On its face, Lust, Caution should be a heavy film composed of worthwhile themes. Set in China during and in the aftermath of Japanese WWII occupation, the film certainly has a lot to work with. Add to that an espionage tinged love angle, a competent director in Ang Lee and a two and a half hour run time, surely Lust, Caution is given a wide enough birth to become the finest of Far East imports. Sadly, despite some strong performances and adornment, the film ultimately feels shallow and inert.The film begins with the enigmatic Mrs. Mai (Tang) calling resistance fighters just before an assassination attempt on Chinese collaborator Mr. Yee (Chiu-Wai). We then flash back to 1938 Hong Kong where the buxom Mai is but a humble, virginal student named Jiazhi who has passion for theater. Due to the Japanese invasion, Jiazhi connects herself with the shambling local resistance fighters and begins to spy on Mr. Yee. The plan; gather information and kill the man by impersonating the wife of a Hong-Kong based trading company. What begins as a simple mission turns more complicated when a love triangle forms between Mr. Yee, Jiazhi and Kuang (Leehom) a fellow student and adamant true believer in Chinese resilience.Despite a few widely framed soldiers, the Japanese are conspicuously absent from the film. The only presumed enemy is Mr. Yee and to a much lesser extent his absent-minded wife (Chen). Jiazhi as Mrs. Mai sits with Mrs. Yee in elongated games of Mahjongg, picking up tiny pieces of gossip while the man of the house shuttles back and forth between work and home. Mai's attempts to woe her mark builds a low humming tension giving the film much needed atmosphere. It's the type of atmosphere one would expect from many of the Hollywood films Jiazhi goes to see in the movie theater though it's closest influence would arguably be Hitchcock's Notorious (1946).Difference is, the plot eventually got going in Notorious. In Lust, Caution, the stakes of Jiazhi's gambit don't really hit home until halfway through the film. The midriff of the movie reaches a crescendo in a moment of shocking violence followed by nothing that really brings new insights or complications. It's like watching an elaborate juggling act only the performer is doing one impressive feat for thirty minutes. Sure, it's exciting at first but after a while you're thinking, "Is that it?"When the romance is finally consummated (albeit in a sexually violent way), years have passed. The resistance evolved from a group of students into an interconnected web of lies and self- preservation. Yet through it all Mrs. Mai and Mr. Yee drift and reconnect with all the urgency of a tortoise documentary on pause. Their listless dance of seduction and deceit is punctuated by drawn- out moments of un-stimulated sex whose decadence calls attention to itself and distracts from the story. No doubt, Lee's reverence to the physical form is artistically full of merit and the warm palettes of the room where the characters play out their tryst could infuse effortlessly in a better film; but here it feels mechanical. Neither does the sex (which garnered the film its NC-17 rating) compliment the films themes of foreboding and tragedy. The story becomes downright Sophoclean yet the visuals are vivacious and stuffy.Lust, Caution went on to sweep up all the major awards at the Venice Film Festival and was hailed during it's time as sensual, vibrant, beautiful looking espionage drama. Well not to put my head in the Golden Lion's mouth, but I take exception to the film being called sensual; pretty: maybe, but sensual: no. Sensuality implies carnal gratification of the senses. There's nothing really gratifying about ten minutes of sex scenes involving two disengaged characters trying to stem the looming specter of death and anguish. If anything Lust, Caution is a sad movie, or at least should have been if it wasn't fighting itself.

Directed by Ang Lee, 'Se, Jie' AKA Lust, Caution is based on the novella of the same name by Chinese author Eileen Chang which is in turn based on a short story called The Spyring. The film adaptation and the novel are loosely based on events that took place during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai during World War 2, where a group of Chinese university students plot to assassinate a high-ranking special agent/recruiter of the puppet government Mr. Yee (Tony Leung) by using an attractive young woman, Wong Chia Chi (Tang Wei) to lure him into a trap. Interestingly, the story is closely rendition that of Eileen Chang's own real love life. In which she fell in love with a Chinese traitor during WW2. Like the story, their separation fell apart due to the betrayal. Chang wrote the book in 1950's Shanghai, not long before she fled China for fear of political persecution. The film has many modifications by Ang Lee for example, the explicit sex scenes that cause the movie to be rated NC-17 in the US markets. Being NC-17, cause many theaters not to carry the film, and limited the access to the viewing public. I wouldn't say, this movie doesn't belong in the NC-17 field, but for the most part. I have saw, much worst from other strong 'R' films; that clearly deserve to be NC-17. I wouldn't say this movie is for anybody would get uncomfortable about the topic of sex, nor do I think it's for any love story romantic lovers. The movie focus more on dangerous and painful of intimacy. This movie has some scenes that will be disturbing to certain people such as violent rape, S&M, and others. If the sex scenes were more passion based on love, maybe I would say, put the film with a title of R, but since most of the sex scenes are violent and graphic. I think NC-17 is what this movie deserves. The sex sequences could had been taking out or been cut down. This movie would just fine without them. There is a lot of erotic espionage thrillers films that work without going to the extremes. A good example is Alfred Hitchcock's 1946's film 'Notorious' that has a similar plot or better yet 2006's German film, Black Book. While, the sex scenes are explicit; it's not borderline useless filler porn. It only makes up about ten minutes of total screen time. Altogether there are only three or four scenes that contain sexual content or nudity within this two and a half hour movie. I think the violence mixed with the sex is hard to watch. It does do tell a lot about the characters. The cruel actions tells how terminally paranoid the man is. Chi shows, how mentally disturb, Chi is, by enjoying the sexual abuse cause against her. Some critics might hate the film due to the fact, that Chi falls in love with the man she's supposed to kill to the point that. The movie has this wonderful suspense, making you wonder if Chi will go on, with the assassinating plot or not. The movie does kinda drawn out the pace, but it did lose my interest, a bit between the time in Hong Kong and then the time in Shanghai. The violent in the film for one pervasive murder sequence is pretty bloody. It just as disturbing as the rape scenes. The acting in this movie is pretty good. Wei is just great, playing, both the innocent country girl with little sexual experience, and later as the sexy seducer. Tony Leung pretty much born to play dark brooding characters, so in this film. He doesn't really bring anything new with this role. I don't see him playing against type. Tony Leung portrays someone completely opposite of his usual characters. I doubt that. The sets are beautiful and looks like the time in which the story is place. The camera work by Rodrigo Prieto is amazing. The music by Alexandre Desplat's has this East meet West dramatic tone to it. While the movie isn't dub into English. The subtitles work with understanding the Chinese culture as a whole during this brutal realism period. The movie also hints a brief reference of a play by Doll's House by Henrick Ibsen of the dark times for women rights, then. In the play, a woman is unable to find herself, due to being control in a male domination world. The character of Wong Chia Chi is somewhat like that. She was abandoned by her father-figure, then forced by war into service by whoring by a mostly male patriotism companionship. She was already self-defeat before she met Mr. Yee. Then in the end, tragedy hits when she tries to choose her own path. The ending is shows the tragic consequence of how lust can made a person forget about their own safety and not focus on caution. The China version is a little bit, different than the American one in the ending. Make sure to look for the 2008 DVD with the NC-17 version, which includes ten minutes of footage not allowed by the MPAA to run during the original theatrical run. It's hard to watch, at first, but after multiple views, you can see that there is more to the film than a graphic controversial well-publicized sex scenes.

I was enthralled by Ang Lee's modern classic Brokeback Mountain. So I decided to check out Lust, Caution that got the golden lion at the Venice Film Festival. I am happy that this was the first Chinese film I saw as it is a true masterpiece.Wong Chia Chi is a shy, inexperienced University student who transforms into the wealthy, elegant Mrs. Mai to spy on the special agent Mr. Yee. Though their first attempt fails, she traps Mr. Yee the second time. But this time, their relation grows from violent, lustful to emotional, intense and passionate.Lust, love and betrayal are key-elements in the plot and Ang Lee juxtaposes them effectively. Even small, minute details are paid attention in the film. For instance, never again will you see (or play) Mahjong without recalling the opulent scene of the game in the beginning. The production design gives a magnificent look and, I assume, is historically accurate. Cinematography is excellent. The film is 160 minutes long and certain sequences are tiring and overwhelming to watch, especially the graphic sex scenes that display the elements of lust and passion. Nevertheless, the screenplay is captivating and the clandestine means of the group are amusing to watch.Tang Wei's performance belies that this was her very first film role. She is the lifeline of Lust, Caution. She is the naïve, shy girl of the university, the rebellious, patriotic spy and the silent, secluded, mysterious mistress of Mr. Yee. She breathes life into each of her dimensions and comes up with a mesmerizing performance that prompts you to watch the film over and over. Joan Chen is lovable as Mrs. Yee. Leehom Wang is perfect for the role. Tony Leung Chiu-Wai got an extremely tough role to which he has put commendable efforts.Lee's direction, what can I say? He is the master. I was speechless as the film ended. He is a director who surpasses expectations, although this was just his second film I saw. I was pleasantly surprised to see Indian actor Anupam Kher in the film as a jeweler. He was flawless as always.Ang Lee's Lust, Caution is a must watch – favorably the NC-17 version. Also, the film has wonderful music. It is pure art.

Most of the movies I have seen recently have been more entertaining than moving. Not this one. This movie simply was incredible about its expressiveness. By seeing into the faces of the actors, you have been living through a myriad of feelings. It's rare a movie is achieving this for me. The reasons are several: Great story, great directing, great music, great atmosphere, great acting. Everything came together and created a movie on a rare level of perfection.****Spoileralert****Throughout the whole movie was an ulterior tension. You have always been scared that either the main actress gets caught, or the main actor is killed. It kept me interested through all 157 minutes.So why does this movie only have 7.6 points on IMDb? It deserves much more. There might be several reasons. Hong Kong movies are rated less high than Hollywood movies in general. And this movie here, doesn't have much in common with Hollywood movies at all. Especially the ending is something that can rarely be found in Hollywood movies. Also, the almost 3 hours might have been too much for many people. Another reason are probably the raw and controversial sexual scenes. I have to say though, they fit perfectly into this movie. They reflect the emotional world the two main actors live in perfectly. I really hate to see women "raped" in movies (she wasn't exactly raped), but it really seemed to "belong" to this movie.****Spoileralert ending****This movie deserves over 8 points on IMDb. I give this movie 10 points because it's is perfect in my eyes. It's probably going to be one one of my all time favorites.