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The Unbearable Lightness of Being at The Revival House Perth
In 1968 Prague, during the brief flowering of the Prague Spring, womanizing surgeon Tomas (Daniel Day-Lewis) lives by a philosophy of "lightness"—avoiding emotional commitment while pursuing pleasure. His carefully maintained detachment crumbles when he meets Tereza (Juliette Binoche), a young waitress from the countryside whose earnest devotion awakens unexpected feelings. Despite his resolve to remain free, Tomas marries Tereza, though he continues his affair with the bohemian artist Sabina (Lena Olin), who shares his appreciation for lightness and sexual freedom. When Soviet tanks roll into Prague to crush the reform movement, the three characters' intertwined lives are forever altered. Tomas and Tereza flee to Switzerland, but Tereza cannot bear the exile and returns to occupied Czechoslovakia. Forced to choose between his comfortable life abroad and the woman he loves, Tomas must confront whether his philosophy of lightness can withstand the weight of history and genuine human connection.
Director Philip Kaufman adapts Milan Kundera's philosophical novel into a visually sumptuous epic that explores love, politics, and existential freedom against the backdrop of historical upheaval. The 1988 film interweaves intimate character drama with documentary footage of the Soviet invasion, creating a portrait of private lives caught in public catastrophe. Daniel Day-Lewis brings intellectual intensity and sexual magnetism to Tomas, while Juliette Binoche's luminous performance as Tereza earned her international recognition. Lena Olin steals scenes as the free-spirited Sabina, particularly in the film's erotically charged bowler hat sequence. Sven Nykvist's cinematography is gorgeous, while the film fearlessly explores sexuality, political oppression, and the tension between freedom and commitment. At 171 minutes, Kaufman creates a meditation on Kundera's central question: is life unbearably light or unbearably heavy?
Original format and audio experience of this film faithfully reproduced by The Revival House. Presented in 35mm film unless noted otherwise.
When: Saturday, May 23rd at 1:30PM
Where: The Revival House at the Como Theatre
Rating: M
Kaufman's philosophical epic explores love and freedom against political upheaval—experience this visually stunning masterwork on 35mm film.
Presented by: The Revival House Perth
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Event Venue
16 Preston Street Como, 6152, 16 Preston St, Como WA 6152, Australia, Perth
Tickets
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