Product: The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2006)
Rating: 5.0
a modern classic
What can I say about this movie? That it's the tragic story of a love triangle? That it's a story about moral redemption? That it's an existentialist discourse on being and happiness? Yes it is all those things, and others have said plenty along those lines. But it really makes the film sound a lot more boring than it actually is, for this is one of those rare films where you actually become interested in, and sometimes are even moved by, the fate of the characters.At 170 minutes the film is long, but never tedious. Those of you who really hate long films can watch this in 2 sittings - the sequence dealing with the Soviet invasion of Prague is the natural divider. (BTW I was quite impressed by how seamlessly the main characters were weaved into actual documentary footages.) The story is intense, but not ponderous. The plot unfolds at a leisurely pace allowing the viewer to soak in the stunning imageries, while the story was engrossing enough to make you forget the passage of time. The acting, btw, was superb. Juliet Binoche really shines in this one though I didn't find her other roles that memorable. Daniel Day-Lewis allegedly suffered a nervous breakdown after making this film, although you can't tell from his stolidly understated performance.This is a deep film, and not just because somebody compared Brezhnev to Oedipus Rex. Charges of "shallowness" really say more about the viewer than the film. It does not wear its depth on its sleeves and does not pound its "message" into you with a 2X4. But it lingers in the back of your mind and makes you think twice at the odd moment.Finally, labels such as "pseudo-intellectual" shouldn't be chugged around like a grenade. I don't feel any less intellectual just because you call me "pseudo"...