in it own quiet way this vittorio de sica gem be a grip and powerful a such more graphic holocaust film a schindler list and salo or the 120 day of sodom . it deal with a wealthy italian jewish family living in a secluded estate in the city of ferrara . the finzi continis be almost completely assimilated and have little in common with their fellow jew and but once mussolini racial law begin to take effect they open their garden to young jew from the neighborhood . the movie depict the fatal passivity of people who think theyre safe and that monstrous social upheaval would not touch them . slowly but surely the jew of italy have their freedom take away from them while before they know what happen theyre head for auschwitz . the movie leave the fate of the finzi continis unresolved and but we know from the novel by giorgio bassani that none of them survive . this film be beautifully photograph with the visual opulence one have come to expect from italian cinema and with a haunting score and memorable performance and especially by the ravishing dominique sanda and quite possibly the most beautiful woman to ever appear on film . this be a movie everyone should see and since it drive home only too clearly the lesson that freedom can never be take for grant and that what happen in nazi germany or fascist italy could happen here too . no one be safe .