The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988) YTS

Reviewed by Filipe Manuel Neto 4 / 10

The Unbearable lightness of Sex. When the recently

**The Unbearable lightness of Sex.** When the recently deceased Milan Kundera published “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” he probably knew that the book would be both loved and hated. Based on the philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche, it outlines a story full of eroticism between four characters amid the turmoil resulting from the Prague Spring in 1968, and the “years of lead” that followed. What this film did was adapt the novel to the cinema, with some changes and focusing attention on the two central characters. I read the book many years ago and didn't like it. In the book, the author exposes philosophical positions taken from Nietzsche's ideas and where he privileges sex and the search for pleasure while relativizing and diminishing love. No idea could be more different from my thinking. After all, what could be more fleeting than an orgasm? In a subtle way, the book ends up proving me right: the characters live very troubled lives until the moment they find the serenity that stable feelings, such as love and friendship, can bring to each person's life. From this short review, you can already tell that I didn't like the film. I still decided to watch it due to the amount of positive opinions I heard and the presence of some big names in cinema. Directed by Philip Kaufman, the film was made almost immediately after the book was published, but the adaptation is quite weak. The film essentially focuses on one thing: sex. I shouldn't be exaggerating if I say that we can't watch thirty minutes of film without see a naked woman or a couple in the act, and the film is almost three hours long. It was something that had to be part of the film, given the content of the book, but I think there was an exaggeration on the part of the producers and screenwriters. Nudity is very present, bluntly, from all angles, which makes the film heavier. With so much attention to sordid details, the rich characterization of Kundera's characters got lost somewhere: Tereza couldn't seem more confused and Tomás was transformed into a debauched maniac who can't see a woman in front of him and can't respect his wife. What about the book's political plot, in which Kundera exposes his aversion to his country's regime? The film tells us very little. The images of the Prague Spring are striking, in large part due to the superb cinematography and the way they combined archival footage with the film, and we have the feeling, from then on, that the authorities' control is suffocating, but no much more is told or revealed to us. Again, the attention is focused on nudity and sex, not on what matters in the book. On a positive note, we must highlight the performance of the cast, led by Daniel Day-Lewis and Juliette Binoche. Day-Lewis is undeniably a great actor and has immense talent, and the only thing that stops us from appreciating his performance more is the disgust for his character. Binoche, I confess, has already seemed much more interesting to me in other characters and works, but she also has enough space to shine. They also have the support of Lena Olin, Derek de Lint, and we can also count on the special participation of Stellan Skarsgård. On a technical level, in addition to the exquisite cinematography that I have already mentioned, we also have the excellent recreation of the period, palpable in all the props, sets and costumes and an excellent soundtrack.

Reviewed by ghazzawi90 6 / 10

A lack of philosophy

The best thing about the novel was that the events were more meaningful because along with each event came a piece of the author's philosophy which made not only the plot seem whole but the author's main philosophical argument materialize more and more as we read on.The movie was only a documentation of the plot and because it was a movie I guess it could only "lightly" touch upon the author's philosophy. Maybe a narrator in the background could have filled us in? I watched the movie not because I enjoyed the plot but because I enjoyed reading the author's ideas about life. They weren't as evident in the movie, but I gave a 6 because the acting and cinematography were good.

Reviewed by BeneCumb 7 / 10

Too uneven and too long - but with great performances

Although the screenplay is based on the great and world-famous book by Milan Kundera, it was written by others (Jean-Claude Carrière and the director Philip Kaufman) and thus lost its original touch and approach - as was pointed out by Kundera himself who withdrew from the outcome. On the other hand, fragile feelings, ponderings and internal doubts are very difficult to express on the screen - without losing the pace and uniformity of the plot. It is also pity that Prague was not / could not been used, as it is a beautiful city and gives more realism than the French places used. Depicion of the socialist/communist oppression is, however, rather perfunctory, seeming not so serious as it really was in the 1970ies within the Warsaw block when hopes of intellectuals for the so-called human-faced socialism vanished as liberal steps were diminished or repealed.The cast is, of course, brilliant, in particular the bohemian ménage à trois members: Daniel Day-Lewis as Tomas, Juliette Binoche as Tereza and Lena Olin as Sabina - all later multiple Academy Award winners and/or nominees, and from different European countries (the movie itself is still the US one). They and some other fine European actors have provided the movie a real European atmosphere, without a Hollywood studio feeling as sometimes perceived in "older" movies.Nevertheless, The Unbearable Lightness of Being is still a movie high above average, enhancing historical facts as well. But it is hard to say whether is is recommendable to read the book before or after...

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

1988

Action / Drama / Romance

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

1988

Action / Drama / Romance

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The Unbearable lightness of Sex. When the recently

A lack of philosophy

Too uneven and too long - but with great performances

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