The Unbearable Lightness of Being, a film set in 1968 Prague, is a story of a love triangle between three main characters

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 Reynolds

Reynolds, Courtney

ENC 1102

Professor Woehler

October 30, 2012

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

        The Unbearable Lightness of Being, a film set in 1968 Prague, is a story of a love triangle between three main characters: Tomas, Teresa, and Sabina. Tomas and Sabina have always had a sort of love between one another as they have been making love quite some time, while Tomas also has Teresa, whom he meets on a trip out of town, and soon marries. The couples battle this love for one another, knowing that there is something deeper within this love triangle.

        Tomas, a surgeon living in Prague, is a persistent womanizer, unable to resist his unending stream of meaningless sexual flings with multiple and yet anonymous women. Tomas has his way with women, and having such good looks, he doesn’t have a hard time getting their attention and convincing them to take off their clothes. Tomas doesn’t have a desire or tendency to change throughout the film. There are points that Tomas gives the suggests that he is going to put away his womanizing ways and be with Teresa, the one who he is married to, yet in the end, he still has the two women, Teresa and Sabina. Tomas is happy with his sexual flings with Sabina and his unending love with Teresa. Teresa, characterizing herself as weak, is in love with Tomas. She doesn’t condemn Tomas for his adultery once they are married, even though she knows it is going on. She looks to Tomas as stronger than her, and Teresa envies what Tomas has with these women. Teresa makes the statement that she wants to understand what Tomas feels when he is making love to other women. Teresa changes continuously through the course of The Unbearable Lightness of Being, as she is forced to recognize the impossibility of her youthful dreams. Teresa comes to admire her adversary Sabina and feels Sabina's powerful sensuality; although she knows Sabina is Tomas's beloved mistress. Just as Tomas must question his lightness, Teresa must also question her heaviness. Sabina, in contrast, represents extreme lightness of being. Faced with the ugliness and kitsch early in life, from her father's repressive masculine home to the oppressive art styles pressed at her art school, Sabina declares war on the ugly and unoriginal through her paintings and lifestyle. The love affair Tomas and Sabina share is due to their mutual lightness.

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        Teresa draws the attention from the moment she steps on the scene. Teresa is a unique character who only loves Tomas. Tomas is completely betraying the commitment made with Teresa through marriage as he chooses to continue in sexual acts with Sabina. One can sympathize with Teresa and her desire to be the only thing Tomas wants. Teresa dreams that Tomas drags her into a room as he is making love with Sabina and forces her to watch. Though Teresa suggests that this is what she wants, it is apparent she doesn’t really. Teresa only wants Tomas to want her ...

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