Review of The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988) by Sean E — 17 Jan 2010

Highlighting this impeccable picture are three sensational performances, a masterfully adapted screenplay full of beautiful and intriguing dialogue and quite possible the finest cinematography of the '80s by Sven Nykvist. Day-Lewis perfectly encompasses the charm of Tomas with a subtle charisma that keeps my eyes glued to him every time he appears on screen. The young Juliette Binoche is adorable, shy and emotionally powerful but also plays it off very subtly. Lena Olin is overwhelmingly seductive and crafts a sense of freedom unlike any I've ever seen. These characters are all very human which means they have their fair share of flaws and the performances capture every essence of them so perfectly.

This tells the interlocking stories of four relationships, Tereza and Tomas, Tomas and Sabina, Sabina and Franz, Franz and Marie-Claude-with a primary focus on Tomas, a man torn between his love for Tereza, his wife, and his incorrigible "erotic adventures," particularly his long-time affair with the internationally noted painter, Sabina told in the atmosphere of the communist invasion of Prague in the sixties. The Unbearable Lightness of Being examines the imperfect possibilities of adult love and the ways in which free choice and necessity shape our lives. Here, lives are shaped by irrevocable choices and fortuitous events. It is a world in which, because everything occurs only once and then disappears into the past, existence seems to lose its substance and weight. Coping with both the consequences of their own actions and desires and the interfering demands of society and the state, the characters struggle to construct lives of individual value and lasting meaning.

Well directed, well acted and well designed, this is one of the most beautiful movies ever. The work by Nykvist, Kaufmann and the cast and definitely to Kundera are stunning.