Review of LUST, CAUTION

November 3, 2007

 
Ang Lee has become one of those directors for which every film becomes an anticipated event. This particular one is catching a lot of attention because of several graphic scenes of a sexual nature, but it really is not fair to just judge the movie by those scenes alone. These scenes were shown locally without cuts (unlike Singapore or China). I believe they were integral to the plot, as the characters relationship deepens, and their original motives distorted, with every intense act.

Like "Brokeback Mountain", "Lust, Caution" is also based on a short story, this time by Eileen Chang. But Ang's exposition and interpretation extended this material into a 2 hour and 35 minute movie. I did not feel the length of the movie. It was very well paced and very interesting all throughout. Again, films with situations based to real history interest me. The contrast of the lives of the rich and poor at that time were very well portrayed. The rich talk about jewels and gossip over the mahjongg table, as outside, the poor need to line up to get their rice rations and die on the streets.

As with other Ang Lee films, the cinematography was again the main star -- very rich and vibrant. The camera angles were very unique. The production design of old Shanghai and Hongkong, complete with the period costumes, were very painstakingly depicted.

Both lead stars were very daring in the depiction of their roles. Tony Leung is really very good in this one. His intensity as an actor penetrates the screen. As the female lead, Tang Wei is very impressive, considering that this is her first movie. Those quiet scenes in the cafe (purposely chosen by Mr. Yee because it had bad food, thus less people who could see and bother them), and the geisha house (where Mr. Yee lets down his guard and likens his own situation with whoring) are the best in the whole movie.

Despite all this embellishment, the main conflict and story are actually very simple, even disappointing in its resolution. This is my main complaint about this movie. I had wished for a less typical denouement, but that was not to be.



****** SPOILERS FOLLOW ********

The story is about a girl Wong Chia Chi (a daring debut performance by Tang Wei) who joins a patriotic theater group, headed by Kuang (Wang Lee Hom) in her freshman year in college during the war of China with Japan. One vacation, her group got the idea of assassinating a big-time Japanese collaborator, Mr. Yee (the ever dapper and sinister Tony Leung). Wong posed as Mrs. Mak, a lonely businessman's wife, who infiltrates the Yee household by befriending and playing mahjongg with Mrs. Yee (Joan Chen). While Wong has succeeded in attracting Mr. Yee's attention, this initial attempt did not succeed because they were accidentally found out by one of Mr. Yee's lackeys whom they had initially used as a connection. They had to kill this guy in the movie's most violent scene.

Three years later, Wong was back in Shanghai, and back in college. One day, she again encounters Kuang who recruits her back to reprise her role as Mrs. Mak. She agrees, and finds her way back into the Yee household. This time, Mr. Yee wastes no time in consummating his lust for her, pent-up for the past three years. After the initial violent rape scenario, more sex scenes follow, all with so much intense passion. Things come to a head when during the day that Kuang's group was set to kill Mr. Yee, Wong had a sudden moment of weakness that changes the course of their plans.

For me, the resolution of the story is the one area of disappointment for me, as i felt that the ending was so much similar to other movies that dealt with the same plot. I would have wanted to see Wong see her mission through, despite the huge 6 carat diamond ring dazzling before her eyes at that fateful moment. I thought she would be much stronger in her resolve than that, especially seeing how much she had already gone through in her life to get to that moment.