Olbrychski, Daniel

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Let others in 1968 Prague fret over liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Prague surgeon and avowed womanizer Tomas is focused on the happiness of pursuit. He's determined to live with a lightness of being unfettered by things like commitment and Communism. A young doctor's quest for sex and his stumbling into love are part of the rich storyline of this lyrical film from the landmark Milan Kundera novel produced by Saul Zaentz (The English Patient Amadeus) and directed by Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff Henry & June). Daniel Day-Lewis Juliette Binoche and Lena Olin indelibly form the romantic triangle at the center of Tomas' world. It's a shifting world of hope spoiled and renewed of lives blighted byoppression and reinvigorated by deep maturing love.Running Time: 114 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 012569734043 Manufacturer No: 73404

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

The Decalogue (Special Edition Complete Set)

Superlatives abound when describing Krzysztof Kieslowski's The Decalogue, a series of 10 one-hour dramas originally made for Polish TV between 1988 and 1989 and seen throughout the world in film festivals and cinematheque and museum programs. Though each episode is inspired by one of the Ten Commandments of the Bible, these are not Sunday school fables illustrating some simplistic moral lesson--the connections to the individual commandments are not always obvious and are often downright curious--but powerful, profound stories of love and loss, faith and fear. Kieslowski explores ordinary people flailing through inner torments, hard decisions, and shattering revelations, grounding his stories in the faces of their deeply human characters.

Each episode is self-contained, from "Decalogue I" ("I Am the Lord Thy God"), the touching story of a boy who starts asking the hard questions of life from his rationalist father and religious aunt, to "Decalogue X" ("Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Goods"), a comic tale of estranged brothers who bond through a winding ordeal involving their father's priceless stamp collection. There are stories of tragedy and triumph, both expansive and intimate, some profoundly moving and others delicately shaded--but all are warmed by Kieslowski's sympathetic direction and his eye for resonant, fragile imagery. Initially drawn together by location--the series is set in a dreary Warsaw apartment complex--a web of associations forms as characters pass through other stories, sometimes only briefly, and themes reverberate through the series. The Decalogue is ultimately a personal spiritual investigation into the soul of man, a work of quiet attention and deep emotion marked by astounding images and vivid characters. Each volume is also available individually on VHS. --Sean Axmaker

The Decalogue Special Edition is a three-disc set with exclusive special features. Disc 1 begins with "Roger Ebert on The Decalogue," a special appreciation by America's best-known film critic. Episodes 1, 2, and 3 of The Decaloguefollow. Disc 2 Includes Episodes 4, 5, 6, and 7. Disc 3 completes the series with Episodes 8, 9, and 10, and rounds out the experience with three documentaries about director Krzysztof Kieslowski. "On the Set of The Decalogue" us a brief interview with the director; "Kieslowski Meets the Press" is an extensive Q&A between Kieslowski and the European press; and in "Kieslowski Known and Unknown," friends and colleagues offer tributes and insights on the famed director. A printed booklet included with The Decalogue Special Edition DVDcontains an introduction to The Decalogueby Kieslowski, an interview with the script writer Krzysztof Piesiewicz, and complete casts and credits.

Les Uns et les Autres (Bolero)

Claude Lelouch (A Man and a Woman) tackles a giant canvas in the sprawling Les Uns et Les Autres, a movie full of brilliant actors and heartfelt moments. To make a coherent whole out of these elements would take a more profound director than Lelouch, however. Following dozens of characters from the 1930s through World War II and into the late '70s, Lelouch struggles to develop a grand theme based on sketchily developed people, all tied together with pop music and Ravel's evocatively used "Bolero." Not surprisingly, the sections dealing with Occupied Paris are the most compelling, with a poignant turn by Nicole Garcia (James Caan and Geraldine Chaplin, each in dual roles, hold down the U.S.-based segments). The film was well-received in Europe, although a cut U.S. release under the title Bolero flopped. If you stick around for the ambitious final sequence, look for an unknown Sharon Stone sitting in bed with Caan. --Robert Horton

From internationally acclaimed director Claude Lelouch (A Man and a Woman) comes a sweeping epic chronicling three generations whose lives revolve around the magic of music. In an unforgettable dual role, James Caan (The Godfather) heads an all-star international cast through decades of global turmoil, from pre-World War II Europe to a powerful finale in the 1960s. Geraldine Chaplin (Talk to Her), Fanny Ardant (8 Women), Robert Hossein (Rififi), Macha Meril (Deep Red), Richard Bohringer (Diva), Alexandra Stewart (Day for Night), and a very young Sharon Stone also appear in this beautiful tapestry of time, memory, and melody. Dynamic musical score by popular composers Michel Legrand (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) and Francis Lai (Love Story), studded with classic favorites by Ravel, Beethoven, Liszt, and more!

The Tin Drum - Criterion Collection

This Oscar-winning adaptation of Günter Grass's novel is an absurdist fantasy about a little German boy (David Bennent) who wills himself at the age of three not to grow up in protest of the Nazi regime. Made unnecessarily notorious in recent years due to overzealous censors in some parts of the United States, the film is more startling and surreal than obscene. Bennent is very good, and while the 1979 film doesn't meet the high standards of the best work from the then-renaissance of German film, it has a special place in the hearts of many who saw it upon its release. Directed by Volker Schlöndorff (The Handmaid's Tale). --Tom Keogh

Based on the classic novel by Gunter Grass, this drama of a young boy who beats a tin drum to combat his feelings of desperation and anger during the rise of the Third Reich is as dark and disturbing as it is utterly compelling. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.

Pan Tadeusz

A grand and patriotic tale of Poland's struggle for freedom just before Napoleon's war with Russia. Written in poetic style by Adam Mickiewicz, this story follows two feuding Polish families as they overcome their old conflicts and petty lives. However, they are able unite as one with the patriotic and rebelious efforts to free the country they deeply love from Russian control.

Promised Land (Director's Cut)

Andrzej Wajda's interpretation of a classic 19th century epic depicts the sweeping change in values ushered in by the industrial revolution. Three friends hope to build a factory, but their plans are quickly jeopardized by local politics and one of the partner's dangerous love affair. Critically acclaimed for its masterful direction and fine acting, this ever-current film has a strong statement to make about modern times. With the master director's brand new re-edit made possible by Poland's liberation from Communism. In Polish w/ English Subtitles

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Criterion Collection Spine #55)

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

Philip Kaufman achieves a delicate, erotic balance with his screen version of Milan Kundera's "unfilmable" novel. Adapted by Kaufman and Jean-Claude Carrière, the film follows a womanizing surgeon (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he struggles with his free-spirited mistress (Lena Olin) and his childlike wife (Juliette Binoche). An intimate epic, The Unbearable Lightness of Being charts the frontiers of relationships with wit, emotion, and devastating honesty.

Dangerous Moves

With Fire and Sword (Ogniem i Mieczem), Parts 1 & 2

Spectacular battles, rollicking humor, and lavish production values frame a sweeping romantic drama that all audiences will enjoy. At the time of its release, this lavish historical epic was the most expensive Polish film ever made. Based on the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz (QUO VADIS?), this grand drama is set in 17th century Poland during the Cossack uprising against the Polish nobility. As the violent confrontation builds, a battle for the heart of a beautiful girl rages between a dashing Pole and a brutish Ukrainian. This is a special full-length version, including footage not in the original theatrical release.

Young Girls of Wilko

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, this breathtaking Andrzej Wajda films rbings Jaroslaw Iwaszkiewicz's classic novel to the big screen. After 15 years away, Wiktor returns to Wilko, where he spent a very important part of his life. He comes to realize his own personal impact on the town and meets many people whom he will never forget. His presence, in turn, forces the young girls of Wilko to reconsider their complicated lives and personal failures.