Amazon.com essential video

Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Tomas, the happily irresponsible Czech lover of Milan Kundera's novel, which is set in Prague just before and during the Soviet invasion in 1968. Lena Olin and Juliette Binoche are the two vastly different women who occupy his attention and to some extent represent different sides of his values and personality. In any case, the character's decision to flee Russian tanks with one of them--and then return--has profound consequences on his life. Directed by Philip Kaufman, this rich, erotic, fascinating character study with allegorical overtones is a touchstone for many filmgoers. Several key sequences--such as Olin wearing a bowler hat and writhing most attractively--linger in the memory, while Kaufman's assured sense of the story inspires superb performances all around. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (68)

Exquisite Film Was One of The 1980's Best
Phillip Kaufman reached an artistic pinnacle with this elegant translation of Milan Kundera's book about the 1968 Czechoslovokian crisis. Daniel Day-Lewis plays Tomas, a physician, whose life consists in seducing women, one of whom - an artist Sabina (Lena Olin) - is his sexual and spiritual soulmate. Into his life comes another woman, Terezina, (Juliette Binoche) who demands more of a committment to her than he will permit to any woman including Sabina. His crisis between the carefree artist and the more demanding Terezina mirrors the crisis of Czechoslovokia between the "liberation" of the Prague Spring and the Soviet repression of August 1968 although neither Kauffman nor Kundera crudely makes Sabina represent the one nor Terezina the other. Although these characters may lead apparently amoral lives, the film and novel are all about the moral consequences of their choices. Many American critics, similar to the one who provided the first customer review, feel that Kaufmann has simply made a piece of arty Euro-lite soft-core: intellectual and opaque enough to appeal to the high-brow crowd yet tittliating enough to strike at their lowbrow desires. While I'll concede that this judgement applies well to his follow-up film "Henry and June" (1990), it's grossly unfair to characterize this film as such. The narrative and themes are presented clearly, the cinematography is gorgeous but never in an overly-arty way like in "Henry and June", and his whirling direction keeps this film moving along at an effervescent 172 minutes. The actors - especially Day-Lewis and Olin - do phenomenal work and contribute mightily to bring Kaufmann's evocation of late 1960's Europe to life. In a strange way, the film compliments the book rather than adapts it and stands on its own as a fully realized cinematic work.

People conditioned to see sex on the screen as a smutty joke or leading to painful reprecussions had problems with Kaufmann's playful sensuality here. He compounded their discomfort by coating all these goings-on with a veneer of class, larding the film with literary references and putting Janacek on the soundtrack. And it was easy to dismiss the film as nothing but a bunch of amoral European sophisicates who make love in between bouts of literary discussions or fighting political repression. But the film pulls us into these character's lives in a much more impassioned and alive way than European art cinema does with its deliberate distancing effects and pretentious moralizing (good recent example: Lars Von Trier's interminable "Breaking The Waves"). The film weaves its larger concerns about freedom and responsibility seamlessly through the narration - we can follow the film without knowing all the allusions and references. Some may see the characters and their bed-hopping as shallow and affected but they are forced to deal with their country's politics and history and have to come to terms with their own lives in ways that Euro-fluff soft-core comedies like "French Twist" never have to. Indeed, the moral choices placed on these apparently frivolous characters gives the film its greatness.

In other words, "Unbearable Lightness" has a sophisticated air because it is sophisticated: in its ideas, direction, writing, and acting. Kaufmann's work since has generally disappointed but here he's made one of the richest and intelligent films of the decade.

the Prague Spring
If you've read the book you won't be disappointed with this film which doesn't try to convey all Kundera's philosophy but it does retain the spirit of the book. Really the book had what some considered to be too much philosophy in it which got in the way of the story which was not Kunderas main concern anyway as his characters were just actors he used to elucidate his ideas. For Kaufman the real heart of the book was not in its ideas but in the way Tomas and Tereza relate and how that relationship evolves within a very specific historical circumstance, the Russian occupation of Prague in 68. That moment in time is really brought to life both in the cafes as we hear a Czech. version of"Hey Jude" being played and in the streets when the actual invasion takes place at which point hand held black and white cameras are used to give an on the spot feel to it.
When we first meet Tomas(Daniel Day Lewis) he is involved with Sabina(Lena Olin)and what they share is an almost religious belief in the erotic and an equalllly strong belief in retaining their individuality and frredom. On a visit to a spa in the country to perform an operation however Tomas comes across the innocent waitress Tereza(Juliette Binoche) and his life after that is never quite the same. Sabina resents the intrusion at first but soon she and Tereza are friends, in fact the moment they become friends on a rainy afternoon taking pictures of each other is one of the best scenes in the movie. A lot is made of the historical happenings and how they affect each characters personal life. I found it a little hard to believe that they would willingly return to Prague under communist rule after they had made their escape to Zurich but you may feel differently. The use of the terms "lightness" and "weight" that so often appeared in the book always seemed to my ears rather vague, the movie gratefully only employs those terms on rare occasion. The last scenes in the countryside are some of the most beautiful cinematography I have seen, quite memorable images evoking the really valuable things in life.
Certainly one of the best adaptations of a novel.

Please read Kundera's book instead
Kundera's novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being is absolutely amazing, and this film falls so far short of it. Despite my almost-immediate dislike of the film, I actually stuck it out and watched the entire thing (hoping that Daniel Day-Lewis could somehow salvage it or that the film might actually express some idea from Kundera's book). But I was sorely disappointed.

But please read Kundera's novel, because it is wonderful. I can't help but think that Kundera was referring to this film when he wrote in his later novel Immortality: "The present era grabs everything that was ever written in order to transform it into films, TV programs, or cartoons. What is essential in a novel is precisely what can only be expressed in a novel, and so every adaptation contains nothing but the nonessential."

A nice historical fiction movie
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This movie is set against the backround of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in the 1960's It is about a doctor who has physical relationships with many different women. He then meets a woman whom he wants to pursue a romantic and emotional with. She wants him to be monogamous. The ensuing results are quite original.

The film is also a good history lesson about the Soviet invasion but is not appropriate for school age children. The film has a well deserved R rating for scenes of nudity and sex which I think were unnecessary and prevent a wider range of audience from seeing the film. I greatly hope that the producers would offer a version of the film witht he nude and sex scenes cut so that it could be shown in history classes in school.

There is also a scene that Beatles fans may like where the song "Hey Jude" is sung in the Czech language. It also has many pieces of music by Czech composer, Leos Janacek.

The DVD also has audio commentary by the director Philip Kauffman, Editor, Walter Murch, Co writer John Carrière, and Actress Lena Olin.

beautiful
This film, is one of the best screenplays I have ever seen (and I seen many). I had read the book before, and the film is just an extension of the beautiful superiority of the book.
I particulary enjoyed the mixture of 'real' footage of the occupation of Praque and the film footage. Very well done.
The reason I've only given this film 4 stars is because it didn't have a specific secene which I was looking forward to seeing.
But the reast of the film definatly makes up for it.
And by the way... the director is the director of Quills. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Author Michael Crichton and director Philip Kaufman had a falling-out over the script for this film, based on Crichton's best-selling novel (which was controversial for its take on the Japanese invasion of American business in the early '90s). Kaufman ultimately won, doing an above-average job creating a murder mystery based on the culture clash between Los Angeles cops and Japanese multinational business interests. When a prostitute is murdered at the opening of a new L.A. headquarters for a Japanese company, detective Wesley Snipes is forced to call upon retired cop (and Japanophile) Sean Connery to help solve the murder. But he runs into obstruction from the Japanese, as well as a high-tech cover-up, while having to deal with anti-Japanese sentiments from people on his own team. Intriguing if overlong. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (21)

I Recomend the Book first then the Movie
I first read the book just recently in 2004 and rented the DVD right after. My first Michael Critchon book, I must say I am impressed with the author's knowledge, he is a genius to write about so many topics in all his books.
The main difference i noticed was that in the book he talks much about business between America and Japan but in the film not much of that theme is really stressed or atleast the average viewer might not pick up on it. also in the book the main character (played by w. snipes in the movie)has more of his life story told and you get a sense of his life history more. but all in all all the actors in the movie do a terrific job.
the addition of martial arts fighting in the movie is a plus aswell. i would have liked to see more special features on the dvd though such as interviews from cast,etc.

International Incident
The film adaptation of best selling author Michael Crichton's Rising Sun had its share of troubles...both on screen and off. Crichton had a falling out with director Philip Kaufman over some of the script changes. While I never read the book, and have nothing to compare the film to, I can't say that I wasn't all that thrilled with the film version anyway.

When a call girl is found to have been murdered in the boardroom of a Japanese corporation in Los Angeles, Lt. Web Smith (Wesley Snipes) is assigned to work the case. He soon realizes that his lack of knowledge about the culture is hurting the investigation. He is forced to team up with Captain John Connor, (Sean Connery) who is not only an expert on Japanese culture, but he's also spent time there as well.

As I say, even though Mr. Kaufman seems to have changed key elements of the story, in translating the book, I had other concerns on my mind. In order for "good cop--cop on the edge formula" to work--there has to be chemistry between the actors. Here, Connery and Snipes have very liitle. In fact, as a huge Connery fan, I was suprised at how bored he seemed. The mystery in the story, while having a few nice twists--doesn't sustain enough tension throughout. The usually great Harvey Keitel and Asian legend Mako are wasted in thankless roles. Rising sun is a film brimming with missed potential.

The only extra on the DVD is the movie's theatrical trailer. Given the problems I have with it, that's probably a good thing...What a disappointment. Maybe Kaufman should have stayed closer to the book??

Bleh.....
First, I wanted to see this movie because of I heard Sean Connery played a mentor on Japanese customs to Wesley Snipes in a homicide investigation-and I thought "How interesting!", but after watching it, I felt the plot was disjointed, and choppy, and the dialogue was constipated.
The movie does not flow well at all. I have not read the book, but I have heard it is better than the movie (as usual), and I do like Chricton's work. Still, I found this movie slow, and wondering what the point was.

Yakuza classic
This move is simply amazing. Excellent mixture of action flick with a gangster edge.

A lacklustre movie from an interesting book..
For one thing, the movie is a pale adaptation of a fairly decent book into an intended "thriller" tinged with pseudo-racial slurs. Sadly, these clueless bromides about a Japan of yore are probably all mistaken. For instance, we are made to believe that all Japanese "keiretsu" companies have a barrage of video cameras and monitor their employees 24 hours; a "sempai" (boss) and "kohai" (subordinate) have only one unilateral way of dealing with each other; a man who has lived in Japan for 18 years somehow just has to know a mysteriously effective form of aikido that only requires the use of 2 fingers to knock a man unconscious in a second; and oh, he has to have a Japanese wife (who btw does not look Japanese at all, and this is explained by the fruitcake theorem that one of her parents was black); etc etc...ad infinitum ad nauseum.

But as though the cultural glitches were not misplaced enough, the acting in this plotless movie is torrid too. Sean Connery scrambles to come off as an expert in all things Japan, but his Japanese is nearly incomprehensible. Minor nits about Japan are excruciatingly explained every minute of the movie bogging down the pace of a thriller beyond any semblance of thrill.

But above all, the central event -- a much-ado-about-nothing strangling of a girl during a business conference -- is pretty much left hanging in mid-air. Why was it done? We do find out after wading through an hour and a half of farcical Japan-Culture-Versus-US-Culture morass about WHO did it (and this was anything but a surprise) but WHY it was done is still a mystery to be addressed in a part 2 that we can only hope never sees the light of the day.

In a nutshell, a suspense movie without any suspense, stereotypical misgivings about Japan (the country does admittedly have its quirks but not so bird-brained), a plethora of ill-timed and abysmal attempts at humor without inducing any real laughs, the tired cliche of a black-cop/white-cop combo that start out with mutual chagrin but end up with a deep reciprocal esteem, and a Wesley Snipes perpetually dressed in a flourescent orange shirt.

With a Jackie Chan + Chris Rock/Tucker combo a flaky adaptation such as this could have meant some entertainment, but Rising Sun ends up being a painfully ordinary affair and a tragic squandering of a great cast over what was quite an alright novel. If you really must see the Japan of 90s, you'd learn a lot more by reading the book, or by watching "Black Rain" (Michael Douglas) or "Mr. Baseball" (Tom Selleck). Both of which don't jumble up on the reality and have a real story up their sleeves. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Excellent Film
While not historically accurate, this is the most under-rated westwern I have seen. Robert Duval makes a convincing Jesse James with his evangelical outbursts and psychopathic behavior.Cliff Robertson plays the sly, yet introspective, charming ladies man as Cole Younger. The soundtrack and narrative couldn't be better. This is one very entertaining movie, with Duval and Robertson at their best.

Good film, bad history
Cliff Robertson is charming and charismatic as the outlaw Cole Younger and Robert Duval is menacing and more than a little scary as his comrade Jesse James in this film which purports to tell the story of the real-life attempted robbery of a bank in Northfield, Minnesota. The plot deviates sharply from some of the historical facts, but the greatest historical "sin" of the movie is the way in which it presents the townspeople of Minnesota, showing corruption, cowardice, and incompetence where, in fact, a group of ordinary people stood up to the most notorious outlaw gang in the West and basically shot them to pieces. This film in its strongly anti-Establishment thrust is certainly a product of its times, enoyable to watch but not history.

An Overlooked Gem
"Ain't it a wonderment?" Phil Kaufman uses the framework of the James/Younger Gang's disasterous raid at Northfield Minnesota to create a unique and witty revisionist Western. Full of nice touches like an early, rough & tumble baseball game in a cow pasture, steam caliopes & tractors, and other period details. Wry humor in the hypocrisy of the banker & townsfolk, and in Robert Duvall's self-righteous, manipulative, psychopathic Jesse James and Cliff Robertson's laconic, intelligent, reflective Cole Younger. Well cast in all departments, nicely photographed in the gritty, wet, McCabe & Mrs. Miller fashion, with a similar slant on history. No idea why Maltin was muddled.

Simply a great western...
This is a really gritty western in the film period of The Wild Bunch and McCabe and Mrs. Miller. And what is probably a fairly accurate reenactment of the failed final bank job of the Younger-James Gang. Great characterizations of these outlaws, with Cliff Robertson as probably the toughest outlaw who ever lived. Cole Younger was allegedly shot 23+ times with heary caliber firearms and survived to a ripe age. Great entertainment, but not for the whole family. ... Read more

Reviews (107)

A CLASSIC
It's great to finally see The Right Stuff appear on DVD as a special-edition. The sound and image quality is awesome, much better than the LD.

This is one of the greatest achievements in film, depicting the birth of the space program. It's difficult to think of anything wrong with the production.

The cast (many of whom at the time were not A-list caliber) is top notch, especially Ed Harris as John Glenn and Sam Shepard as Chuck Yeager.

The beginning, which chronicles the breaking of the sound barrier, is excellent. One particular scene has Yeager staring down the X-1 while on horseback; almost as if two living ceatures are involved in duel. The Oscar-winning score by Bill Conti brings tears to my eyes every time, especially the breaking the sound barrier and the final coda, which ends at Gordo Cooper's historic orbit.

Director Philip Kaufman (just look at his resume; what an incredible career, with Henry and June, Unbearable Lightness of Being and Quills among his films), brings a humanness and respect to his characters, and dots the script with bit of humor and tenderness as well. He depicts the Mercury astronauts as heroes, an aspect that unfortuantely has gone away. These men (and their wives) pushed the envelope to it's capacity, went to the top of the pyramid.

We live in a time in which we no longer look up when a plane passes overhead, where, instead of real people risking their lives to further technology and science, our heroes are born out of comic books or the sports pages.

The Right Stuff is truely a very special film! They don't make 'em like this anymore!

New Stuff
The Right Stuff is Phillip Kauffman's sprawling three-hour epic about the Mercury Space Program. Based on Tom Wolfe's amazing book, the movie is a visual stunner with a top-notch ensemble cast. Sam Sheperd stands out as Chuck Yeager, the first man to break the sound barrier. He portrays Yeager as a cowboy who flies jets instead of riding horses. Mr. Sheperd gives a cool and impressive performance. Ed Harris first sprang to attention with his performance of John Glenn. He gives a gentle and passionate performance and the scenes with his wife (who was hearing-impaired) are touching. Fred Ward gives a blustery and gruff performance as Gus Grissom who appears to be on the verge of cracking after his space launch goes awry. Scott Glenn adds a touch of humor to film as Alan Sheppard the first American in space. Dennis Quaid is brash and cocky as Gordo Cooper. This 20th Anniversary two disc special edition is an immediate upgrade over the original dvd, which was one of the first films to be released in that format. The film is perfectly suited for the dvd landscape and while the picture quality was excellent on the original release, the digital transfer adds depth and scope to the film. The real bonus is the 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound. The film won four Academy Awards and two were for Best Sound and Best Sound Effects and the remastered audio increases the powerful and majestic tones of the film in home viewings. The extras are great for any space program aficionados as there are interviews with the real life astronauts from the film.

well done
Hollywood has mostly ignored one of the most dramatic events of the modern age, the space program. It's been willing to lavish millions on sci-fi and fantasy but has been meager in detailing the real drama. Tom Wolfe's marvelous book has been captured in this film with the same blend of irony, whimsy, humor and real drama.
The astronauts were accidental heroes, men who never expected to be elevated to such a public Olympus. They were never what the PR machine promoted but they got the job done and eventually earned the heroic status they were automatically granted by the propaganda machine of the time.
An interesting film that genuinely manages to distill out the essence of the 'right stuff.'

The Greatest American Epic
The fact that "The Right Stuff" lost the Oscar for best picture to "Terms Of Endearment" is beyond me; this movie should have won. The fact that it wasn't a hit at the box office back in 1983 is also beyond me. We are talking about what I think it's the best American epic in all the sense of the word.
It's strange that a Venezuelan-born like me should talk about a movie like this, but I feel that "The Right Stuff" should have been a classic -well, it is for me. The story of the "Mercury" astronauts is portrayed marvelously by Philip Kaufman's direction, showcased beautifully by Caleb Deschanel's stylish photography, and supported by an incredible cast including Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Barbara Hershey, Sam Shepard, Pamela Reed, Kim Stanley, and Veronica Cartwright.
In fact, I remember when I was watching that movie at home, and my late father asked me if a man that appeared on the screen was astronaut John Glenn because he looked just like him. Of course I told him he was an actor who was playing his role. That said, it's incredible to see how Ed Harris is perfectly cast as Glenn.
And I don't want to forget one of the reasons why I love this movie, and that's Bill Conti's spectacular music score. Of course it may sound a little like Holst's "The Planets", but I usually weep every time I listen to the main theme.
I'm glad that a special edition DVD of "The Right Stuff" has been released, with fantastic extras that include new interviews with the cast and crew, deleted scenes, and an incredible documentary on John Glenn. I'm also glad about it because I think that this movie should be rightfully appreciated not only because it deals with historical events like the breaking of the sound barrier and the first American astronauts, but also because, as I said before, this is a classic.

FABULOUS
"The Right Stuff", based on Tom Wolfe's book and directed by Phillip Kaufman, was a wonderful American story about the Mercury space program that told the tale of U.S. pilots just brimming with gusto, bravado and...the right stuff.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM ... Read more

Reviews (150)

Monsters, Madmen & Art
This tale of the supression and imprisonment of the Marquis De Sade in the insane asylum at Charenton and the ensuing struggle and turmoil caused by the arrival of Dr. Royer-Collard to stop his smuggled-out writings from being published has much to recommend it, especially in the first half of the film. Chiefly the performances of Jeffrey Rush as De Sade, Joaquin Phoenix as the caring and humane Abbe Coulmier in charge of Charenton, and Kate Winslet as the sympathetic laundress, Madeleine, who is smuggling the manuscripts for fun and profit.

This De Sade is a monster of sorts, not so much of depravity, as of vanity and selfishness & self-obsession. He is compelled to write at any cost, and is by turns clever and obnoxious and self-destructive and indifferent to anything or anyone but his own need for self-expression. Well-played by Rush, he is a reminder that art mustn't be confused with the artist--terrible people can create beauty. In this instance, the art of De Sade may not be beautiful and may not even be "art" to most minds, but the need to create is real and just as valid with bad art as with genius and must be protected.

Winslet and Phoenix present foils for De Sade in the forms of, by turns, an enticing virgin intrigued by and intriguing with the Marquis and a conflicted man of the cloth enjoying the intellectual challenge of the man while protecting and seeing to his care. Both are fine.

Alas, we come to the fourth character in this drama, the conservative Dr. Royer-Collard played by Michael Caine. A bureaucrat and a closet sadist, before the name had become attached to the behavior (bit of irony there), he is such a villain that he only lacks a long black moustache to twirl. I won't fault Caine because I imagine he's playing him as written, and, especially in one scene at a door in the Apocalyptic finale I felt expected to hiss & boo him. The finale was a bit much as well.

But it is the Caine character that brings the movie down to my mind. It is too much an obvious and cheap shot. The mendacious conservative. It would have been so much more interesting had the character not been so one-dimensional in his evil. When we first are introduced to him, Dr. Royer-Collard looked to be interesting: a true believer in his own nutty cures (soaking madmen upside down to calm them) so I had hopes of an exploration of two halves of crazy extremes, the libertine (De Sade) and the orthodox conservative, the incendiary & the politician. Both monsters & madmen in their own ways. Well, you won't find it here. What you get is beknighted artist and slimy bad guy. Cliches. Also, the subplot of Royer-Collard's young wife is a wasted & unnecessary plot device, no more.

What you will find is some extreme behaviour from Rush in a good, but at times mannered performance, [an incomplete] defense of art at any cost, a penny-dreadful villain, some nice honest performances from the younger set (Winslet & Phoenix), a fiery finale that is over-the-top and a bit silly, and an ending that is not a twist or surprise but wants to be. Snappy dialogue isn't enough to carry the day.

Yet, Phil Kaufman is too intelligent and talented a director to make a boring film, and this isn't one. The production values are great and this is a film at least about SOMETHING, and there are ideas afloat here. While I think it ultimately didn't convince me, it is a worthy effort. Probably 3-1/2 stars.

Delicious dramatic period piece from Philip Kaufmann.
While I can't help but laugh at the fact they made the Marquis de Sade the central character in a story about artistic expression and sexual repression, I can understand why. Here is a man who wallowed in excess, seeming unconcerned with the weight of his decisions, his only escape and expression the very thing that caused his downfall. The Marquis de Sade was not a martyr for freedom of speech. He was a seriously disturbed individual whose callous disregard for mankind (he thought murder should be a privilage for the rich) was reflected in his writing. But here he is a curious old coot, with a marvelous sense of humor and a deeply hidden soft side. But Geoffrey Rush's performance makes it all easier to swallow. He is a brave actor (appearing completely nude in several scenes) who loves to portray wounded characters and he simply shines. Kate Winslet (likewise great and brave) plays the innocent laudry maid Madeleine who secretly sneaks the Marquis' writing out of the asylum where he is kept and into the arms of a publisher. When these writings reach the hands of Napoleon, the emperor sends an accomplished doctor, Royer Collard (the great Michael Caine), to silence him, undermining the authority of the asylum's resident priest (Joaquin Phoenix), who sees Sade as a creature who must be saved and who NEEDS to write in order to clean his soul. The film is filled with sexual energy, reaching certain points of eroticism that recall director Philip Kaufman's earlier masterpiece 'The Unbearable Lightness Of Being'. This is a beautiful film, nicely detailed and extremely playful. It is also dark and grisly, nothing too graphic yet certainly unsettling at times. I suppose, if nothing else, 'Quills' does stand as a 'freedom of speech' movie. I look at it as a film which simultaneously acknowledges our fasination with sex and spanks us for our dirty thoughts. But it ultimately reminds us that we all have a right to be heard and that everything has an audience. And if you've just finished watching this movie, well then thank you for helping me prove that point.

RECIPE FOR A FIERCE BUT INTOXICATING COMIC ROMP
Take a controversial character, for instance, an infamous French aristocrat who writes fearlessly explicit pornographic tales from his asylum jail cell to which he has been consigned for committing violent crimes of passion.

Cast a maniacal Geoffrey Rush in that role, and use him with more than a pinch of artistic license, to philosophically discuss censorship and freedom of expression in art. Tipped in water-tight dialogue and a dramatically dark ink.

Throw in some action and intrigue, for example, our incarcerated prisoner having to smuggle his lurid works out of the asylum via a sweet, innocent maid who gains vicarious pleasure from reading the stories to self and others.

Of course, a dash of morality never hurt, so add a holier-than-thou priest who brings to the table a fresh aroma of common sensibility.

Stir well and add spice to taste. Viewers will revel in the mind play between the sordid characters you have created and be aghast at the depths to which it is possible for them to stoop. There, you have a marvel of a film that'll be seen again and again.

Quills is without reservations a fascinating cinematic masterpiece of our time, in every sense of the word, and deserves a warm place in every self-respecting film collection.

A great achievement!!
I really liked the movie for it's powerfull dramatic theme and the strenght that it shows. It's one of my all-time favorites!!

Too good to be true!!!
Wow, this is indeed the best movie tht I have ever seen. It has passion, love and flawless acting. Simply brilliant! ... Read more

Reviews (47)

As good as tops the '56 version
This was an unusual picture indeed. It also came out at an unusual time. Too much loaded with science fiction to be horror and too suspenseful and downright scary to belong to the sci-fi genre, 'Invasion...' strikes the viewer as being a fresh idea even today, notwithstanding the fact that it's really a beefed-up remake of an original. Sutherland fits the role of the prime protagonist public health inspector like a glove while Nimoy does the same for his part as the agent of evil. The story opens up a little slowly but that adds to the effect. When it becomes apparent what the pods do and, more importantly, the gross-out fates of the unfortunate 'originals' (the humans whom the extragalactic spores duplicate), enough of the movie has passed for the viewer to appreciate the sheer enormity of the depicted crisis. Where Siegel's '78 version has the edge on the original lies in the fact that there are more chills and a feel wholly alien to the first version, a flavour doubtlessly borrowed from the jarring, siege mentality that can be found in earlier films like 'Night of the Living Dead'. This is a very powerful film which appears to have been swept under the carpet of the popular psyche thanks largely to its reputation as a 'B' picture and also to its small standing when put beside the likes of the mainstream of sci-fi flicks being made at the time (as if you need me to mention titles here). Even so, 'I.o.t.B.S.' mark 2 is helped along by some clever devices indeed. Aside from the nauseatingly organic vividness of the SFX, the nature of the movie's antagonists lends immensely to the horror. The question of 'who is a duplicate and who's left who is still himself?' comes to burn in the mind of the viewer before even half the film has played out. It's a thinking man's picture, this and it's that which amplifies the fear factor to levels almost too excruciating to bear. After all, it is a large idea that the film is driving at and it was good to see that encased in a large picture laid out on a good budget. Great performances all round (especially from Veronica Cartwright in her last pre 'Alien' picture'), wonderful SFX and a good long run at just under two hours easily give this version the drop on the 1956 original. A nice bleak ending hammers the last nail through the palm and leaves the viewer crucifed on an apocalyptic note. Definitely a much-overlooked classic that's too full of working components to be constrained to a cult following. This one needs to be more than a rental only.

Bashful's DVD Summary #021
Best:

1) The production values are higher and the acting (with the possible exception of Kevin McCarthy) is better than the 1956 original.
2) We get more information, this time, as to where the aliens came from and how they function.
3) The beginning realization scenes are fairly suspenseful and the later chase scenes are pretty exciting.
4) The alien's growth stages and high-pitched voices are scary.
5) There's a trivia booklet in the case and a commentary track on the disk.

Worst:

1) The movie is SO quiet much of the time (no soundtrack) that it might put you to sleep if you aren't really engrossed.
2) The first half of the story is slow as the suspense builds up almost too gradually.
3) Donald Sutherland's afro hairstyle was just plain bad (ha).
4) Leonard Nimoy's leisure suits were even worse (double ha).

Recommendation:

This one is every bit a classic as the original and it will appeal much more to younger people. It's also a must-have for any serious sci-fi/horror movie collector.

Don't go to sleep
One of the creepiest movies I've ever seen. Instead of the humanoid-appearing aliens so typical in most sci-fi films THIS movie goes in the other direction by portraying the aliens as seemingly harmless plants, which adds a rather terrifying irony to the proceedings. What these plants do once near a sleeping person (or animal) has to be seen to be appreciated because the special effects here are unsettlingly real.

All of the actors do a splendid job in portraying their characters, from the quirky and nuerotic Jeff Goldblum to the intuitive and resilient Veronica Cartwright. The stolid but slightly off-beat Donald Sutherland, to the emotionally suspicious Brooke Adams. All are terrific here!

Another thing that makes this movie so suspenseful is the masterful use of paranoia, which starts on a low simmer, building gradually, till by the movie's end everything is turned up to a heart-pounding, raging boil. All along the way you're virtually on the edge of your seat.

So the next time you're out walking and find a rather strange looking plant growing amongst the shrubbery, think twice before bringing it in your home.

But why worry, it's only a plant - right???

4 1/2
Most remakes are a joke but this one was pretty good! I gave it minus half because it's not the original but captures the eerieness of the story very well. The cast here is good and the creepy atmosphere is updated and good. If a completist as I am get this along with the original.

Excellent remake of creepy classic!
Philip Kaufman shows off his directorial skill in this effective, stylish remake of the suspense classic set in contemporary (albeit 1978) San Francisco.

Sutherland, Goldblum and Cartwright deliver excellent performances as the last hold-outs against an alien invasion. Just enough action and special effects to compliment the well paced mounting suspense.

DVD offers commentary track which also proves interesting. The only glitch for me is how non-aliens can get away with blending in with the aliens, if they don't/can't speak the special alien "language." ... Read more

Amazon.com

Anaïs Nin (Maria de Medeiros) is a young woman in 1930s Paris whosehusband is slowly defecting from art to working in a bank, leaving her very bored. When the then-unpublished Brooklyn writer Henry Miller (Fred Ward) enters her life, she embarks on a journey of seduction and sexual exploration that eventually leads from the writer to his wife, June (Uma Thurman), who finances her husband's life in Paris so he may praise her beauty in his writing. Unhappy with her husband's writing and her lovers' affair, June enters a jealous rage, forcing Henry into suffering-artist mode and Nin back to her husband. Despite having one of the more erotic scenes of the 1990s, between Nin and June, the film does not live up to its subject, largely due to a mediocre screenplay and flawed direction. The strength of the original material and Medeiros's decidedly unflawed performance, however, make it worth viewing. --James McGrath ... Read more

Reviews (26)

unforgettable
i first saw this film when i was sixteen on video as i couldn't see this in the theatres due to the nc-17 rating ofcourse. i have to say that this film looks every bit as good today as it did back then. the film is far from being labled as soft porn as it has many wonderful performances by some of the greatest actors/actresses to ever grace the screen & the sex scenes which are shown here are all tastefully done. i'd read some of henry miller's work before watching this film & i have to admit that fred ward makes a splendid, believable henry miller come to life. great nods should also go out to maria de medeiros who gives much spirit to the passionate & much loved anais nin as well as uma thurman who gave the performance of a lifetime as miller's beautiful wife june. i visit this film from time to time & i always see something new each time i watch it. if you desire a film which has intelligent dialogue, fabulous acting, & a timeless theme then henry & june is the film for you. if you enjoyed jurassic park 3, you probably won't find this film very fascinating.

Literate Passion
One of the most underrated movies of the 90s. (It also marks a disappointing moment when the studio _could_ have backed up an NC-17 film not porn but meant for _real_ adults....but caved to puritanism instead). The top two reasons to see it are the performances of Maria de Medeiros as Anais Nin (it's almost a reincarnation) and Uma Thurman as June, two of the sexiest, most intelligent, passionate portrayals of women in recent cinema. Forget Thelma and Louise -- these two are a combustible pair. Fred Ward's performance as Henry Miller, too low-key, is pretty much lost in the shuffle, without any of the dynamic magnetism Miller had in spades. The movie explores the nature of desire, infatuation, obsession, and real love, and is pretty faithful to the actual events -- but some elements (such as the significance of June's puppet Count Bruga, made for her by her lesbian lover, Jean) are lost in the translation to the screen. For people bored to tears by the dichotomy of soulless porn on the one hand and Hollywood mush on the other, this is an intelligent and _sexy_ movie. Two lovely companion books are Anais Nin's diary "Henry and June," on which the movie was based, and Nin's and Miller's unexpurgated letters, "A Literate Passion." That title sums up both their lives and the movie based on them.

A journey of self-discovery and fulfillment
Though HENRY AND JUNE is primarily thought of as an erotic tale, I view it as the journey of self-discovery, and quest for fulfillment, of the four main characters: Anais Nin and her husband Hugo Guiler; Henry Miller and his wife June. Since the setting of this journey is 1930s Paris it is only logical that it would occur within an erotic context, but I advise the viewer to look beyond the steamy scenes and to search out the underlying themes.

After a few viewings of this movie, and readings of Anais Nin's diaries upon which this movie is based, what comes clear to me is that the characters are two halves of a whole person:

1) Anais Nin, the bored housewife who dreams of erotic adventure but feels trapped by, and is financially dependent upon, her husband; June Miller, the worldly woman who shifts between New York and Paris, has affairs with women, and occasionally works as a prostitute to support her husband.

2) Hugo Guiler (husband of Anais Nin), the workaholic banker who eventually comes to be financially responsible for all four protagonists; Henry Miller, the unemployed writer who has abdicated all conventional responsibilities and who is dependent upon the charity of his friends in order to survive.

It's a highly unconventional story to say the least, but that's exactly what makes it so interesting. Watch it with an open mind and you will see that there is more to the story than just sex. You will see four people on a quest for fulfillment and self-discovery, doing so in the context of sexually liberated 1930s Paris.

Captures the endemic seach for liberation in 1930's Paris
This 1990 film, directed by Philip Kaufman, is set in Paris in 1931. This was a time and place between the two world wars that attracted writers and artists to a bohemian lifestyle, a time of discarding old conventions and embracing experimentation. Here, Henry Miller, an American expatriate wrote his wildly erotic books, which were banned in the United States. And Anais Nin, known for her extensive diaries about her sensory experiences, began her literary career here. It's no wonder that the two of them would meet and couple. They were both married at the time and this film is about the complex relationships between Henry, Anais, and their respective mates, all searching of a kind of liberation which was endemic at the time.

Fred Ward plays Henry as a crass American with a Brooklyn accent that makes native New Yorkers, such as myself, cringe. He's all man though and it's easy to see why Anais Nin, played by the large-eyed petite Portuguese actress Maria de Medereiros, is attracted to him. Her own husband, Richard E. Grant, is attractive as well, and it's clear that they have a good romantic life together, but he's willing to look the other way at his wife's desire for others. When Miller's wife, June, played by Uma Thurman, a fiery androgynous mother-earth figure, comes on the scene, Anais Nin finds herself attracted to her as well. This sets the scene for some interesting complexities.

The video is two hours and 16 minutes long and I expected to watch only half of it one evening and the rest of it the next night. However, from the moment it started I was completely captured by the story and just had to watch it all the way through. The cinematography is so good that it was even nominated for an academy award, not for just the excellent views of Paris, but for the way the intimate scenes are done which manage to convey the relationships and the sensualities of the moment while avoiding being explicit. The focus is on the romance and the concepts rather than the physical acts. This kept the scenes erotic and it also moved the story forward. I was totally intrigued and kept wondering what would happen next.

The acting was uniformly good, but special note goes to Maria de Medeiros who played Anais Nin. As she works primarily in French films, I had never seen her before. She uses her huge dark eyes and facial expresses so well, that just a glance conveys layers of meaning. She's the focal point of every scene, in spite of the larger and more voluptuous Uma Thurman. And that's exactly what the director intended.

Some might find this film slow as the drama and tension is just about the people, not about world events or outside influence. However, it manages to create a time and a place and people that influenced the literary world as well as the mores of future generations.

Henry and June
Henry Miller, the author of "The Tropic of Cancer," was a very interesting man to say the least. Having only read that book, I have developed somewhat of an understanding of his persona.

This has been a favorite of mine since it's release. It is very intimate look into the relationship between Anais Nin, Henry Miller and his wife June.

It is a very sexual movie, not meant for the easily offended.

The women are beautiful and Henry as masculine and rugged as his reputation suggested.

The film is a masterpiece, the acting outstanding, and the cinematography absolutely beautiful. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This 1974 feature by Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff) is anequallyfascinating and amusing piece of historical lore about three whalers (playedby Timothy Bottoms, Warren Oates, and Lou Gossett) marooned on an ice cap inthe Canadian Arctic. Rescued by a nomadic Inuit community, the trio graduallybecomes a part of its rituals and rhythms, despite their occasional reluctanceand exploitative impulses. Kaufman's grasp of the experience of wonder beyondone's usual horizons is as enthralling as his later The Wanderers or The Unbearable Lightness of Being, though the exotica of The WhiteDawn is craftily cut by the crusty, suspicious performance by Oates(whose character introduces his hosts to alcohol). Bottoms's boyishsentimentality brings some balance to the story, but in the end it's thefateful blending of wildly different cultures that seizes one's imagination.The great cinematography is by Michael Chapman (Taxi Driver). Henry Mancini's memorable score was re-orchestrated and used quite effectively in The Right Stuff. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Surprisingly good
This story of three sailors marooned on the ice who were rescued and taken in by the Inuits reminded me of something I read in my cultural anthropology class in college, and was one reason I was interested in the movie. In the readings for the class I came across a statement that occasionally sailors on whaling ships in the 19th century would jump ship and go to live with the Eskimos, where, except for the rigors of arctic living, their new lives among the Inuit seemed far preferable to what they had left. Many of them took Eskimo wives and stayed the rest of their lives with their adoptive tribes. So I was interested to see how the movie might portray such a story.

The three sailors in this story, however, aren't so lucky. After their good fortune of being rescued and taken in by the generous and well-meaning Eskimos, things gradually turn sour from there. In contrast to the innocent and generous-to-a-fault Eskimos, the sailors are exploitative, deceptive, and manipulative of their Inuit hosts. After stealing a canoe in an abortive and ill-fated attempt to return to civilization, they're again rescued by the Eskimos and returned to the village. Instead of learning their lesson, the three sailors begin to cause even more trouble for their new tribe.

At this point it becomes clear that in the clash of the two cultures we have an unavoidable tragedy in the making, and that it's only a matter of time before something terrible happens. Then during a bout of drinking a young Eskimo girl becomes intoxicated and crawls off into the snow, where she freezes to death. That's just the beginning of the end, however, and I won't mention anything else in the way of a spoiler, so you'll have to see the movie to see how it all turns out, but the movie builds from there to the final, tragic climax.

Bottoms, Oates, and Gossett are all excellent in their roles, and the Eskimo actors also did an impressive job with their parts and were very believable. There are also some memorable scenes, such as when the small Eskimo kills a huge polar bear with his spear on the ice floe. Overall, a fine flick that is all the more poignant considering the eventual destructive impact of European and U.S. civilization on the Eskimos.

Ahead of its time
The White Dawn is a exsquisitely filmed (shot in the Arctic) and beautifully told tale of a clash of cultures (between white men and Eskimos) in the 19th Century. I saw this in a theater when it first came out and it blew me away - especially the ending. I am originally from Alaska and this film rings true on all levels. I've had the video for years, periodically hauling it out and watching again and again. I wish they would transfer it to DVD.

Truly Amazing
When I saw the little 5 ft Eskimo get in his canoe and paddle out to an iceberg with a Polar Bear on it I was stunned. He got on the iceberg with the Bear and he plunged his sticklike spear into the animals heart and killed it. The bear was over 12 foot tall. The meat and the fur was used to keep his family fed and warm. What a culture shock, what a fine movie. If you want to get lost in realism, rent or purchase this movie. You will never forget it. It was also fun to see what the lead actors looked like when they were younger.

Extremely interesting tale of the acrtic
In the late 1800s three whalers are marooned in the far north. They are rescued by a migrating Eskimo community that provides them with food, shelter, and friendship. However the whalers never give up the idea of returning to their own civilization. They attempt to be rescued by stealing an Eskimo boat and their food supply for the coming winter. However they capsize and once again are rescued by the Eskimos, even after they had stolen their boat and food stores. But eventually the negative impact of the whalers upon the Eskimo reaches a climax that ends tragically. In reality the Eskimo culture has not thrived after contact with our modern civilization and they have a very high suicide incidence and excessive alcoholism rate. Perhaps this film can be looked at as a metaphor of the problems the Eskimo culture has encountered with their contact with Western culture in the modern world.

The performances, photography, and music are excellent. It is a fascinating film to watch, never boring, and deeply human. Warren Oates gives a classic performance as does Timothy Bottoms and Lou Gossett. However the really surprising performances came from the Eskimos. They were natural and expressive, really excellent and couldn't be improved upon. This is a fine film and I hope you enjoy it.

A Clash of Culture to the Core
White Dawn is one of those rare films which is deeply rooted both in realism and mysticism. The whalers who become marooned on the artic ice are unable to comprehend the goodness of the Inuits who save them. With typical white man's arrogance and stupidity, they con the Eskimos with paltry dishonest little tricks. To be dishonest, however, is not a part of the primitive innocence of the Inuits, and they are easily duped. Worse, they are made to lose face. Tim Bottom's youthful character is closest to civilized innocence (being capable of love), but he caves to peer pressure and first steals, then deserts a starving village. But the white men are out of their element as they steal an umiat and try to row away through ice infested waters. They are again saved by the people who they have shamed. A second time they are brought back and again they show themselves unworthy to live. Tribal justice is meted out but without triumph. The people have become sad for they have lost their innocence. The folklore and folklife of the Inuits is well researched. The honestly of the directing is a high achievement. This film is exciting, and sometimes difficult, to watch as white western sensibilities are exposed. -- Joel R. Rudinger -- 1999 ... Read more

Description

Tully High School seniors Richie, Joey and Perry run with a gang called the Wanderers in the Bronx.The time is fall 1963 but their experiences are universal:falling in love, surviving in school and defending turf against rivals like the Fordham Baldies, the Del Bombers and the Ducky Boys. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

The original Boys from the Bronx........
"The Wanderers" is a class act and a stylish movie that has a brassy toughness to it that is both infectious and moving. It was probably overshadowed on it's release by the other gang movie of 1979 "The Warriors", but "The Wanderers" easily holds an equal footing as an excellent period piece of working class lives in 1963. The film centres around the lives of a gang of young boys in the Bronx in mid 1963 coming to terms with friendships, school, girls and other gangs. Ken Wahl ( a promising actor who for some reason never quite made it to the big time !! ) plays a great lead as the smooth talking and charismatic, Richie, the leader of the Wanderers. Richie is struggling to maintain his gangs strength and position in the local neighbourhood as well as juggling his many relationships with different girlfriends. He meets a young and attractive Karen Allen whilst out on the streets with his buddies, and from there another relationship develops. Allen plays her role with style, and even though Allen is not a great beauty, she has that unmistakable feminine charm, especially when that wonderful smile lights up her face.

What makes the movie all the more interesting is the way it goes behind the scenes into the home lives and the hopes, fears and dreams of some of the gang members. We see Joey's artistic talents put down by his fearsome, aggressive father...we see Turkey struggle with his own identity within the different gangs...and we see Richie forced to take responsibility for his actions near the film's conclusion. Backing the movie up, is a dynamite soundtrack containing some top numbers including "Stand by Me", "Runaraound Sue", "Soldier Boy" & of course "The Wanderer" !!

A movie that has charm & talent, and stands up to repeated viewings with ease...if you haven't seen it already....catch up with "The Wanderers" soon !!

LEAVE THE KID ALONE....and let him watch this movie!
These were the OLDEST''TEENAGERS''since the Sweathogs!I mean,not one looked at least 18.That said,this is a wanderfull movie.The music,the acting,the chemistry,the atmosphere,everything worked.it had drama,comedy,horror(enter Ducky's Boys),action,and a love story(even though Terror's a lil too old for her!)The plot is basic gang rivalry set in the age of the do wop.We are introduced to the core members of a local gang,the Wanderers.Not a drug dealing,neighborhood wrecking gang.But the loveable,wiseguys you find bowling and hanging out.Tension mounts between rival gang the Del Bombers and the battle is set.Calmer heads prevail and the fight turns into a football game,which turns into a bonding inspired fight.There are subplots;1 Wanderer stealing anothers girlfriend,1 Wanderer becoming a traitor,the home lives of 2 Wanderers,to keep the pacing just right.I am glad to see this on DVD.Too bad theres no extras.Anyway,theres no question youll enjoy this movie,but would you ever mess with the Wongs?

a era we all wanted to live
I seen this movie at the theatre when it was released,
because it starred a guy i went to high school with
ken wahl.

this historical aspect on what gang life may have been like
in 1963, sorta a serious west side storey.

i also boight the soundtrack album and now have it
on cd as well.

good movie for a saturday afternoon

A VERY ENJOYABLE FILM.
"The Wanderers" is the kind of movie that you don't expect a lot from it before you watch it, but after the movie is over, you feel that seeing this film was the right choice, because it's incredibly amusing. In fact, "The Wanderers" is one of the few films that can make that the audience cares and feels interested for the life of the teenagers portrayed in the movie, "The Warriors", "West Side Story" and "American Graffiti" are some films that have that quality too.

All the characters in "The Wanderers" are very human and believable, some performances are slightly better than others, but overall all the cast is uniformly well in their roles. Definitely "The Wanderers" is a very recommendable movie, the characters, the situations and the script (based in a Richard Price's book) are very good. This is an enjoyable movie from beginning to end.

THOSE GUYS LOOK LIKE A BUNCH OF PRICKS WITH EARS
this has got to be one of the greatest gang movies ever made along with The Warriors. the best part of the movie is the big fight at the end in the football field. Joey's dad was kickin some major A** ! I like how all the gangs got together in the end to help each other out. Goes to show that in the end besides our differences, were all just a bunch of squirrels trying to get a nut. the soundtrack for this movie is off the hook too ! ... Read more

Reviews (68)

Exquisite Film Was One of The 1980's Best
Phillip Kaufman reached an artistic pinnacle with this elegant translation of Milan Kundera's book about the 1968 Czechoslovokian crisis. Daniel Day-Lewis plays Tomas, a physician, whose life consists in seducing women, one of whom - an artist Sabina (Lena Olin) - is his sexual and spiritual soulmate. Into his life comes another woman, Terezina, (Juliette Binoche) who demands more of a committment to her than he will permit to any woman including Sabina. His crisis between the carefree artist and the more demanding Terezina mirrors the crisis of Czechoslovokia between the "liberation" of the Prague Spring and the Soviet repression of August 1968 although neither Kauffman nor Kundera crudely makes Sabina represent the one nor Terezina the other. Although these characters may lead apparently amoral lives, the film and novel are all about the moral consequences of their choices. Many American critics, similar to the one who provided the first customer review, feel that Kaufmann has simply made a piece of arty Euro-lite soft-core: intellectual and opaque enough to appeal to the high-brow crowd yet tittliating enough to strike at their lowbrow desires. While I'll concede that this judgement applies well to his follow-up film "Henry and June" (1990), it's grossly unfair to characterize this film as such. The narrative and themes are presented clearly, the cinematography is gorgeous but never in an overly-arty way like in "Henry and June", and his whirling direction keeps this film moving along at an effervescent 172 minutes. The actors - especially Day-Lewis and Olin - do phenomenal work and contribute mightily to bring Kaufmann's evocation of late 1960's Europe to life. In a strange way, the film compliments the book rather than adapts it and stands on its own as a fully realized cinematic work.

People conditioned to see sex on the screen as a smutty joke or leading to painful reprecussions had problems with Kaufmann's playful sensuality here. He compounded their discomfort by coating all these goings-on with a veneer of class, larding the film with literary references and putting Janacek on the soundtrack. And it was easy to dismiss the film as nothing but a bunch of amoral European sophisicates who make love in between bouts of literary discussions or fighting political repression. But the film pulls us into these character's lives in a much more impassioned and alive way than European art cinema does with its deliberate distancing effects and pretentious moralizing (good recent example: Lars Von Trier's interminable "Breaking The Waves"). The film weaves its larger concerns about freedom and responsibility seamlessly through the narration - we can follow the film without knowing all the allusions and references. Some may see the characters and their bed-hopping as shallow and affected but they are forced to deal with their country's politics and history and have to come to terms with their own lives in ways that Euro-fluff soft-core comedies like "French Twist" never have to. Indeed, the moral choices placed on these apparently frivolous characters gives the film its greatness.

In other words, "Unbearable Lightness" has a sophisticated air because it is sophisticated: in its ideas, direction, writing, and acting. Kaufmann's work since has generally disappointed but here he's made one of the richest and intelligent films of the decade.

the Prague Spring
If you've read the book you won't be disappointed with this film which doesn't try to convey all Kundera's philosophy but it does retain the spirit of the book. Really the book had what some considered to be too much philosophy in it which got in the way of the story which was not Kunderas main concern anyway as his characters were just actors he used to elucidate his ideas. For Kaufman the real heart of the book was not in its ideas but in the way Tomas and Tereza relate and how that relationship evolves within a very specific historical circumstance, the Russian occupation of Prague in 68. That moment in time is really brought to life both in the cafes as we hear a Czech. version of"Hey Jude" being played and in the streets when the actual invasion takes place at which point hand held black and white cameras are used to give an on the spot feel to it.
When we first meet Tomas(Daniel Day Lewis) he is involved with Sabina(Lena Olin)and what they share is an almost religious belief in the erotic and an equalllly strong belief in retaining their individuality and frredom. On a visit to a spa in the country to perform an operation however Tomas comes across the innocent waitress Tereza(Juliette Binoche) and his life after that is never quite the same. Sabina resents the intrusion at first but soon she and Tereza are friends, in fact the moment they become friends on a rainy afternoon taking pictures of each other is one of the best scenes in the movie. A lot is made of the historical happenings and how they affect each characters personal life. I found it a little hard to believe that they would willingly return to Prague under communist rule after they had made their escape to Zurich but you may feel differently. The use of the terms "lightness" and "weight" that so often appeared in the book always seemed to my ears rather vague, the movie gratefully only employs those terms on rare occasion. The last scenes in the countryside are some of the most beautiful cinematography I have seen, quite memorable images evoking the really valuable things in life.
Certainly one of the best adaptations of a novel.

Please read Kundera's book instead
Kundera's novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being is absolutely amazing, and this film falls so far short of it. Despite my almost-immediate dislike of the film, I actually stuck it out and watched the entire thing (hoping that Daniel Day-Lewis could somehow salvage it or that the film might actually express some idea from Kundera's book). But I was sorely disappointed.

But please read Kundera's novel, because it is wonderful. I can't help but think that Kundera was referring to this film when he wrote in his later novel Immortality: "The present era grabs everything that was ever written in order to transform it into films, TV programs, or cartoons. What is essential in a novel is precisely what can only be expressed in a novel, and so every adaptation contains nothing but the nonessential."

A nice historical fiction movie
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

This movie is set against the backround of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in the 1960's It is about a doctor who has physical relationships with many different women. He then meets a woman whom he wants to pursue a romantic and emotional with. She wants him to be monogamous. The ensuing results are quite original.

The film is also a good history lesson about the Soviet invasion but is not appropriate for school age children. The film has a well deserved R rating for scenes of nudity and sex which I think were unnecessary and prevent a wider range of audience from seeing the film. I greatly hope that the producers would offer a version of the film witht he nude and sex scenes cut so that it could be shown in history classes in school.

There is also a scene that Beatles fans may like where the song "Hey Jude" is sung in the Czech language. It also has many pieces of music by Czech composer, Leos Janacek.

The DVD also has audio commentary by the director Philip Kauffman, Editor, Walter Murch, Co writer John Carrière, and Actress Lena Olin.

beautiful
This film, is one of the best screenplays I have ever seen (and I seen many). I had read the book before, and the film is just an extension of the beautiful superiority of the book.
I particulary enjoyed the mixture of 'real' footage of the occupation of Praque and the film footage. Very well done.
The reason I've only given this film 4 stars is because it didn't have a specific secene which I was looking forward to seeing.
But the reast of the film definatly makes up for it.
And by the way... the director is the director of Quills. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Philip Kaufman's intimate epic about the Mercury astronauts (based on Tom Wolfe's book) was one of the most ambitious and spectacularly exciting movies of the 1980s.It surprised almost everybody by not becoming a smash hit. By all rights, the film should have been every bit the success that Apollo 13 would later become; The Right Stuff is not only just as thrilling, but it is also a bigger and better movie. Combining history (both established and revisionist), grand mythmaking (and myth puncturing), adventure, melodrama, behind-the-scenes dish, spectacular visuals, and a down-to-earth sense of humor, The Right Stuff chronicles NASA's efforts to put a man in orbit. Such an achievement would be the first step toward President Kennedy's goal of reaching the moon, and, perhaps most important of all, would win a crucial public relations/morale victory over the Soviets, who had delivered a stunning blow to American pride by launching Sputnik, the first satellite. The movie contrasts the daring feats of the unsung test pilots--one of whom, Chuck Yeager, embodied more than anyone else the skill and spirit of Wolfe's title--against the heavily publicized (and sanitized) accomplishments of the Mercury astronauts. Through no fault of their own, the spacemen became prisoners of the heroic images the government created for them in order to capture the public's imagination. The casting is inspired; the film features Sam Shepard as the legendary Yeager, Ed Harris as John Glenn, Dennis Quaid as "Gordo" Cooper, Scott Glenn as Alan Shepard, Fred Ward as Gus Grissom, Scott Wilson as Scott Crossfield, and Pamela Reed and Veronica Cartwright are superb in their thankless roles as astronauts' wives. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (107)

A CLASSIC
It's great to finally see The Right Stuff appear on DVD as a special-edition. The sound and image quality is awesome, much better than the LD.

This is one of the greatest achievements in film, depicting the birth of the space program. It's difficult to think of anything wrong with the production.

The cast (many of whom at the time were not A-list caliber) is top notch, especially Ed Harris as John Glenn and Sam Shepard as Chuck Yeager.

The beginning, which chronicles the breaking of the sound barrier, is excellent. One particular scene has Yeager staring down the X-1 while on horseback; almost as if two living ceatures are involved in duel. The Oscar-winning score by Bill Conti brings tears to my eyes every time, especially the breaking the sound barrier and the final coda, which ends at Gordo Cooper's historic orbit.

Director Philip Kaufman (just look at his resume; what an incredible career, with Henry and June, Unbearable Lightness of Being and Quills among his films), brings a humanness and respect to his characters, and dots the script with bit of humor and tenderness as well. He depicts the Mercury astronauts as heroes, an aspect that unfortuantely has gone away. These men (and their wives) pushed the envelope to it's capacity, went to the top of the pyramid.

We live in a time in which we no longer look up when a plane passes overhead, where, instead of real people risking their lives to further technology and science, our heroes are born out of comic books or the sports pages.

The Right Stuff is truely a very special film! They don't make 'em like this anymore!

New Stuff
The Right Stuff is Phillip Kauffman's sprawling three-hour epic about the Mercury Space Program. Based on Tom Wolfe's amazing book, the movie is a visual stunner with a top-notch ensemble cast. Sam Sheperd stands out as Chuck Yeager, the first man to break the sound barrier. He portrays Yeager as a cowboy who flies jets instead of riding horses. Mr. Sheperd gives a cool and impressive performance. Ed Harris first sprang to attention with his performance of John Glenn. He gives a gentle and passionate performance and the scenes with his wife (who was hearing-impaired) are touching. Fred Ward gives a blustery and gruff performance as Gus Grissom who appears to be on the verge of cracking after his space launch goes awry. Scott Glenn adds a touch of humor to film as Alan Sheppard the first American in space. Dennis Quaid is brash and cocky as Gordo Cooper. This 20th Anniversary two disc special edition is an immediate upgrade over the original dvd, which was one of the first films to be released in that format. The film is perfectly suited for the dvd landscape and while the picture quality was excellent on the original release, the digital transfer adds depth and scope to the film. The real bonus is the 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound. The film won four Academy Awards and two were for Best Sound and Best Sound Effects and the remastered audio increases the powerful and majestic tones of the film in home viewings. The extras are great for any space program aficionados as there are interviews with the real life astronauts from the film.

well done
Hollywood has mostly ignored one of the most dramatic events of the modern age, the space program. It's been willing to lavish millions on sci-fi and fantasy but has been meager in detailing the real drama. Tom Wolfe's marvelous book has been captured in this film with the same blend of irony, whimsy, humor and real drama.
The astronauts were accidental heroes, men who never expected to be elevated to such a public Olympus. They were never what the PR machine promoted but they got the job done and eventually earned the heroic status they were automatically granted by the propaganda machine of the time.
An interesting film that genuinely manages to distill out the essence of the 'right stuff.'

The Greatest American Epic
The fact that "The Right Stuff" lost the Oscar for best picture to "Terms Of Endearment" is beyond me; this movie should have won. The fact that it wasn't a hit at the box office back in 1983 is also beyond me. We are talking about what I think it's the best American epic in all the sense of the word.
It's strange that a Venezuelan-born like me should talk about a movie like this, but I feel that "The Right Stuff" should have been a classic -well, it is for me. The story of the "Mercury" astronauts is portrayed marvelously by Philip Kaufman's direction, showcased beautifully by Caleb Deschanel's stylish photography, and supported by an incredible cast including Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Barbara Hershey, Sam Shepard, Pamela Reed, Kim Stanley, and Veronica Cartwright.
In fact, I remember when I was watching that movie at home, and my late father asked me if a man that appeared on the screen was astronaut John Glenn because he looked just like him. Of course I told him he was an actor who was playing his role. That said, it's incredible to see how Ed Harris is perfectly cast as Glenn.
And I don't want to forget one of the reasons why I love this movie, and that's Bill Conti's spectacular music score. Of course it may sound a little like Holst's "The Planets", but I usually weep every time I listen to the main theme.
I'm glad that a special edition DVD of "The Right Stuff" has been released, with fantastic extras that include new interviews with the cast and crew, deleted scenes, and an incredible documentary on John Glenn. I'm also glad about it because I think that this movie should be rightfully appreciated not only because it deals with historical events like the breaking of the sound barrier and the first American astronauts, but also because, as I said before, this is a classic.

FABULOUS
"The Right Stuff", based on Tom Wolfe's book and directed by Phillip Kaufman, was a wonderful American story about the Mercury space program that told the tale of U.S. pilots just brimming with gusto, bravado and...the right stuff.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM ... Read more

Reviews (47)

As good as tops the '56 version
This was an unusual picture indeed. It also came out at an unusual time. Too much loaded with science fiction to be horror and too suspenseful and downright scary to belong to the sci-fi genre, 'Invasion...' strikes the viewer as being a fresh idea even today, notwithstanding the fact that it's really a beefed-up remake of an original. Sutherland fits the role of the prime protagonist public health inspector like a glove while Nimoy does the same for his part as the agent of evil. The story opens up a little slowly but that adds to the effect. When it becomes apparent what the pods do and, more importantly, the gross-out fates of the unfortunate 'originals' (the humans whom the extragalactic spores duplicate), enough of the movie has passed for the viewer to appreciate the sheer enormity of the depicted crisis. Where Siegel's '78 version has the edge on the original lies in the fact that there are more chills and a feel wholly alien to the first version, a flavour doubtlessly borrowed from the jarring, siege mentality that can be found in earlier films like 'Night of the Living Dead'. This is a very powerful film which appears to have been swept under the carpet of the popular psyche thanks largely to its reputation as a 'B' picture and also to its small standing when put beside the likes of the mainstream of sci-fi flicks being made at the time (as if you need me to mention titles here). Even so, 'I.o.t.B.S.' mark 2 is helped along by some clever devices indeed. Aside from the nauseatingly organic vividness of the SFX, the nature of the movie's antagonists lends immensely to the horror. The question of 'who is a duplicate and who's left who is still himself?' comes to burn in the mind of the viewer before even half the film has played out. It's a thinking man's picture, this and it's that which amplifies the fear factor to levels almost too excruciating to bear. After all, it is a large idea that the film is driving at and it was good to see that encased in a large picture laid out on a good budget. Great performances all round (especially from Veronica Cartwright in her last pre 'Alien' picture'), wonderful SFX and a good long run at just under two hours easily give this version the drop on the 1956 original. A nice bleak ending hammers the last nail through the palm and leaves the viewer crucifed on an apocalyptic note. Definitely a much-overlooked classic that's too full of working components to be constrained to a cult following. This one needs to be more than a rental only.

Bashful's DVD Summary #021
Best:

1) The production values are higher and the acting (with the possible exception of Kevin McCarthy) is better than the 1956 original.
2) We get more information, this time, as to where the aliens came from and how they function.
3) The beginning realization scenes are fairly suspenseful and the later chase scenes are pretty exciting.
4) The alien's growth stages and high-pitched voices are scary.
5) There's a trivia booklet in the case and a commentary track on the disk.

Worst:

1) The movie is SO quiet much of the time (no soundtrack) that it might put you to sleep if you aren't really engrossed.
2) The first half of the story is slow as the suspense builds up almost too gradually.
3) Donald Sutherland's afro hairstyle was just plain bad (ha).
4) Leonard Nimoy's leisure suits were even worse (double ha).

Recommendation:

This one is every bit a classic as the original and it will appeal much more to younger people. It's also a must-have for any serious sci-fi/horror movie collector.

Don't go to sleep
One of the creepiest movies I've ever seen. Instead of the humanoid-appearing aliens so typical in most sci-fi films THIS movie goes in the other direction by portraying the aliens as seemingly harmless plants, which adds a rather terrifying irony to the proceedings. What these plants do once near a sleeping person (or animal) has to be seen to be appreciated because the special effects here are unsettlingly real.

All of the actors do a splendid job in portraying their characters, from the quirky and nuerotic Jeff Goldblum to the intuitive and resilient Veronica Cartwright. The stolid but slightly off-beat Donald Sutherland, to the emotionally suspicious Brooke Adams. All are terrific here!

Another thing that makes this movie so suspenseful is the masterful use of paranoia, which starts on a low simmer, building gradually, till by the movie's end everything is turned up to a heart-pounding, raging boil. All along the way you're virtually on the edge of your seat.

So the next time you're out walking and find a rather strange looking plant growing amongst the shrubbery, think twice before bringing it in your home.

But why worry, it's only a plant - right???

4 1/2
Most remakes are a joke but this one was pretty good! I gave it minus half because it's not the original but captures the eerieness of the story very well.