Juliette Binoche: Tereza

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Tereza

Tereza: I know I'm supposed to help you, but I can't. Instead of being your support, I'm your weight. Life is very heavy to me, but it is so light to you. I can't bear this lightness, this freedom... I'm not strong enough.

Tereza: I was forced to love my mother, but not this dog. You know, Tomas... maybe... maybe, I love her more than I love you. Not more. I mean in a better way. I'm not jealous of her. I don't want her to be different. I don't ask her for anything.

Tereza: [referring to her dog] Karenin prefers Mephisto to dogs. She thinks other dogs are silly.
Tomas: [Mephisto snorts and Tomas inhales the aroma of the food] Ha-ha.
Pavel: Do you know why I love Mephisto? Because he's very bright, but, at the same time,
[gesturing for emphasis]
Pavel: he doesn't know anything! After all, he doesn't know that life is impossible here now. Nothing left here. The church is gone.
[shrugging]
Pavel: No place to drink beer now.
[he drinks his bottle of beer very quickly]
Pavel: It's good... very good.
[slurping]
Pavel: If you ever change your mind, it won't be easy to leave.

Tereza: [lamenting] What am I going to do? Take pictures of naked women? Why does everybody want to see pictures of naked women? Are they that interestink?

Tomas: I don't think we should wait.
[Karenin whimpers]
Tomas: If we do, she'll have to go through terrible pain.
Tereza: Yeah. You should do it yourself.
Tomas: Yeah.
[stands up to go fetch the hypodermic syringe]
Tereza: [holding Karenin] Look! She's smilink! *She's smilink!*
Tomas: [sits down on bed next to them] Just hold her... and talk to her.
Tereza: [to haggard-looking Karenin] Don't be scared. Don't be scared, Karenin. You won't feel any pain there. It'll be beautiful there. You'll have cows to chase...
[the dog whimpers]
Tereza: and Mephisto will be there. Don't be scared. Don't be scared. Don't be scared.
[barely audible whisper:]
Tereza: Don't be scared...

Tomas: [in bed together; Tereza is sobbing] What's the matter? Tell me what's wrong.
[she rebuffs his advances What's wrong?]
Tereza: [tearfully] You forgot to wash your hair.
Tomas: [tired sigh] What are you talking about, Tereza?
Tereza: Your hair smells of a...
Tomas: What?
Tereza: ... of another woman's sex!
[as he sniffs his fingers]
Tereza: I thought you had come back here for me!
Tomas: I did come back here for you, Tereza.
Tereza: Then why do you keep seeing other women?
Tomas: I don't know what to say to you.
[shakes his head]
Tereza: I know, I know. You've explained it to me a thousand times. A thousand times.
[runs her fingers through her hair]
Tereza: There is love and there is sex. And sex... is entertainment, like football. I know it's light.
[shakes her head]
Tereza: I wish I could believe you, but... How can someone *make* love without *being* in love, I just don't know.