The Unbearable Lightness of Being
This edition has the movie spanning two discs, but will be shipped together and treated as only one title on your ZipList.
The most erotic sensual film since Last Tango In Paris." - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Let others in 1968 Prague fret over liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Prague surgeon and avowed womanizer Tomas is focused on the happiness of pursuit. He's determined to live with a lightness of being unfettered by things like commitment and Communism. A young doctor's quest for sex and his stumbling into love are part of the rich storyline of this lyrical film from the landmark Milan Kundera novel, produced by Saul Zaentz (The English Patient, Amadeus) and directed by Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff, Henry & June). Daniel Day-Lewis, Juliette Binoche and Lena Olin indelibly form the romantic triangle at the center of Tomas' world. It's a shifting world of hope spoiled and renewed, of lives blighted by oppression and reinvigorated by deep, maturing love.
Member Reviews
Long, long, long. - cathyottawa
This isn't a film you can just pop in and watch whenever - this is something you definitely need to be in the mood for.
This takes us on a long journey, some of which I enjoyed, some of which was dull.
The film seems rich in story, clocking in at three hours, and taking place during the Soviet Czech invasion, but when you strip away all the peripheral stuff, you're left with a film that's about a love triangle between three people, Tomas, Tereza, and Sabina.
It took me a long time to care about any of these characters. We see some emotional growth from Tomas, and some maturity from the sweet innocent Tereza, but there isn't much profound here; there was nothing for me to sink my teeth into, and I wasn't sure why I was supposed to find their story so compelling.
I enjoyed the always sexy Lena Olin, and wished her character was given more screen time.
Roger Ebert equated this film to Last Tango in Paris for the sexiness factor. There is a lot of nudity, but not a lot of sexiness, or love scenes.Haven't read the book... - Spumco
So this is a film review because I'm not qualified to do a film-based-on-the-novel review. Let me start off by saying I have been waiting over a decade to see this...it has always been near the top of my list for films I've been meaning to see but haven't quite gotten around to yet. I fell in love with the idea of it ever since seeing its superb trailer while IFC was running it. First off, the three main players are the best looking Euro-Dream-Team in film history. Daniel Day Lewis, Lena Olin, and especially Juliette Binoche each ooze a unique brand of lasciviousnes...watching them interplay with each other is something you certainly don't see everyday and echoes the same panging sensation of movies like Last Tango in Paris. Of the three actors, Juliette Binoche's performance is the most searing. She plays Tereza with a white hot naivete that is almost tactile. She owns the two most heartbreaking scenes of the movie--the "goodbye" letter to Tomas and the sweet speech she gives to their dog Karenin in her final moments. I cried during both scenes and at no others in the entire movie..not even the ending or the violent Soviet occupation. These two scenes alone, and the interesting photo shoot between Tereza and Tomas's lover, Sabina (again, the effectiveness of this scene is rooted in Binoche's heartbreak) make the movie well worth your three hours. It's easy to see how two devoted sex-addicted betrayers fall for Tereza's 'heaviness'. Some people have criticized the fact that this movie wasn't given to a European Director--I think this is one of the most European movies I've ever seen thanks to American Philip Kaufman. Officially one of my favorite movies.
Member Reviews
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Long, long, long. - cathyottawa
This isn't a film you can just pop in and watch whenever - this is something you definitely need to be in the mood for.
This takes us on a long journey, some of which I enjoyed, some of which was dull.
The film seems rich in story, clocking ...Haven't read the book... - Spumco
So this is a film review because I'm not qualified to do a film-based-on-the-novel review. Let me start off by saying I have been waiting over a decade to see this...it has always been near the top of my list for films I've been meaning to see but haven't ...