Lust Caution (Se, jie ) Review
Ang Lee is back after hits Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the Oscar winning Brokeback Mountain.
This time the story is set around a series of events in Shanghai during WWII. Based on a short story by Eileen Chang, Any Lee’s film tells the tale of Wong Chia Chi, a Chinese student caught up in a plot to kill Japanese collaborator, Mr Yee. When the original plot falls through, years pass before Wong gets a 2nd chance. What follows is an emotionally and physically charged piece tackling everything from love to torture and back again.
Ang Lee’s film is simply stunning, those used to the sweeping country vistas of Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, will be equally mesmerised as a beautifully realised Shanghai is brought to the screen. The attention to detail is so stunning; it’s difficult to remember you’re watching a film and not a documentary.
What starts out as a relatively simple honey trap, slowly turns into some far more taxing as undercover agent, Wong slowly falls for her mark, the emotionally distant and sadistic Mr. Yee. What follows is a carefully played out game of cat and mouse, as each person slowly lets their guard down bit by bit. Eventually, when Wong finally does snare her man she finds his coldness extends as far into the bedroom as it does his work life.
Much has been made of the graphic sex scenes, and while the director spares no punches in showing this aspect of the turbulent relationship, it is certainly not a film that titillates or sensationalises its subject matter. In fact it was slightly reminiscent of Ai No Corrida in it’s handling of a relationship hurtling towards an unfortunate end.
While the pacing of the film may not be to everyone’s cup of tea, the performances of the central actors, Wei Tang and Tony Leung Chiu Wai are absolutely spellbinding. .
A slow building character piece that builds to a devastating, yet under played conclusion; Ang Lee seems incapable of putting a foot wrong.
A beautiful film that asks more questions than it answers…