Why does he raise his hand like this and keep it raised?

Question

As soon as they bring the giant Ethiopian cake in the shape of an ostrich, this guy raises his hand and keeps it raised. See below:

Here's the scene:

Why does he do so?

Answer 1

The movie is set in a time leading up to and during World War II, and the character appears to be wearing a Nazi uniform. The Nazis were a political party that took power in Germany under their leader Adolf Hitler, who then started World War II by invading neighboring countries.

The character is giving the Nazi salute, and he is maintaining the salute for a long time because he is a devoted Nazi so he is acting somewhat fanatically. You can find more about the Nazi salute on Wikipedia.

As to why he is giving the Nazi salute so fanatically at that particular time, it's less clear. Inside the story, it may be that he salutes Hitler instead of applauding anything else at any time that others are applauding. He also might be sending a message of white supremacy to counter the praise of the Ethiopian cake. More likely, it could be a salute in support of Ethiopia, because Nazi Germany supported Ethiopia during the Second Italo-Ethiopian war.

Outside of the story, it is very likely this is meant as foreshadowing. In real life, the racist Nazi fanaticism foreshadowed World War II and the Holocaust. Life Is Beautiful (original title La Vita e Bella) tells a small personal story set against the large-scale global events. This moment of juxtaposition of the political and social darkness descending over Germany as the main character is falling in love is a microcosm of the plot of the entire movie.

You can probably find more information and ask more questions about real-life Naziism, the Holocaust, and World War II, to better understand the backdrop of this movie, over at the History Stack Exchange site.

Answer 2

One of the most translucent travesties in the film is represented by the three frames dedicated to the fascist sycophant. As the cake is being reverentially carried by the four Ethiopian soldiers, the camera pauses, rather at length, on a fat man with a vacant expression. In full fascist uniform he welcomes the cake with a rigid roman salute and the sharp click of his heels. His alacrity is stridently ridiculous especially as the focus pauses on his blank, unintelligent expression that seems to reveal a blind commitment to the cause without any real understanding of its reason or tenets nor any introspection on his own beliefs. He is brainwashed and mechanical, almost a puppet, and sadly embodies many Italians who were completely taken in by the fascist vortex and followed it to the bitter end. As the cake progresses, the man remains frozen in his salute and a while later, when Guido is entering the Grand Hotel ballroom on horseback to take Dora away, the camera bestows a last, caustic glimpse upon this fascist soldier: he is still there, rigid, still holding his roman salute, staring into space, totally unaware of what is going on around him.

Source: Beyond "Life is Beautiful": Comedy and Tragedy in the Cinema of Roberto Benigni, edited by Grace Russo Bullaro