son and so when Guido says ‘Buon Giorno, Principessa!’ on the loudspeaker, it is an affirmation that they are both alive, that they both love her.

In fact this scene sets up many story elements. Giosue protests against cleaning himself in the shower.

This defiance, a tactic received from his father, becomes what Giosue needs in the concentration camp.

And this scene also sets up a prop you can hide in - the nightstand - which is later paid off as the metal cabinet.

But perhaps my favourite setup and payoff in this scene - and the whole film - is that of Schopenhauer.

19th century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer saw that the world was full of sickness, old age, pain, and death, and thought that this world must be the work of a devil, who delights in our sufferings. He saw human suffering as the result of our instinctual desires.

and then paid off -

set up again -

and paid off one final time.

In real life, there’s no way this would work. But this is fiction. Remember, Guido is such a compelling character because he is so confident in himself. He doesn’t need to listen to the guards, the racist Italian scientists, or even Schopenhauer - he needs only to listen to himself. And with a little imagination, that self-confidence and that bravery - well, it pays off.

The tragedy of the Holocaust is not something to laugh at. But it’s definitely something you can laugh against. In Life is Beautiful, Benigni shows us that the most beautiful thing about life is you. So stay true to yourself. And if you can learn to love others with the same confidence with which you love yourself, then you can find the beauty in just about anything.