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The Unbearable Lightness Of Being
1987
THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING is a sensual and sensitive adaptation of Milan Kundera's tragicomic existentialist novel that follows the story of Thomas (Daniel Day Lewis), a womanising Czech doctor in 1968 Prague, prior to the Soviet invasion, whose sexual appetite is never fully satisfied. Thomas believes in keeping sexual .. Read more
| Starring | Daniel Day-Lewis, Lena Olin, Juliette Binoche, Derek de Lint |
|---|---|
| Director | Philip Kaufman |
| Genres | Drama |
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The Unbearable Lightness Of Being
THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING is a sensual and sensitive adaptation of Milan Kundera's tragicomic existentialist novel that follows the story of Thomas (Daniel Day Lewis), a womanising Czech doctor in 1968 Prague, prior to the Soviet invasion, whose sexual appetite is never fully satisfied. Thomas believes in keeping sexual gratification separate from love and finds true understanding and erotic bliss with Sabina (Lena Olin), a seductive and elusive artist. However, Thomas's understanding of love and commitment is challenged when he meets Tereza (Juliette Binoche), a sexually naive and innocent young woman who captures Thomas's fancy on an out-of-town business trip. When Tereza appears on his Prague doorstep, Thomas lets down his guard and allows the young woman to stay with him, breaking all his rules regarding the dangers of seductive entanglement. Despite his numerous affairs, Thomas falls deeply in love with Tereza, and they eventually marry. Sabina accepts Thomas's marriage to Tereza, but Tereza cannot accept Thomas's many lovers and is deeply hurt by her sly husband. Tereza's own sexual awakening and creative spirit is at the core of the film, as she is undeniably captivating to both Thomas and Sabina, who becomes her friend and artistic mentor. The three become involved in an intense love triangle that is eventually shattered by the violent Soviet invasion of 1968. Tereza's burgeoning photographic passion is documented in a creative black-and-white montage of the invasion, beautifully crafted by cinematographer Sven Nykvist. This captivating and brilliant literary adaptation is a subtle and complex character study in which Daniel Day Lewis, Lena Olin, and Juliette Binoche give magnificent lead performances.
| Starring | Daniel Day-Lewis, Lena Olin, Juliette Binoche, Derek de Lint, Erland Josephson, Donald Moffat |
|---|---|
| Director | Philip Kaufman |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 45 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 30 Jun 2003 Production year: 1987 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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The problem of coming to terms with reality is the simplest explanation for this blatant, European-style art film directed by American Philip Kaufman. Lengthily elaborated from Milan Kundera's bestseller, it concerns a womanising surgeon (Daniel Day-Lewis) whose main loves are sacred (Juliette Binoche) and profane (Lena Olin), and how their involvement collides with the communist authorities in their native Czechoslovakia. Some wonderful atmospherics of a besieged culture don't make up for the fact that, at just under three hours, it runs out of important things to say — though that doesn't stop the movie trying to say them.
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"...Mature, serious and intellectual....Great films are seldom made from great novels, but THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING stands as a stunning and surprising exception..."
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Most helpful member's review
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17 out of 18 people found this review helpful
Thought provoking
The film is based on the novel by the Czech novelist Milan Kundera, whose works all seem to consider eroticism with a certain wistfulness, as if to say that while his characters were making love they were sometimes distracted from the essentially tragic nature of their existence. Yes, it is erotic. But more importantly this film explores a complex story, one of nostalgia, loss, idealism and romance.
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Most recent members' review
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3 out of 4 people found this review helpful
I wish I could have given negative stars.
This is the only movie I will EVER review but if it makes one less person rent it, than I have done my bit for humanity. II am so not one of those 'the book was better than the movie' people, so I'm not even going to go there. The book aside, the movie is so very bad I feel ill just thinking about the time and money I will never get back.
Daniel Day-Lewis should be beaten to death with his Acaademy Award for having anything to do with this. -
News and features
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Daniel Day-Lewis: The Essential Performances
- 01 Feb 2008
Great performances come in all shapes and sizes, but there is nothing as thrilling as an actor bigging it up, striving for the epic, and pulling it off. The risks are obvious: larger-than-life can easily translate as ham, and the one can be mistaken for the other. Some of the most acclaimed performances from the past - by Laurence Oliver, or Charles Laughton, for example - now look so theatrical it's difficult to take them entirely seriously. Even so, we appreciate the effort. Al Pacino has... Read more
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The Unbearable Lightness Of Being
THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING is a sensual and sensitive adaptation of Milan Kundera's tragicomic existentialist novel that follows the story of Thomas (Daniel Day Lewis), a womanising Czech doctor in 1968 Prague, prior to the Soviet invasion, whose sexual appetite is never fully satisfied. ...
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