Lust, Caution

Name: Lust, Caution
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Romance, War
Released: September 28, 2007
Duration: 157 min
Rating: 61
Cast: Joan Chen, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Wei Tang

2007

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Generally favorable reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 129 Ratings

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6.8

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6.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 129 Ratings

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Lust, Caution

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Movie Details & Credits

Focus Features | Release Date: September 28, 2007 | TV-MA

Starring: Joan Chen, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Wei Tang

Summary: Shanghai, 1942. Japan's World War II occupation of this Chinese city continues in force. Mrs. Mak, a woman of sophistication and means, walks into a café, places a phone call, and then sits and waits. She remembers how her story began several years earlier, in China in 1938. She is not in fact Mrs. Mak, but shy Wong Chia Chi. With WWIIShanghai, 1942. Japan's World War II occupation of this Chinese city continues in force. Mrs. Mak, a woman of sophistication and means, walks into a café, places a phone call, and then sits and waits. She remembers how her story began several years earlier, in China in 1938. She is not in fact Mrs. Mak, but shy Wong Chia Chi. With WWII underway, Wong has been left behind by her father, who has escaped to England. As a freshman at university, she meets fellow student Kuang Yu Min. Kuang has started a drama society to shore up patriotism, As the theater troupe's new leading lady, Wong realizes that she has found her calling, able to move and inspire audiences--and Kuang. He convenes a core group of students to carry out a radical and ambitious plan to assassinate a top Japanese collaborator, Mr. Yee. Each student has a part to play; Wong will be Mrs. Mak, who will gain Yee's trust by befriending his wife and then draw the man into an affair. Wong transforms herself utterly inside and out, and the scenario proceeds as scripted--until an unexpectedly fatal twist spurs her to flee. (Focus Features)… Expand

Director: Ang Lee

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Romance, War

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 157 min

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Critic Reviews

100

TV Guide Magazine Ken Fox

Lee has perfectly captured the details, textures, sights and sounds of a China caught between East and West, occupied by an ancient enemy and quaking on the eve of an earth-shaking revolution. Read full review

Steven Rea

A rich, beautifully detailed espionage thriller that captures the bygone days of Shanghai - and 1940s Hollywood noirs' romantic evocations of same - Lust, Caution is also one of those rare movie experiences: Its scenes of the trysts between Yee and Mak, from their rough-stuff first encounter to the long, tangled love-making sessions of subsequent meetings, are truly erotic. Read full review

Claudia Puig

But reserve dampens the passion in Lust, Caution, his beautifully mounted but rather unmoving film. It feels surprisingly cold, despite this erotic thriller's ultra-explicit sex scenes. Read full review

Sean Axmaker

The perfectly dressed surfaces couldn't be more lovely, but the long fashion show to the finale smothers the emotions under the length and the look, and Lee's insights into the messy feelings that simmer and stew in the hothouse of sex are, frankly, fairly mundane. Read full review

Anthony Lane

Running two hours and forty minutes, never finds the same balance: by the time he gets to the lust, it is too late to throw caution to the winds. Read full review

Ray Bennett

Ang Lee's lugubrious spy epic Lust, Caution brings to mind what soldiers say about war: that it's long periods of boredom relieved by moments of extremely heightened excitement. Read full review

Stephanie Zacharek

The sex scenes -- intense, affecting and emotionally raw -- are the best thing about this frustratingly limp movie. Read full review

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User Reviews

michellec

Oct 17, 2007

Simply Brilliant.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

AdamM.

Jan 23, 2008

A lot of the subtlety are possibly lost on viewers who aren't familiar with the idea that there are many Chinese languages, which is perhaps one reason they complain about the first half being boring, or limp as the Salon reviewer wrote. The heroine was originally from Shanghai (speak A lot of the subtlety are possibly lost on viewers who aren't familiar with the idea that there are many Chinese languages, which is perhaps one reason they complain about the first half being boring, or limp as the Salon reviewer wrote. The heroine was originally from Shanghai (speak Shanghainese) was posing as someone who grew up in Hong Kong (speak Cantonese). With no exposure of the other language an native Shanghainese (a person that is born in Shanghai) wouldn't understand a word in Cantonese (as in the language), and vice versa. In one scene the heroin and the wives were listening to ??, an art form that originated from Suzhou, a province that borders Shanghai. Suzhou's culture and language is v similar to Shanghai while quite different from Hong Kong's. You can see the heroin was tense all through, pretending that she doesn't really know anything a word of it. The equivalent in terms of European languages would be a Portuguese girl posing as a French girl, sitting through a Spanish play while pretending that she doesn't understand a word of it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

TimC.

Mar 10, 2008

This is a great film if you understand Chinese language and the historic background. It kept me focused throughout the entire movie. Ang Lee knew that there could be cultural barrier for westerners watching this movie, for he said he cared most about how Taiwanese and Chinese people viewed This is a great film if you understand Chinese language and the historic background. It kept me focused throughout the entire movie. Ang Lee knew that there could be cultural barrier for westerners watching this movie, for he said he cared most about how Taiwanese and Chinese people viewed the film. Sense of patriotism exhibited during the Japanese occupation and Chinese feeling about traitors is not easily appreciated. By the way, it is largely based on a true story.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful

LoraL

Oct 22, 2007

The movie was seductive and I became very wrapped up in the plot. I don't understand a couple of the comments about how raping a woman and giving her a diamond will make her fall in love with you. This unjustly summarizes what actually happened. By simplifying the plot in this crude The movie was seductive and I became very wrapped up in the plot. I don't understand a couple of the comments about how raping a woman and giving her a diamond will make her fall in love with you. This unjustly summarizes what actually happened. By simplifying the plot in this crude manner, you ignore the psychological aspects. Mr. Yee and Wong's relationship was presumably Wong's only relationship and it's understandable that she would develop feelings for Mr. Yee. She even said that although she hated him, she could feel him slowly creeping into her heart. I really enjoyed the film despite the sub-titles. It's one of the better films I've watched this year.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Hollyc.

Mar 28, 2008

Lust,Caution is definitely worth seeing if you haven't already. Incredible immersion into WWII China and a group of young college dramatists who take an active role in resisting the Japanese occupation--but more importantly, the Chinese upper class who collaborate with the Japanese. Lust,Caution is definitely worth seeing if you haven't already. Incredible immersion into WWII China and a group of young college dramatists who take an active role in resisting the Japanese occupation--but more importantly, the Chinese upper class who collaborate with the Japanese. Both Tony Leung and Tang Wei are absolutely stellar here. The characters these two become just stick with you--along with their complex relationship/story. The sex scenes were amazing--though I don't think they were matched with the same dramatic/suspense --it's almost as if they were too subtle with much of it--that's just my opinion, though I know others thought it was overt enough. I thought the ending, particularly, was perfect.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

adak

Feb 19, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. //Spoiler//
Tony Leung was wonderful but Tang Wei was brilliant, you were able to feel her innocence, a naivee girl abandoned by every man without much say until she meets Mr.Yee. This time she choose to sacrifice herself for him out of love. These were characters with many flaws, broken human beings but love was their escape. Ang Lee carefully weaves you into their psychology and if you are willing can see that they were two very lonely people that found each other in the cold world that they were a part of. In each other they found a piece of themselves. They were able to feel and live again, even if it was for a short while. The ending has to be that way because that is the kind of survival world Mr.Yee lives in. Everyone does what they are suppose to do and take the consequences for their actions.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JonN.

Oct 15, 2007

A very disappointing movie! I was offended on behalf of Asian women everywhere! The movie perpetuates dangerous stereotypes about Asian women, namely that if you rape them and then buy them a big diamond, they will be willing to betray their country and condemn themselves and their friends A very disappointing movie! I was offended on behalf of Asian women everywhere! The movie perpetuates dangerous stereotypes about Asian women, namely that if you rape them and then buy them a big diamond, they will be willing to betray their country and condemn themselves and their friends to death. This especially disappointing in light of the fact that in reality the Chinese woman spy in question didn't betray her country-she failed in her mission, only because her gun jammed! The truth would have made a much more compelling story! Do we really have to sit through another misogynistic movie which portrays Asian women as mindless sex-toys? Shame on you Ang Lee! I would expect this kind of drivel from Hollywood-but you are an Asian man! Professor Jon.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

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