The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)
Reference View | Change View
- R
- 2h 51min
- Drama, Romance
- 05 Feb 1988 (USA)
- Movie
- Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 12 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
Daniel Day-Lewis | ... |
Tomas
|
|
Juliette Binoche | ... |
Tereza
|
|
Lena Olin | ... |
Sabina
|
|
Derek de Lint | ... |
Franz
|
|
Erland Josephson | ... |
The Ambassador
|
|
Pavel Landovský | ... |
Pavel
(as Pavel Landovsky)
|
|
Donald Moffat | ... |
Chief Surgeon
|
|
Daniel Olbrychski | ... |
Interior Ministry Official
|
|
Stellan Skarsgård | ... |
The Engineer
(as Stellan Skarsgard)
|
|
Tomasz Borkowy | ... |
Jiri
(as Tomek Bork)
|
|
Bruce Myers | ... |
Czech Editor
|
|
Pavel Slabý | ... |
Pavel's Nephew
(as Pavel Slaby)
|
|
Pascale Kalensky | ... |
Nurse Katya
|
|
Jacques Ciron | ... |
Swiss Restaurant Manager
|
|
Anne Lonnberg | ... |
Swiss Photographer
|
|
László Szabó | ... |
Russian Interrogator
(as Laszlo Szabo)
|
|
Vladimír Valenta | ... |
Mayor
|
|
Clovis Cornillac | ... |
Boy in Bar
|
|
Leon Lissek | ... |
Bald Man in Bar
|
|
Consuelo De Haviland | ... |
Tall Brunette
(as Consuelo de Haviland)
|
|
Jacqueline Abraham-Vernier |
|
||
Judith Atwell |
|
||
Claudine Berg |
|
||
Jean-Claude Bouillon | ... |
(as Jean-Claude Bouillion)
|
|
Miroslaw Beuer | ... |
(as Miroslav Breuer)
|
|
Niven Busch |
|
||
Margot Capelier |
|
||
Victor Chelkoff |
|
||
Monica Constandache |
|
||
Jean-Claude Dauphin | ... |
Swiss editor
|
|
Dominique De Moncutt | ... |
(as Dominique de Moncuit)
|
|
Bernard Lepinaux |
|
||
Josiane Lévêque | ... |
(as Josiane Leveque)
|
|
Peter Majer |
|
||
Charles Millot | ... |
Lecturer in Geneva
|
|
Gérard Moulévrier | ... |
(as Gerard Moulevrier)
|
|
Jan Nemec | ... |
Cameraman filming the tanks in Prague
|
|
Charly Oleg |
|
||
Sylvie Plantard |
|
||
Olga Baïdar-Poliakoff | ... |
(as Olga Baidar Poliakoff)
|
|
Christine Potter | ... |
(as Christine Pottier)
|
|
Hana Maria Pravda | ... |
(as Hana-Maria Pravda)
|
|
Romano |
|
||
André Sanfratello | ... |
(as Andre Sanfratello)
|
|
Jiri Stanislav | ... |
(as Jirí Stanislav)
|
|
Milos Szoboda | ... |
(as Milos Svoboda)
|
|
Helenka Vernier | ... |
(as Helenka Verner)
|
|
Marrian Walters |
|
||
Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
Serge Delanoue | ... |
Danseur (uncredited)
|
|
Philip Kaufman | ... |
Man walking on street outside Sabina's flat (uncredited)
|
|
Isabelle Noérie | ... |
Student (uncredited)
|
Directed by
Philip Kaufman |
Written by
Milan Kundera | ... | (novel) |
Jean-Claude Carrière | ... | (screenplay) & |
Philip Kaufman | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
Bertil Ohlsson | ... | executive producer |
Paul Zaentz | ... | associate producer |
Saul Zaentz | ... | producer |
Music by
Mark Adler |
Cinematography by
Sven Nykvist |
Editing by
Vivien Hillgrove | ||
Michael Magill | ||
Walter Murch | ||
B.J. Sears | ... | co-editor |
Editorial Department
Donah Bassett | ... | negative cutter |
Jack Garsha | ... | color timer |
Robert Grahamjones | ... | assistant editor |
Production Design by
Pierre Guffroy |
Costume Design by
Ann Roth |
Makeup Department
Suzanne Benoit | ... | key makeup artist |
Rosalina Da Silva | ... | makeup artist: Lena Olin |
Paul Le Blanc | ... | key hair stylist |
Production Management
Daniel Baschieri | ... | assistant unit manager |
Nancy Eichler | ... | Assistant to Saul Zaentz |
Frank Simeone | ... | unit production manager: USA unit |
Daniel Szuster | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eric Bartonio | ... | additional first assistant director |
Simon Brook | ... | third assistant director |
Pascal Fouineau | ... | trainee assistant director |
Robert Kechichian | ... | second assistant director |
Charles Paviot | ... | first assistant director |
Art Department
Jean-Michel Ducourty | ... | second assistant art director |
René Loubet | ... | key constructor |
Michael G. Ploog | ... | storyboard artist |
Jean-Yves Rabier | ... | carpenter |
Sound Department
Agamemnon Andrianos | ... | production sound mixer: additional photography |
James Austin | ... | staff: The Saul Zaentz Film Center |
David Franklin Bergad | ... | sound editor |
Mark Berger | ... | supervising re-recording mixer |
Jean-Marie Blondel | ... | sound assistant |
Todd Boekelheide | ... | re-recording mixer |
Christopher Boyes | ... | staff: The Saul Zaentz Film Center |
Luis Colina | ... | sound effects editor |
Gloria D'Alessandro | ... | assistant dialog editor |
Ernie Fosselius | ... | foley editor |
Ruth Hasty | ... | apprentice sound editor |
Richard Hymns | ... | sound effects editor |
Pat Jackson | ... | sound effects editor |
Ann Kroeber | ... | sound effects |
Barbara McBane | ... | dialogue editor |
Christopher Newman | ... | production sound mixer |
David Parker | ... | re-recording mixer |
Diana Pellegrini | ... | sound editor |
Philip Rogers | ... | sound recordist |
Karen Spangenberg | ... | dialog editor |
Alan Splet | ... | sound designer |
Dianna Stirpe | ... | sound apprentice |
Ewa Sztompke | ... | sound effects assistant |
Gwendolyn Yates Whittle | ... | assistant dialogue editor |
Special Effects by
Jozef Ort-Snep | ... | trick photography |
Stunts
Rémy Julienne | ... | stunt coordinator (as Remy Julienne) |
Camera and Electrical Department
Phil Bray | ... | still photographer |
Richard Brodet | ... | best boy electric |
Philippe Houdart | ... | camera operator |
Bernard Noisette | ... | camera operator |
George Michael Pantages | ... | gaffer: US production crew (as Michael Pantages) |
Casting Department
Marie-Sylvie Caillierez | ... | extras casting |
Margot Capelier | ... | casting: french production crew |
Patricia de Oliveira | ... | casting: US production crew |
Sarah C. Koeppe | ... | casting associate |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Donna Maloney | ... | wardrobe |
Location Management
Patrick Boshart | ... | location scout |
Jacques Frederix | ... | location manager |
Music Department
Mark Adler | ... | music arranger |
Ernie Fosselius | ... | music arranger: Gevena production crew |
Leos Janácek | ... | music: selected works from |
Alan Splet | ... | music selection: Janacek's works |
Jay Stebley | ... | music consultant |
Jeffery Stephens | ... | assistant music editor |
Additional Crew
Kent Brown | ... | production assistant |
Dennis Davidson | ... | publicity campaign |
Peter Kaufman | ... | assistant to the director |
Walter Slater Murch | ... | production assistant |
Adele Sanders | ... | production accountant |
Susan Lee Smith | ... | publicist (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Orion Pictures (1988) (United States) (theatrical)
- Concorde Film (1988) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Transmundo Films (1988) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Orion Home Video (1998) (United States) (VHS) (full-screen)
- CBS/Fox Video (1989) (Belgium) (video)
- Image Entertainment (1991) (United States) (video) (LaserDisc)
- The Criterion Collection (1998) (United States) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2002) (United States) (DVD)
- Aquarius TV (2005) (Greece) (tv)
- Argentina Video Home (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
- Argentina Video Home (2006) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
- Warner Bros. (2006) (Argentina) (re-release)
- AMLF (1988) (France) (theatrical)
- Ciné-Sorbonne (2016) (France) (theatrical) (re-release) (restored version)
- Hoyts Distribution (1989) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Medusa Distribuzione (1988) (Italy) (theatrical)
- TOBIS Film (1988) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (1988) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- CBS/Fox Home Video (1985) (Australia) (VHS)
- CBS/Fox Video (1989) (France) (VHS)
- CBS/Fox (1989) (Germany) (VHS)
- Canal+ (1991) (France) (tv)
- Condor Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
- France 3 (1992) (France) (tv)
- Pinema (1990) (Turkey)
- The Criterion Channel (2019) (United States) (tv) (digital)
- Transmundo Home Video (THV) (1988) (Argentina) (VHS)
- Varus Video (Russia) (VHS)
- Videomax (Mexico) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
- Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC) (with the assistance of)
- Cinematte (optical effects)
- DDA Public Relations (publicity)
- Europe 1 (with the assistance of)
- Fantasy Records (soundtrack)
- Nancy Seltzer & Associates (publicity)
- Pacific Title (titles)
- Pan American Airlines (with the assistance of)
- San Francisco Symphony Chorus (with the assistance of)
- Saul Zaentz Film Center (sound re-recording)
- Societé Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF) (with the assistance of)
- Titra Film Paris (french subtitles: original version with subtitles)
Storyline
Plot Summary |
Tomas is a doctor and a lady-killer in 1960s Czechoslovakia, an apolitical man who is struck with love for the bookish country girl Tereza; his more sophisticated sometime lover Sabina eventually accepts their relationship and the two women form an electric friendship. The three are caught up in the events of the Prague Spring (1968), until the Soviet tanks crush the non-violent rebels; their illusions are shattered and their lives change forever.
Written by Dan Hartung |
Plot Keywords | |
Taglines | A Lovers Story. See more » |
Genres | |
Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
Certification |
|
Additional Details
Also Known As |
|
Runtime |
|
Official Sites | |
Country | |
Language | |
Color | |
Aspect Ratio |
|
Sound Mix | |
Filming Locations |
Box Office
Budget | $17,000,000 (estimated) |
Opening Weekend United States | $202,189, 05 Feb 1988 |
Did You Know?
Trivia | The first cut shown to the studio was under two hours in length and the story was confusing. Philip Kaufman was asked to add in scenes he cut. The next day they were shown the theatrically released version. It's believed Kaufman showed them a shorter and confusing version in order to get his almost three-hour final cut approved with no questions of cutting it. See more » |
Goofs | Mephisto the Pig, consistently referred to as "he", is a sow, as can be seen frequently, but particularly when the group enters the inn for dancing. See more » |
Movie Connections | Featured in Shoot to Kill/The Serpent and the Rainbow/She's Having a Baby/The Unbearable Lightness of Being/School Daze (1988). See more » |
Soundtracks | "String Quartet N°1 (Kreutzer Sonata) See more » |
Quotes |
Tereza:
I know I'm supposed to help you, but I can't. Instead of being your support I'm your weight. Life is very heavy to me, but it is so light to you. I can't bear this lightness, this freedom... I'm not strong enough. See more » |