Movie Review- LUST, CAUTION

HEADLINE: ** More Sexual Confusion, Of Another Color **
TITLE: LUST, CAUTION
Quality: * * * Acceptability: -4
SUBTITLES: -- Chinese dialogue with English subtitles --
WARNING CODES:
Language: None
Violence: VVV
Sex: SSS
Nudity: NNN

RATING: NC-17
RELEASE: October 5, 2007
TIME: 157 minutes
STARRING: Tony Leung, Tang Wei, Joan Chen, Wang Leehom, and Tou Chung Hua
DIRECTOR: Ang Lee
PRODUCERS: Ang Lee, James Schamus and Bill Kong
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Song Dai, Ben Zhong Lun and Darren Shaw
WRITERS: Wang Hui Ling and James Schamus
BASED ON A SHORT STORY BY: Eileen Chang
DISTRIBUTOR: Focus Features

CONTENT: (HH, VVV, SSS, NNN, AA, D, MM) Confusing humanist worldview seems to sympathize with both right-wing fascists and their left-wing enemies, who also lack high moral standards; no foul language; brief snatch of extreme violence with blood when a man sympathizing with Japanese fascists is brutally stabbed many times and emotionally distraught man collaborating with Japanese fascists tells lover about torture incident where victim's blood splattered his shoes and clothes; extreme adulterous sex includes sadomasochistic sodomy scene and more demure scenes where young woman fornicates with man so she can have sexual experience before she tries to become lover of fascist collaborator; many shots of full nudity and upper and rear nudity; drinking and drunkenness; smoking; and, miscellaneous immorality such as betrayal, lying, espionage, fascism, most of which is not resolved in a moral fashion that edifies viewers.

GENRE: Historical Drama
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Adults

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James Schamus, President
Focus Features/Rogue Pictures
A Division of NBC Universal and General Electric
65 Bleecker St., 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 539-4000
Fax: (212) 539-4099
Website: www.focusfeatures.com

SUMMARY: Rated NC-17, LUST, CAUTION is a Chinese language movie about an actress who gets involved with an older man collaborating with the Japanese invaders in China during World War II. The movie's extremely graphic sex scenes and full nudity are completely gratuitous and ultimately confusing, adding little intelligent insight to the two main characters and their relationship.

IN BRIEF:

Rated NC-17, LUST, CAUTION takes place in 1938 and 1941 in Hong Kong and Shanghai, China. Wong Chia Chi, a young woman, gets involved with a troupe of left-wing actors in Hong Kong. One day, Kuang, the director of the troop, has a chance encounter with an old friend, who just happens to be friends with the local Chinese collaborator working for Japan, the extremely cautious Mr. Yee. Though he clearly loves Wong, Kuang decides that the troupe must assassinate the married Mr. Yee, using Wong's charms and acting skills as bait. Eventually, Wong becomes emotionally trapped by her quarry and the dangerous role she plays.

This story would be enough to make a great movie, but Director Ang Lee can't leave well enough alone, even though he is blessed by two terrific actors, Tony Leung and Tang Wei. He peppers his lengthy movie with pornographic, sometimes brutal, gratuitous sex scenes. Like Ang Lee's BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, this movie's explicit sexual immorality doesn't make much sense dramatically. Lee can't decide whether the two characters are in lust or in love, or whether they like their relationship or are disgusted by it.