Lust, Caution

Release date: October 5, 2007
Directed by: Ang Lee
Starring: Wei Tang, Tony Leung, Lee-Hom Wang, Joan Chen

I'd hate to be in Ang Lee's shoes right now. Having earned a reputation as a top director with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain (his name is associated with Hulk in hushed tones), the tide of expectation becomes greater with every successive film.

So when he does something a little different, people sulk — some not so quietly. From the man who can delicately dance around Jane Austen (Sense And Sensibility) and create a movie so deliciously food-oriented that it could leave you drooling for days (Eat Drink Man Woman), this time Lee got dirty. Really dirty. And the results aren't going to be everyone's cup of oolong tea.

Living in Shanghai under the threat of invasion by the Japanese, Wang (Tang) is a young, attractive and quiet student. After being approached by a dramatic group to star in a play to raise money for the resistance, she finds her footing and develops a crush on Kuang (Wang), an ambitious and handsome student and actor determined to do his part for China.

But Kuang has revolt on his mind — not love. At his urging, the group decides to temporarily cast aside their student roles to create a trap for and eventually kill a Chinese traitor, Mr. Yee (Leung). Wang is nominated to infiltrate the Yee household, which she does only too well. Her next step becomes clear: seduce Mr. Yee, earn his trust and arrange for a viable moment where he's set up to be killed by her comrades.

Caution: Not Close Enough For Lust
But as Wang becomes further enmeshed in her role as the wealthy sophisticate Mrs. Mak, the lines start blurring, and her double life slowly begins to peel away at her. And bit by painful bit, the group's youth and earnestness bleeds away as they tumble into an increasingly dangerous plot.

This film is a monster, clocking in at just over two-and-a-half hours. It starts off incredibly slow. Lee takes his time, warming you slowly to Wang's world. Each tiny nuance and detail is recorded and paraded about, right down to Wang's lipstick, dress and the clips holding her nylons. The click of mahjong tiles; the texture of curtains; rain in the street. Awkward moments are given equal screen time, rather than fast-forward collages with skimpy musical accompaniment. And all of a sudden you realize that you're not just watching Wang... you are her.

How often can you sit in a theatre and hear the audience go through the three reactions of fear, laughter and silence? With gasps of delight and murmurs of displeasure, the audience is entranced with Wang's world of betrayal and lust.

There is plenty of lust. Lee practically zips through the entire Kama Sutra in a graphic display of sex and limb contortions that would make a gymnast blink twice and blush. And just when you wait for the cameras to cut away and move forward, there's even more.

Yet the flagrant displays of boob and mad humping are only a backdrop for the story and characters. Lee's world of intrigue is bubble-like in that it takes into account events happening in the outside world, but resists the pull of telling more than necessary. This is the world through Wang's eyes, so moments of omnipotent insight are few and far between. Instead, the world is fed to us through the characters, who are neither overly complicated nor insultingly one-dimensional.

This is not a Hollywood movie. Lee went out of his way to create a film as texturally real as possible. The sex looks real. The death looks real. The characters look real. And in reality, things aren't always smooth or pristine. They're dirty and faulty... and utterly captivating.

And much like real life, it may take some time to invest in it. Lee doesn't make films for those who want to be spoon-fed. Lust, Caution requires an investment of both time and patience. It isn't going to be everyone's best friend, but it can be a rather fascinating acquaintance... if you let it.