Philip Kaufman achieves a delicate, erotic balance with his screen version of Milan Kundera's "unfilmable" novel. Praised for its candid depiction of adult relationships, the film is set during the Prague Spring and its aftermath. Tomas, a womanizing surgeon, struggles with the many women in his life, especially his free-spirited mistress and childlike wife. Criterion's Director Approved special edition features a new widescreen transfer and audio commentary by Kaufman, editor Walter Murch, actress Lena Olin, and others.