The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)
- Starring:
- Daniel Day-Lewis, Juliette Binoche, (more)
- Director(s):
- Philip Kaufman
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R
- Category:
- Drama, Independent Films
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In Philip Kaufman's surprisingly successful film adaptation of Czech author Milan Kundera's demanding 1984 bestseller, Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Tomas, an overly amorous Prague surgeon, while Juliette Binoche plays Tereza, the waiflike beauty whom he marries. Even though he's supposedly committed, Tomas continues his wanton womanizing, notably with his silken mistress Sabina (Lena Olin). Escaping the 1968 Russian invasion of Prague by heading for Geneva, Sabina takes up with another man and unexpectedly develops a friendship with Tereza. Meanwhile, Tomas, who previously was interested only in sex, becomes politicized by the collapse of Czechoslovakia's Dubcek regime. The Unbearable Lightness of Being may be too leisurely for some viewers, but other viewers may feel the same warm sense of inner satisfaction that is felt after finishing a good, long novel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 172 mins
Complete Cast:
- Daniel Day-Lewis - Tomas
- Lena Olin - Sabina
- Erland Josephson - The Ambassador
- Pavel Landovsky - Pavel
- Stellan Skarsgård - The Engineer
- Bruce Myers - Czech Editor
- Pascale Kalensky - Nurse Katya
- Jacques Ciron - Swiss Restaurant Manager
- Tomek Bork - Jiri
- Leon Lissek - Bold Man in Bar
- Juliette Binoche - Tereza
- Derek de Lint - Franz
- Donald Moffat - Chief Surgeon
- Daniel Olbrychski - Interior Ministry Official
- Consuelo de Havilland - Tall Blonde
- Clovis Cornillac - Boy in Bar
- Vladimir Valenta - Mayer
- Anne Lonnberg - Swiss Photographer
- Pavel Slaby - Pavel's Nephew
- Laszlo Szabo - Russian Interrogator
- Director(s):
- Philip Kaufman
- Writer(s):
- Philip Kaufman, Jean-Claude Carrière
- Producer(s):
- Saul Zaentz
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R(Nudity, Not For Children, Strong Sexual Content)
- Categories:
- Drama, Independent Films
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
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- 1989 - The Unbearable Lightness of Being - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Adapted Screenplay
- 1988 - The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Independent Spirit Awards - Best Cinematography
- 1987 - The Unbearable Lightness of Being - National Society of Film Critics - Best Director
- 1987 - The Unbearable Lightness of Being - National Society of Film Critics - Best Picture
