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The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Successful surgeon 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.
1988 · Directed by Philip Kaufman · 171 min · Drama · Romance · 12 frames
Tagline
A lovers’ story.
Crew
- Screenplay: Jean-Claude Carrière, Philip Kaufman
- Cinematography: Sven Nykvist
- Edited by: Vivien Hillgrove, Walter Murch, Michael Magill
- Music: Mark Adler
- Production design: Pierre Guffroy
- Produced by: Saul Zaentz
Cast
- Daniel Day-Lewis as Tomas
- Juliette Binoche as Tereza
- Lena Olin as Sabina
- Derek de Lint as Franz
- Stellan Skarsgård as The Engineer
- Erland Josephson as The Ambassador
- Pavel Landovský as Pavel
- Donald Moffat as Chief Surgeon
- Daniel Olbrychski as Interior Ministry Official
- Tomasz Borkowy as Jiri
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: Czech, English
- Studios: The Saul Zaentz Company
- Budget: $17,000,000
- Box office: $10,000,000
- Themes: infidelity, waitress, based on novel or book, free love, photographer, loyalty, lover, soviet union, soviet military, surgeon
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