Now, why haven’t we seen Tang Wei and Tony Leung in a film together again?
What it's about
Shanghai, 1942. Three years after university, Wang Jiazhi gets swept up in a passionate yet dangerous relationship with the powerful political informant Mr. Yee, the target she’s assigned to assassinate.
The take
During wartime, war supersedes everything, including love. Wartime would have people ending relationships, forgoing potential dates, and seducing enemies to lead them to downfall, all in order to win, but sometimes, this rarely goes as planned. Lust, Caution is one such story, with the novella’s emotional repression making it a great match for director Ang Lee, main actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai as Japanese informant, and main actress Tang Wei, who made her breakthrough here. It’s not an easy watch. There are moments that falter and the film is a tad too long. But the smoldering stares shared by the two leads, with the lush production design and the beautiful direction, makes Lust, Caution a difficult contemplation of love and sexuality as Wang’s, and the nation’s, double-edged sword.
What stands out
Tang Wei is a standout in this film, even against the likes of Tony Leung. It’s actually a shame that after the film’s release, she was temporarily banned by the Chinese government from making another film due to the explicit scenes. But she was so memorable in this film, it’s no wonder she was able to make it back again after a few years, eventually starring fifteen years later in Park Chan-wook’s neo-noir Decision to Leave (2022).
Comments
Add a comment
Your name
Your comment
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
More like this in
Terrorizers (1986)
Three couples search for truth in this fascinating jigsaw puzzle of modern urban living
7.7
The Farewell (2019)
Awkwafina shines in this complex culture clash comedy.
9.1
Whisper of the Heart (1995)
Finds magic in the ordinary every day—and reminds us the most special art is that which comes from the heart
8.3
The Handmaiden (2016)
Called a masterpiece by many, you are likely to decide to watch this twisted, sexy South-Korean thriller twice.
9.2
Casting Blossoms to the Sky (2012)
A moving, haunting tribute to the ordinary lives lost to war and disaster, and the love that remains in spite of it
8.2
Perfect Days (2023)
This Japanese film is a quaint reminder that joy can be found in the smallest and simplest of things
8.3
Babylon (2022)
An intoxicating and lavishly designed experience of Hollywood hedonism
8.0
Dragon (2011)
Sherlock Holmes meets martial arts master in this exciting, genre-mixing action mystery
7.1
The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon (2023)
A dying criminal kills to be the most wanted in this Taiwanese Western-esque gangster drama
7.5
Comrades, Almost a Love Story (1996)
Almost Hong Kong natives become almost lovers in this heart stirring romance drama