The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Criterion Collection

Starring:Daniel Day-Lewis, Juliette Binoche, Lena Olin, Derek de Lint, Erland Josephson, Pavel LandovskÃ½, Donald Moffat, Daniel Olbrychski, Stellan SkarsgÃ¥rd, Tomek Bork, Bruce Myers, Pavel Slaby, Pascale Kalensky, Jacques Ciron, Anne Lonnberg, LÃ¡szlÃ³ SzabÃ³, VladimÃr Valenta, Clovis Cornillac, Leon Lissek, Consuelo De Haviland
Director: Philip Kaufman
Studio: Criterion
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Tomas, the happily irresponsible Czech lover of Milan Kundera's novel, which is set in Prague just before and during the Soviet invasion in 1968. Lena Olin and Juliette Binoche are the two vastly different women who occupy his attention and to some extent represent different sides of his values and personality. In any case, the character's decision to flee Russian tanks with one of them--and then return--has profound consequences on his life. Directed by Philip Kaufman, this rich, erotic, fascinating character study with allegorical overtones is a touchstone for many filmgoers. Several key sequences--such as Olin wearing a bowler hat and writhing most attractively--linger in the memory, while Kaufman's assured sense of the story inspires superb performances all around. --Tom Keogh

Description

Philip Kaufman achieves a delicate, erotic balance with his screen version of Milan Kundera's "unfilmable" novel. Adapted by Kaufman and Jean-Claude Carrière, the film follows a womanizing surgeon (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he struggles with his free-spirited mistress (Lena Olin) and his childlike wife (Juliette Binoche). An intimate epic, The Unbearable Lightness of Being charts the frontiers of relationships with wit, emotion, and devastating honesty.

Customer Reviews:

Just another love story.......2007-05-18

The Unbearable Lightness of Being is one of those occasional attempts by American filmmakers to make a European arthouse movie in English, in this case taking on an `unfilmable' novel and trying to solve the problem of turning inner monologue into a credible narrative. Despite, or perhaps because of Jean-Claude Carriere's presence as co-writer with director Philip Kaufman, this tends to take the form of the odd conversation between shags rather than an attempt to turn ideas into images, leaving a rather conventional narrative about a philandering surgeon who ultimately needs the oppression of the Russian invasion rather than the freedom of the Czech Spring to focus his emotional commitments and principles. Some of this is done well, some of it less well, but at the end of the day it's just a love story, although it deals well with the personal consequences of the political crackdown and the ending is quietly moving. Which, in a way, reflects some kind of emotional triumph - whereas for most of the film we don't really care for the characters, merely go along with them, by the end, like he hero, we have at least attained some genuine level of emotional commitment.

Whether that entirely justifies 171-minutes of screen time is debatable, though in its defense the film never feels that long. There are moments that grate, not least the sporadically clumsy integration of the main characters into archive footage of the Russian invasion that draws attention to itself by the crude device of adding scratches only to the new footage. The photography session doesn't quite work either despite an interesting start, not quite pulling off the shift of power and veering off into self-indulgence. The performances are slightly problematic too, especially with the Czechs limited to the smaller supporting roles in an Anglo-French-Swedish-American cast leading to a variety of composite accents (often more Germanic than Slav) and a feeling that the casting directors thought "Yeah, he sounds foreign, he'll do" at times. Daniel Day Lewis fares well as the coldly charismatic and fickle doc but still hadn't shrugged off that well-trained British stage actor feel to his performances; Juliette Binoche is genuinely appealing in one of her more open performances, although it's a bit of a stretch that her character never loses her naiveté; but as the more passionate of his loves Lena Olin is somewhat more problematic, her performance getting less convincing as the film progresses until rediscovering its humanity in her final scene. Of the supporting players, Erland Josephon has one good scene as a former ambassador reduced to being a janitor that underlines the way that even love and sex can be used as weapons of political oppression merely through the introduction of doubt - an idea that becomes strangely more powerful because of the way Kaufman frequently fails to summon up much in the way of eroticism because he generally regards sex as joyfully comic.

Annoyingly the film has been split across two discs, although the break isn't quite as abrupt as on some other discs. The DVD boasts a good transfer with an interesting audio commentary and good half hour documentary that illustrates that even if they didn't entirely succeed at least the filmmakers were trying to create something of real substance.

A literate, moving film.......2007-04-12

I served in the Peace Corps in E. Europe in the early 1990s; this movie conforms to my experience of Prague, the Czech people, and E. European literature so completely as to take my breath away. Creating a full movie out of the first 26 pages of Milan Kundera's original novel is scriptwriting brilliance. The film's breadth and depth of each character, the larger-than-life issues played out against the seeming frivolity of the Prague Spring--and its tragic historic aftermath--never fail to impress me. This film has a very European sentiment regarding sexuality/sensuality, however; it is as woven into the fabric of daily life as a glass of fine wine. If you prefer more staid fare, I'd recommend many excellent British films.

A well made adaptation!.......2007-02-13

The epic feature of a doctor against the oppressive tyranny of the Russians after the invasion of Praga in 1968 will work out as the big frame in order he decides to turn off the reality evading it through the love with two women who are each one complement of the another one. Sabine is somehow, the embodiment of the mature woman and Teresa is the sweet bird of youth whose charm will engage to Tomas who will realize he will not be able to live without the love of both of them.

Notable adaptation, zealously depicted and best acted. The masterpiece of Philipe Kaufman.

Threesome with tanks.......2007-02-02

Supposed being victimized by local communist regime and Soviet oppressors since August-1968, a skilled surgeon changed countries and jobs like surgical gloves he did at hospitals.

No wonder, sex is a fix for such a lucky, and marriage to a beautiful adorable woman stopped a character with Southern European rather than Slavic appearance a little.

Extended up to 165 minutes of screening, romantic tale with some near-porno inclusions is a bit more over-positive and over-entertaining than its final collapsed in.

Well, movie spirit seems being similar to "A Beautiful Life", "Producers" or, more recent one of Levi's Hitler-as-a-comedy-hero, of what optimism and humoristic style used to depicting the tragedy serve well cinemagoers seeking a relaxation only.

Don't let the title fool you!.......2007-02-02

This movie took me by surprise. I was not expecting the powerful emotions that it evoked. I first watched this movie through a rental and liked it so much that I bought the DVD.

This movie tells the tale of a somewhat promiscuous Doctor in Prague,Czechoslovakia before and during the Soviet invasion. He finds and marries a passionate "country" girl while maintaining his extramarital activities. The Soviet invasion puts an end to their way of life and the couple struggle to keep some semblance of normality in a war torn country.

This is an erotic, bittersweet drama. Be prepared to experience a full range of emotions. Perhaps you'll be surprised too.

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