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 Rated: NC-17
Starring: Tony Leung, Wei Tang, Joan Chen and Lee-Hom Wang
Directed By: Ang Lee
The plot of Lust, Caution, which covers a war era of Chinese history that most people would not generally know about, is reason enough to see this film. But—you get a bonus of superb acting, directing and amazing cinematography.
If you are a film or history buff, Lust, Caution is a must-see. However, if you are embarrassed by explicit sex, you may feel a bit uneasy during five minutes of the film.
The movie takes place during World War II China where the Japanese have occupied the main cities, including Shanghai and Hong Kong.
From the beginning, we are flashed back to 1938 where we find Wong Chia Chi (Tang) attending a Chinese university. She meets fellow student Kuang Yu Min (Wang) at a Drama society meeting with actor friends who are members of a resistance faction against the occupation of the Japanese.
Kuang, who heads up the radical group, devises a plan to assassinate Mr. Yee (Leung), a high ranking Japanese collaborator, and enlists Chai Chi as the spy to infiltrate his lifestyle and set him up for the kill.
After several years of gaining the trust of Mr. Yee, he gets transferred to Shanghai, Chai Chi feels her secret identity being pushed to the limit and has to make a dangerous move for the success of the mission.
Ang Lee’s wonderful direction shows best when he’s in his homeland element, and it's illustrated with this Chinese espionage thriller. Lee brings out the beauty and tension of his characters so well, they radiate from the screen.
I loved the performances of the major cast, especially that of Wei Tang as the shy but sultry Wong Chai Chi, the Chinese partisan who puts herself in harms way for the love of her country. Her ability to express her love, hate and anxiety with believable, applicable facial expressions under the direction of Lee is incredibly amazing.
To help you understand what was happening during the period the film takes place, I submit the following from historical record. The Second Sino (Chinese)-Japanese War from 1937 to 1945 was the largest Asian war in the twentieth century.
Although the two countries had fought intermittently since 1931, full-scale war started in earnest in 1937, and only ended with the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II in 1945. The war was the result of a decades-long Japanese imperialist policy aiming to dominate China politically and militarily to secure its vast raw material reserves and other resources.
At the same time, the rising tide of Chinese nationalism and notions of self-determination made the war inevitable. From 1937 to 1941, China fought alone. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Second Sino-Japanese War merged into the greater conflict of World War II. – (Wikipedia)
FINAL ANALYSIS: A wonderfully directed, acted and filmed movie with historical value that’s a must-see for movie buffs, Independent film lovers, college students and mature adults that do not mind reading subtitles. Presented in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles. Please note that the film is rated NC17 for explicit sex.
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