Lust, Caution
Director: Ang Lee
Cert: 18
Time: 2 hrs 28mins
Set in World War II Shanghai during the Japanese occupation, Lust Caution traces the complex relationship between Wong Chia Chi (Tang Wei) a young Chinese spy and Mr Yee (Tony Leung) the dangerous Japanese collaborator she has been assigned to seduce.
For the first half an hour I struggled to follow fully, what was happening. But eventually an intriguing, rather than a thrilling, film evolves which, by end game, leaves one feeling emotionally drained. Much of this has to do with the intensity and aggression of the explicit sex, which is designed to disturb.
Visually stylish Ang Lee’s adaptation of the short story by Chinese author Eileen Chang might not ignite, but it still provides an absorbing insight into a little known aspect of the Second World War.
Rating: 3/5
CA
