‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’ Seduces

Going into this film, I was completely unsure of any of the specifics, which nowadays is pretty great considering all the readily available spoilers everywhere you turn. I knew Philip Kaufman‘s The Unbearable Lightness of Being was a love story, but what I got was something beyond my furthest dreams. I was bowled over and impressed with this film’s scope and heart.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being beings innocently enough. A doctor living in Prague, played with cool sexiness (and big ’80s hair) by Daniel Day Lewis, is thoroughly enjoying his bachelor lifestyle and his detachment from women. He has a special place in his heart for Sabina, a very sexy artist he cares for deeply, even though she uses the good doctor as selfishly as he uses her.

Soon, the doctor meets a sort of simple café waitress, whom he becomes irreversibly intrigued with. Not long after they meet, the two are married, and the doctor continues his affair with the sultry Sabina, even as the Communists begin to take over Czechoslovakia.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being‘s premise is old, but it really works, thanks to the extraordinary, sensitive performances of the three central actors. They put such honesty and effort into their work that any cliché or convention is thrown out the window. They all play their roles with sexiness, humor, and frankness.

I was particularly impressed with the under-appreciated Lena Olin, who is so hot it’s ridiculous. As Sabina, she is able to surrender to the carnal side with intelligence, longing, and a spicy sweetness. She was born to play this role. Binoche also showed me a little of why she is so adored. She finds a nice niche somewhere between being sort of childish and dreamy and being emotionally devastated. Hers is probably the hardest role in The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Her character’s arc is the most dramatic, and she navigates the depths with perfect timing, genuine heartbreak, and daffy humor.

Both actresses are not shy about the very erotic aspects of the film, which is wonderful. The nudity in the story is not distracting or out of context. It fits the characters and is essential to the plot, therefore making it the opposite of gratuitous. An emotionally intense scene in which the wife and the mistress photograph each other in the nude ranks among each of the actresses’ best works for their candor, wit, and exploratory nature.

Based on Milan Kundera’s prize-winning novel, the story takes so many unexpected twists that it’s best not to spoil it here. When I thought the film would be about marital distress and sexual unhappiness, the Russian army came rolling through Prague to shake everything up, and the principles are forced to move to Geneva to live in exile.

Kaufman captures the epic grandeur of Kundera’s story with a masterful, vivid visual expression. His love for the material is apparent. The structure is wonderful – the way the story casually unfolds and the leisurely pace in which everything is resolved. The Unbearable Lightness of Being is definitely a European “art film” at heart, but it will surprise you at every romantic turn.