If you’re Academy Award winning director Ang Lee, how do you top yourself after “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Brokeback Mountain?” Simple. You direct a Chinese-language film version of an iconic short story by Eileen Chang and fill it with enough full frontal nudity and sexual encounters to earn it an NC-17 rating. However, Lee’s new film, “Lust, Caution” is much more than sex and violence.
“Lust, Caution” paints an exquisite portrait of power and espionage set in Japanese-occupied Shanghai during World War II. The film tells the tale of Wong Chia Chi (Tang Wei), a student recruited by the dashing drama student Kuang Yu Min (Wang Leehom) to join a rebellion of actors.
What begins as moneymaking, patriotic plays turns into a plot to assassinate Mr. Yee (Tony Leung), a Japanese collaborator. Wong Chia Chi goes from plain to breathtaking as she assumes the identity of Mak Tai Tai, the close friend and mah jong partner of Mr. Yee’s wife (Joan Chen).
Obviously, there is controversy surrounding the film’s rating. The sex scenes are explicit, to be sure, but they support and accentuate the movie’s themes.
Sex becomes a symbol for power plays between Yee and Wong Chia Chi. He uses sex as he would interrogate and torture a suspect, while she plays the role of the submissive and willing victim. The scenes between the two are beautiful, erotic and thrilling , but never uncomfortable or unnecessarily graphic.
The mah jong scenes are similar in their relentless symbolism. Wong Chia Chi always plays the loser and the victim, but manages to give the audience the feeling that she truly has the upper hand in her double life.
Newcomer Tang Wei is nothing short of magnificent. Her performance gives any award-winning actress a run for her money. She brings both innocence and a searing sexuality to the role she so clearly dominates. Anytime she’s onscreen, your eyes won’t wander.
Tony Leung is equally captivating as the strong and quiet Mr. Yee. Leung is no stranger to the cinema, and proves his worth in “Lust, Caution.” Each of Leung’s side glances and assertions of strength say more than dialogue ever could.
Ang Lee has crafted his masterpiece with this film. Each and every movement of the camera is deliberate.
Each color, each motion and each expression has a purpose and a meaning. Lee proves himself as an artist of the silver screen, using blocking, costuming and a camera like a painter uses brush strokes.
“Lust, Caution” is visually riveting and one of the most beautiful films to come along in a while.
To be fair, the film does feel slow at times. But the story is so seductive and enthralling that by the time the story plays itself out, the initial pace no longer matters.
“Lust, Caution” is one of those rare films that stays with you for days after watching it. It may be because of the haunting score or the raw emotion of the story, but either way, “Lust, Caution” is not to be missed. It is easily one of the best films of the year.
