"Thus, it is implicated that he became mad because of having seen most of his companions exterminated, having made up the whole story for himself in his lunacy.In 1996, Roberto Benigni, writer-director of "Train of Life"'s perceived competitor "Life Is Beautiful", had been sent the script to "Train of Life" and offered the role of village idiot Shlomo by writer-director Mihăileanu, but Benigni turned it down and afterwards went to write and direct "Life Is Beautiful".