The Unbearable Lightness of Being | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

Audience Reviews

Frederick H. S I was looking over what Wikipedia had to say about the film, and as I was saying to myself how authentic the cinematography was, I read in Wikipedia that it had won Best Cinematography at the 1989 Oscars. Daniel - Day Lewis is one my favorites actors (I like how he graces the film), and the setting and the storyline are right up my alley. Love, relationships and political intrigue are mixed well. Bravo! Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/05/23 Full Review caTones S A movie in my collection. There is both a deep development of the three primary characters developed in this movie. The development is further permeated by the historical backdrop of a fascist Russian Oppression of the Czechoslovakia.Beautiful imagery of Prague and a peaceful ending that could be interpreted in so many ways with the crux of its meaning the embodiment of love.Excellent acting. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/17/23 Full Review Audience Member A young Daniel Day Lewis, Juliette Binoche, and Lena Olin in a complicated love story directed by Phillip Kaufman Taking place in Prague 1968 A man named Tomas leaves Prague for an operation, meets a young photographer named Tereza and brings her back with him Tereza is surprised to learn that Tomas is already having an affair with the bohemian Sabina but when the Soviet invasion occurs, all three flee to Switzerland Sabina begins an affair, Tom continues womanizing, and Tereza, disgusted, returns to Czechoslovakia Realizing his mistake, Tomas decides to chase after her This story does stretch itself at 3 hours and there's a ton of sex and nudity Yet it is a profoundly beguiling movie about sex, love, and rebellion One narrative arc in particular with them adopting a dog at a certain point, is central to the novel yet minimized onscreen, resonates with a broader history of feminist theories of animal ethics There's a very saddening scene towards the end that made me well up The movie still gets by on wonderful atmospherics of a besieged culture thanks to Kaufman's direction and the sizzling chemistry of the three leads Rated 2.5/5 Stars • Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Kliff H Impressive love triangle, tangled in the horrendous communist regime in Prague. Long, but not boring. Great acting and story. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review andrea m On the backdrop of '68 Prague, a lady killer finds a woman unlike any other. Her candor upsets his morality, or lack of; his passion expands her sexuality. Closing the triangle is an unresting woman exuding lust, closest friend to the unlikely couple and always on the run from resolution.As tumultuous as the characters is the world around them, now more relevant then ever. The Russians invade Czechoslovakia, with tanks marching on Prague, very reminiscent of Ukraine nowadays. History repeats itself over and over after all.The acting is superb. Of course DDL is as flawless as ever, and Binoche is a perfect match to him. Surprisingly, Lena Olin is also not overshadowed, thanks to another highlight of the movie, which is cinematography. The shots, especially the more steamy ones, are never trivial and enhance the physique of the actors, looking like sculptures at times.I found the ending not as dramatic as it was meant to be, maybe because it was dragged on a bit too much. But of course, the director didn't want us to be burdened by the lightness of being. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review dave s Set in Czechoslovakia in 1968, Philip Kaufman's The Unbearable Lightness of Being follows the relationship between neurosurgeon Tomas (Daniel Day-Lewis) and photographer Tereza (Juliette Binoche) at the time of the Soviet Union's invasion of the country. Featuring great performances from a trio of excellent young actors early in their respective careers, including Lena Olin, typically great cinematography from Sven Nykvist, and an emotional music score courtesy of Mark Adler, it touches on themes of loyalty, power and idealism, both in the context of relationships and politics. While the running time may scare off some viewers (it almost hits the three-hour mark), it is well worth the time invested. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

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