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Ang Lee, Lust, Caution (Se, jie)

by Chris Flippo
11/28/2007

If you’ve heard about Lust, Caution before reading this review, then you’ve heard about its graphic depictions of sex. There’s just no way around that. The trade publications have been doing articles on that aspect of the film ever since it took top prize at the Venice Film Festival. However, it’s a shame, because director Ang Lee’s latest is much more than sexploitation. It’s an espionage thriller that owes at least a tip of the hat to Hitchcock. Lust, Caution is an assured, tense piece of filmmaking which sits comfortably in the Ang Lee canon.

The story opens in Shanghai during World War II. Japanese forces have taken over the city, and small rebellions have begun. Student Wong Chia Chi (Wei Tang) becomes involved with one such group of rebels (which doubles as an acting troupe, no less!) and is soon forced into spying on Mr. Yee (Tony Leung), a powerful political figure. Assuming a new identity, Wong literally starts sleeping with the enemy. However, her hatred toward him eventually turns into sympathy, and she will soon have to decide whether Mr. Yee must live or die.

Now, with the plot synopsis out of the way, is Lust, Caution anything new? No, not really, but the film takes these standard materials and makes them work yet again. The film has a slow pace that is off-putting at first, but eventually becomes absorbing. Then, as the last few reels begin to roll, it becomes clear that Lust, Caution wants to leave you shaken and, in that regard, it’s a rousing success. Notice the little nod to Hitchcock’s Suspicion about midway through.

If the film’s execution is not flawless, then its pretty close. Readers, you know I am not one to usually talk about production value, since great films can be made for $100,000 or a $100 million. However, I will say that Ang Lee’s trademark eye for detail is present in every frame. There are some scenes of 1940's Shanghai that are so expansive, yet so precise, that I tried to looked for the seams. Surely someone must have worn some Converses that day.

Much of the film’s success could be attributed to the actors. Despite some amazing stories, political thrillers have this strange tendency to become cool-to-the-touch when dealing with characters. Lust, Caution could have fallen into this same trap, but Tang and Leung deserve special credit for bringing a surprising amount of humanity to their parts. Not a whole lot, mind you, but just enough.

However, all this is not to say Lust, Caution is perfect. At a long 157 minutes, the film could have used a more liberal editor, since it is not thematically strong enough to justify its excessive length. Some scenes are repetitive, while some just simply go on too long. Lust, Caution deserves some credit for not getting bogged down in subplots (as do most long films), but the film would have been better-served to stream-line the story into a more focused thriller.

But never mind. If length is the only thing you have to complain about, then you don’t really have a lot to complain about, do you? Lust, Caution is a good film that features some very solid acting and directing. It proves itself to be a welcome addition to the espionage sub-genre. Just don’t take your grandparents.

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