As good as a screen version of this all time great novel could hope to be. Of all the films I’ve ever seen this one resonates most as, honestly just read the book but this is a reasonable accompaniment after reading. Watched on DVD.

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!

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.

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

Impressive love triangle, tangled in the horrendous communist regime in Prague. Long, but not boring. Great acting and story.

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.

There are many factors that make The Unbearable Lightness of Being a remarkable film, first of all that it's based on a very good novel, of the same name by Milan Kundera, but perhaps most of all that the three main actors all had their international breakthrough with it, even if the film didn't become a box office hit. However, at least two of them, Juliette Binoche and Daniel Day-Lewis, are now considered among the most respected film acting performers of their time. Lena Olin has also had her fair share of glory, at least in the following little over decade after its release. In The Unbearable Lightness of Being they all deliver very solid acting performances, and with cinematography, direction and editing by Sven Nyquist, Philip Kaufman and Walter Murch, everything else is well taken care of. There are other factors too, but the plot having the Prague Spring and the following Soviet invasion as a backdrop, makes it accidently and particularly time relevant, considering the current situation in Ukraine. A moderne version of the plot could easily have been situated there in stead of 1968 Czechoslovakia. The basic topics of love, lust, infidelity, eroticism, art, and the freedom in living, will forever be timeless. definitely also the paranoia with totalitarianism. This is a film absolutely worth a second watch.

Not as good as the book, and I didn't really even like the book.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being is a 1988 American drama film, an adaptation of the 1984 novel of the same name by Milan Kundera. It was directed by Philip Kaufman, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jean-Claude Carrière, and stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Juliette Binoche and Lena Olin. The film portrays Czechoslovak artistic and intellectual life during the Prague Spring, and the effect on the main characters of the communist repression that resulted from the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. When I read Milan Kundera's book "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" I was around 15 years old it was around 1986 and I got rid of that the book was an immediate sensation as it arrived in bookstores and was often cover story . I confess that I was too young to fully understand the philosophical content that the author personified in the character of Tomas (at least in my interpretation) did every page was too intellectual for my level of knowledge. I remember I assumed I had really enjoyed the book for fear of sounding stupid to tell the truth. Three years after I read the book - and I read the entire book, Philip Kaufman's film hit the cinema screens around 1988 and was at least a critical and public success in Brazil and I again a little more mature but not understanding The politics of then Czechoslovakia in 1968, let alone understand what the "Prague Spring" was, I liked the film for the sensuality and beauty of its scenes and I loved the two main actresses. Daniel Day-Lewis I knew by "My Beautifil Laundrette" but it still wasn't a popular name unless you were like me a movie fanatic. It took 10 years to pass in my life that around 28 years of age I reread the book and it all made sense to me. I went to the video store closest to my home and looked for a VHS copy of the movie to then re-appreciate it properly. It was like meeting up with a good friend to have a deeper conversation about something that had been postponed. The movie is very distinct and different from the book. The book is much more complex but the result is that the film has a series of other unique and peculiar qualities to it. This was one of the first titles of the Criterion Collection Spine #55 (currently sold out) until today I don't have it in my collection for this presentation I went to visit the library that had a copy and again in 2021 it was a reunion between me and this film. To my surprise, the film is still as relevant today as it was when it was made in theaters. With talents such as Kaufman (The Right Stuff) Day-Lewis (who the following year would win an Oscar for "My Left Foot") Juliette Binoche (22 years old at the time) and the beautiful Lena Olin adding to that the script by the legendary Jean-Claude Carriere cinematography by Sven Nykvist (who worked with Ingmar Bergman) and supervising editor Walter Murch this film could only become a masterpiece and time has been very good with the film.

I found the sex and nudity to be a distraction in what could have been an interesting film about coping with the Soviet invasion and occupation of Czechoslovakia.

I found it as over the top as it's title.

Philip Kaufman's adapts Milan Kundera's bestseller reflecting the lightness of existence and weightiness of oppression during Prague Spring leading to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 into a brooding cinema that seduces with exotic eroticism and voluptuous sensuality.

Just saw the film on the big screen at the Aero and you do need to see it on a big screen to hold your attention. The chemistry of Daniel and Juliette is quite amazing and you could watch the two of them endlessly. The film covers dramatic historical events in the Czech Republic of the late 60s maintaining a playfulness that makes it enjoyable from start to finish even if the ending could been at the hotel room 6. What’s quite interesting is that at the same historical time, California was living quite a hippie lifestyle compared that of Europe which was still stuck in a post war depression that lasted well into the 80s.

The Unbearable unLightness of watching such tedious film and only to see that women can't help loving men-doctors even in prague - that is really something...

One of the best acted, directed and intelligent adaptions of a challenging book translated to film.

Overrated. Worst Daniel Day Lewis movie

It is really rare for me to find a film that is better than its printed counterpart, and to be honest I did not like Milan Kundera's book that much in the first place. I wanted to watch this solely because I love to watch Daniel Day-Lewis doing it's job: he never does it wrong. So my 2 stars and a half are for him and for the director, but if you want to enjoy the story, or you don't know which version to pick, my little push is towards the book!

I've always loved this film and was shocked to read that DDL considered it a mistake and always regretted being part of it.

For a movie that is nearly 3 hours long, I still have a hard time figuring out what the point of it was. The characters aren't very likable, the story drags on and jumps all over the place, and the ending feels like a sucker punch. Critics seem to love this movie, but I think it is just a bunch of libtards that are upvoting it for having lots of nudity. Maybe I just don't get it, which is fine. All I know is that I will never watch this again.

What an abomination. Manages to turn a searingly beautiful book into a mawkish am-dram schlockfest.