Lust, Caution

Ang Lee’s newest film, an erotically-charged espionage thriller with more than a few deliberate shades of Hitchcock is definitely not for the casual moviegoer. Not only will its occasionally meandering 2 ½-hour plus running time try the patience of the less easily engrossed, but the intensely graphic sex scenes (the film is rated NC-17, almost exclusively for that reason) will no doubt shock and offend many viewers. But to those that are swept away by the alluring visuals and suspenseful story, LUST, CAUTION will be a rich, wonderfully evocative experience.

The place is Japanese-occupied China in the midst of World War II. Wang Jiazhi (Wei Tang, making an impressive film debut) is a young college student who finds herself swept up in a resistance-centered drama troupe. When the leader of the troupe decides that merely staging theatrical protests is not enough, they turn to assassination. They disguise themselves in order to infiltrate the house of a political figure (Tony Leung) with known ties to the Japanese government. He begins to focus his attention on Wang, and the others soon realize the only way to get to him; he must be seduced.

But the plan, as always, is not simple; a fact represented well by the film’s length. The narrative stretches over several years, using the tried-and-true method of bookends to introduce the story. The problem, though, is that with the jumps back and forward in time, the chronological sequence of events becomes muddied for an extended period. And while the film is nail-bitingly suspenseful in parts, the effectiveness is subdued by the long stretches of straight dramatic scenes. The film does well with fleshing out its characters (as it should in a film this long), but it has too many near-climaxes for its own good; with each apparent finale dashed away, its energy sags just a bit. But this does not wither away the film too badly; by the film’s end, the engaged viewer is still completely engaged.

Yet the one aspect that will turn away the most viewers is the film’s graphic depictions of sex. Lee does not shy away from the act itself or the frightening, uncomfortable and disturbing emotions connected with it. The film’s thematic content is helped a great deal by the frankness of these scenes; a sequence where Wei and Leung’s bodies are literally meshed together visually illustrates the heroine’s mind far better than words ever could. This is one of the many Hitchcockian traits Lee uses to great effect; there is a distinct reliance on visuals over dialogue throughout, letting the actors’ eyes speak volumes more than their mouths.

As always with Lee’s films, the film is superbly constructed. All the technicals, from the lush production and costume design to the subdued cinematography brings wartime China vividly to life. Alexandre Desplat’s evocative score injects a sense of tragic romance in the film, shaping it into a thing of beauty reminiscent of VERTIGO. Lee gives great detail to the surrounding environment, making even the smallest of images, like lipstick on the edge of a cup, noticeable and meaningful.

LUST, CAUTION is not a film for someone who basically wants to stop thinking for two hours and watch a movie. Those who are up to the challenge will feel more than justly rewarded by what they see. It is a long, roller coaster-like journey, but a very effecting one. Those who watch it will understand that they’ve seen something very different; a film that takes severe risks and deftly pulls them off. Lee once again shows he is a modern master of the cinema, able to adapt to any genre and produce a work of art.

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