The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Rating:
Summary: One of the great ones
Review: To the reviewer that said he'd rather watch an episode of 'Happy Days' to this great film perhaps should do just that, as this film is obviously out of his league. It didn't have the slapstick comedy, grim violence or juvenile one-liners that characterize most of what passes as entertainment.

Having lived many years in Eastern Europe, with it's intellectual standards it's hard to believe that this is an American film. It is a masterpiece. The more subtle is becomes, the more passions are evident. It is a story within a story withing a storym, and maybe too much for many to appreciate for it's deep texture and vibrant characterization.

Well written, excellent acting, superb photography. This one grows on you. I'e watched it three times (not for the sex scenes, which are mature themes, but tasteful). Having had a Soviet rifle pointed into my face, I can understand that courage and patriotism the Czechs expressed in 1968 and their feeing of being alone at that time.

Bravo, this is one of the best films of the last century.

Rating:
Summary: NO LONGER IN STEP
Review: When Milan Kundera's novel was first made into this film, there was still the flavor of the Cold War and Soviet monolith in the air. The story has to do with the effects on one's personal life that opperssive governments can have. This film beautifully portrays this and the absurdity in daily life brought down on people living under the Czech communist regime. In the present day, one may find it difficult to "get into the mood." Nevertheless, this is one of the excellent films set in that time.

Rating:
Summary: unbearable lightness - frivolity in the face of revolution
Review: I feel i should write something because the previous review is very misleading and spiteful. I always find it bizarre when people write a review of a film and say "nothing much happened". Well, did you watch the film? A lot happened! The Soviets invaded Czechoslovakia for one thing! The previous reviewer calls the movie self-important. It is no more self-important than the review you wrote, sir. And if it is, I think that tends to happen naturally when a conglomeration of hugely talented filmmakers tackle epic material; it is gorgeously lensed by the greatest cinematographer of all time Sven Nykvist, the performances are peerless, the script is utterly compelling at all times, and the direction proved Kaufman to be a master. I don't find the film pretentious because i found the story so involving. I was watching characters not dry literary symbols. I personally believe something is pretentious only if you dont understand it. As for the cactus being a phallic symbol, it looks a phallus, so what? Whats your point? As for the title, my mother, who is Slavic and was living in Poland during the 1968 invasion, agrees that Teresa explains it best in the film: she can't bear to be light and frivolous while her people are being oppressed. I have seen few films that display the heart and warmth of this one. It is just as timely and compelling today as it was twelve years ago. The Criterion DVD has beautiful high resolution imagery and a great Janacek soundtrack. The commentary track is also enlightening to hear, as several key people involved in making the film speak candidly about what they were doing.

Rating:
Summary: Uh...no.
Review: ...This movie doesn't have much. Let's see...it has what is probably the cutest baby pig you'll see in a movie. And Juliette Binoche and Lena Olin are very pleasant to look at...not so the rest of the film, however. Its title is pretentious and essentially empty, and thus an excellent match for the movie, but if I were to name it a little more honestly, a better variation on the theme would be "The Unbearable Self-Importance of Being...Philip Kaufman". Nothing seemingly happens or is displayed for much rhyme or reason, but then how could it...that would defeat the purpose. The characters are hateful and frankly rather ridiculous (unintentionally, to be sure). When I'm in the mood for a caricature of a womanizer, I'll fire up a Happy Days episode or two and watch the Fonz go at it in style, thanks. And as much as I like Lena Olin and Daniel Day-Lewis (though I certainly wouldn't, if I were judging them on the basis of this movie alone), their performances are extremely over-rated and surprisingly sub-par, and the horribly mangled accents are distracting. Juliette Binoche is the only one, in my opinion, deserving of praise for her performance (her accent also notwithstanding, mind you). If you like the female human body, you'll enjoy this film for its visceral qualities in that respect...they are certainly very nice. As for the film itself, if you like low-IQ artsy stylism like cactii as phallic symbols, incohesive dialog, and morally bankrupt parodies of characters that make decisions and live their life as if it really were a film (ie. a couple of hours long and with an audience), then you may well enjoy it as much as the ranks of lemmings who extoll this pretentious waste of celluloid's virtues and do the majority of intelligence-burdened film buyers a disservice. As for the DVD itself, it comes with no extras, the picture quality is poor and the sound is only available in Dolby 2.0, not 5.1., so it comes up short technically as well. My two cents: save your money and time. This movie is empty.

Rating:
Summary: One of my top ten of all time
Review: Often thought to be dated for today's young audiences, Phillip Kaufman's masterpiece still stands the test of time, telling the tale of a philandering man looking past the pleasure he has always sought after to ponder the joys of monogamy. Artfully directed, subtly infectious, this movie will stick with you for years afterward. Brilliant performances by Daniel Day Lewis, Lena Olin and Juliette Binoche.

Rating:
Summary: Unbearably Moving
Review: The movie and book are almost two completely different works of art.

The book - a philosophical and at times clinical look at relationships - Kundera's commentaries distancing you from the characters and storyline.

The movie on the other hand draws you in from the very start - falling in love w/ Tereza and Tomas - they become a part of you - it just draws me in over and over again. It's amazing that in Tomas' infidelity and impureness - such a pure and beautiful relationship springs.

I wish I could get more people to give this movie a viewing. Every time I watch it, it touches my life in a way so few movies do.

Rating:
Summary: Unique: Abstracting to connect
Review: I've seen nothing like it. The supreme and rich acting of Binoche and the abstract cinematography and direction manage to distance the viewers in such a way from the everyday noise of a thousand feelings, enabling the viewers to taste and sense all the emotion and ideas of the characters and the era with a vividness only accesible in dreams.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most haunting movies I ahve ever watched.
Review: I was not expecting to see such a moving picture. Great story, multilayered character, master direction, great performance by three leads, and fantastic cinematography. Like 'once upon a time in America', 'braeking the waves', to name a few, this movie will haunt you weeks, months, after you finish watching it. After watching it numerous times, this has become one of my all time favorites, which, besides the two named movies above, include 'casablanca', 'gone with the wind', and some of Fellini, Bergman's best achievements.

BTW, how can Philip Kaufman made 'the right stuff', 'the unbearable lightness of being' 'Henry and June', and then became a total disappointment in the 90s?

Rating:
Summary: a modern classic
Review: What can I say about this movie? That it's the tragic story of a love triangle? That it's a story about moral redemption? That it's an existentialist discourse on being and happiness? Yes it is all those things, and others have said plenty along those lines. But it really makes the film sound a lot more boring than it actually is, for this is one of those rare films where you actually become interested in, and sometimes are even moved by, the fate of the characters.

At 170 minutes the film is long, but never tedious. Those of you who really hate long films can watch this in 2 sittings - the sequence dealing with the Soviet invasion of Prague is the natural divider. (BTW I was quite impressed by how seamlessly the main characters were weaved into actual documentary footages.) The story is intense, but not ponderous. The plot unfolds at a leisurely pace allowing the viewer to soak in the stunning imageries, while the story was engrossing enough to make you forget the passage of time. The acting, btw, was superb. Juliet Binoche really shines in this one though I didn't find her other roles that memorable. Daniel Day-Lewis allegedly suffered a nervous breakdown after making this film, although you can't tell from his stolidly understated performance.

This is a deep film, and not just because somebody compared Brezhnev to Oedipus Rex. Charges of "shallowness" really say more about the viewer than the film. It does not wear its depth on its sleeves and does not pound its "message" into you with a 2X4. But it lingers in the back of your mind and makes you think twice at the odd moment.

Finally, labels such as "pseudo-intellectual" shouldn't be chugged around like a grenade. I don't feel any less intellectual just because you call me "pseudo"...

Rating:
Summary: Classic
Review: When I heard they were making a file of The Unbearable Lightness of Being, I thought, "good luck!". The main gist of the book is philosophical, a hard quality to translate on film. But Kaufman does it here, with the help of Daniel Day-Lewis - and manages to improve upon the book, adding color, humor, and a profound sense if intimacy. A touching and beautifully done love story.