Se, jie

Lust, Caution / Lust, Caution. US / CN / TW / HK (c) 2007 Hai Sheng Film Production Company etc. P: William Kong, Ang Lee. D: Ang Lee. SC: James Schamus, Hui-Ling Wang - based on the story by Eileen Chang. DP: Rodrigo Prieto. Starring Tony Leung (Mr. Yee), Wei Tang ("Mrs. Mak", Wong Chia Chi), Joan Chen (Mrs. Yee). In Finland the long uncut version 157 min. Released by Sandrew, Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Arto Vartiainen / Ditte Kronström. Viewed at Maxim 1, Helsinki, 9 Feb 2008. A resistance story during the Japanese invasion of China in 1938-1942. Young students plan to assassinate the collaborationist leader, Mr. Yee, by planting a young woman as his mistress, "Mrs. Mak". An elaborate scheme of sex and violence develops. Having recently watched Lubitsch spectacles where the French Revolution and the English Reformation are observed from the viewpoint of the bedchamber I noticed in this film some affinities with them, as well as with Notorious and North by Northwest by Hitchcock. As a Western viewer I would have been interested to learn more about the terrible occupation and the brave resistance, too little known outside China. The sex scenes are powerful but isn't there some imbalance between the epic and the intimate? Anyway, it's another high profile and novel contribution from Ang Lee.