Review of Lust, Caution (2007) by Elvira B — 25 Dec 2009

This is a very intense film for adults. There is an exploration of what is romantic love?; and how does sex fit into the calculus? It is set in Japanese occupied WWII China. The sets are impressive. The film includes a few city blocks of war-time Shanghai. They are recreated in great detail. An improbable group of college students decide to try to assassinate a Chinese secret police collaborator. One of the woman students impersonates a wealthy Chinese businessmans wife. She attempts to get close to him by seducing him. Conflict emerges as this process unfolds.

The director is Ang Lee of: BROKE BACK MOUNTAIN, CROUCHING TIGHER, HIDDEN DRAGON, and HULK. This film is long at about 2 hrs 40 mins. Lee was criticized by US critics abt the length. He answered by saying he makes films by using the time necessary to tell the story. He said he does not get this criticism in Asia, Europe, or Australia. Americans are a bit obsessed w/ film length. This movie length felt right to me.

This film was released in 3 ratings. In China, abt 30 mins were excised. I think those mins were primarily of explicit sex scenes. And still, the Chinese government released a public health warning. They asked movie goers not to try the sex positions they saw in the film. In theatres, in the US, it was released as an R rated film. It can be found on DVD rated as NC-17. I think this rating was equivalent to the movie release in Europe and elsewhere. There are a few sex scenes, which are critical to the story and dramatic tension.

Veteran actors, Tony Leung and Joan Chen are excellent here. A new actress, Tang Wei, plays the student seductress. She is almost constantly on-screen. She makes this story come alive. The story fully drew me in.