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IMDb > The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
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The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)

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User Rating: 7.3/10 (9,345 votes)
Photos (see all 18 | slideshow)
IMDb Coverage of Comic-Con 2008

Overview

Director:
Philip Kaufman
Writers (WGA):
Milan Kundera (novel)
Jean-Claude Carrière (screenplay) ...
more
Release Date:
5 February 1988 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | History | Romance more
Tagline:
A Lovers Story.
Plot:
In 1968, a Czech doctor with an active sex life meets a woman who wants monogamy, and then the Soviet invasion further disrupts their lives. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations more
User Comments:
Memorable and beautifully done more

Cast

 (Cast overview, first billed only)

Daniel Day-Lewis ... Tomas

Juliette Binoche ... Tereza

Lena Olin ... Sabina
Derek de Lint ... Franz
Erland Josephson ... The Ambassador
Pavel Landovský ... Pavel
Donald Moffat ... Chief Surgeon
Daniel Olbrychski ... Interior Ministry Official

Stellan Skarsgård ... The Engineer
Tomek Bork ... Jiri
Bruce Myers ... Czech Editor
Pavel Slaby ... Pavel's Nephew
Pascale Kalensky ... Nurse Katja
Jacques Ciron ... Swiss Restaurant Manager
Anne Lonnberg ... Swiss Photographer
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Additional Details

Runtime:
171 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Stereo
Certification:
Portugal:M/16 | Canada:R (Manitoba) (2005) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) (original rating) | Argentina:16 | Canada:PG (Ontario) (re-rating) (2005) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2005) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Iceland:14 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Hong Kong:III | Singapore:R21 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16
Filming Locations:
Bèze, Côte-d'Or, France more
MOVIEmeter: ?
^ 1% since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Fittingly, Tomas is seen reading a book called "The Adventures of Casanova in Switzerland." more
Goofs:
Continuity: After Tomas the window-washer slugs back the wine offered to him by the Communist Party official's wife, the wineglass refills as he sits down on the chair next to the sideboard. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
First Title Card: In Prague, in 1968, there lived a young doctor named Tomas...
Tomas: Take off your clothes.
[line recurs several times during film]
more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
19 out of 24 people found the following comment useful:-
Memorable and beautifully done, 15 April 1999
9/10
Author: FANatic-10 from Las Vegas, NV

I've not read the book this is based on, so have no way to comment on how this movie translates it. But the film itself has stayed in my mind like few others. Yes, it's very long, but the characters are so memorable that the length didn't bother me at all - I loved the time spent in their company. In particular, Juliette Binoche and Lena Olin are each astonishing in their own way. Olin is ferociously sensual and mesmerizing, while Binoche is superlatively sympathetic and sensitive. Two of the best female performances I can remember. By the end of the film I was totally wrapped up in these people's lives. This film is deeply erotic but in an intelligent and adult way that puts most other film's treatment of sex to shame. I thought it was beautifully handled by all concerned, and if I ever want to cry, I only need watch the scenes with the dog and the final scenes, both pulled off superbly.

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Message Boards

Discuss this title with other users on IMDb message board for The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Karenin luxetveritas79
I love trains - they are so erotic. andy2007
Awful, bad, horrible movie. schtrunfe
ONCE AGAIN: the ending - plothole? wim_mols
I've heard DDL say... honeybabyplease
DVD availability right now! mobbs_47
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