Se, jie (2007)

Director:

Ang Lee

Writers:

Eileen Chang (story)
James Schamus (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 September 2007 (Taiwan)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Thriller | War

Tagline:

To kill the enemy, she would have to capture his heart....and break her own.

Plot:

An espionage thriller set in WWII-era Shanghai, in which a young woman, Wang Jiazhi, gets swept up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure, Mr. Yee.

Plot Keywords:

Room | Love | Pubic Hair | Wounded | Green Dress

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 13 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

Tony Leung Chiu Wai	...	Mr. Yee
Wei Tang	...	Wong Chia Chi / Mak Tai Tai
Joan Chen	...	Yee Tai Tai
Lee-Hom Wang	...	Kuang Yu Min
Chung Hua Tou	...	Old Wu
Chih-ying Chu	...	Lai Shu Jin
Ying-hsien Kao	...	Huang Lei
Yue-Lin Ko	...	Liang Jun Sheng
Johnson Yuen	...	Auyang Ling Wen / Mr. Mak
Kar Lok Chin	...	Tsao
Su Yan	...	Ma Tai Tai
Caifei He	...	Hsiao Tai Tai
Ruhui Song	...	Wang's Aunt
Anupam Kher	...	Khalid Saiduddin
Liu Jie	...	Leung Tai Tai

Also Known As:

Lust, Caution (USA)
Se jie (China: Mandarin title)

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for some explicit sexuality; Rated R for strong sexual content and a scene of brutal violence (edited version).

Runtime:

157 min | 148 min (edited version)

Country:

USA | China | Taiwan | Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin | Japanese | English | Hindi | Shanghainese | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:16 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Taiwan:R-18 | Finland:K-15 | USA:NC-17 | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) (uncut version) | Australia:R | Italy:VM14 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Hong Kong:III | Canada:R (Alberta/Manitoba) | USA:R (heavily cut version) | France:-12 | Singapore:NC-16 (edited version) | Argentina:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Singapore:R21 (re-release) (uncut) | Sweden:15 | Norway:15 | Japan:R-18 | Portugal:M/18 | Ireland:18 | Malaysia:18PL (cut) | Canada:18A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Netherlands:16 | South Korea:18 | UK:18 | Canada:16+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Hai Sheng Film Production Company

Trivia:

The rather explicit sex scenes were shot over 11 days on a closed set, with only the main camera and sound personnel present.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tiles of Deception, Lurid Affections: The Making of 'Lust, Caution' (2008) (V)

Judge LUST CAUTION a day later.

When I saw LUST CAUTION yesterday I wasn't sure what to think. There were moments of transcendence and many others of what, at the time, seemed like tedium. I was frustrated that I couldn't decide if this was a masterpiece right away as I was with BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, THE ICE STORM, and CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON. When I woke up this morning I couldn't stop thinking about it. It has haunted me all day and I want to see it again. Perhaps my expectations were so high that I had trouble appreciating what I was watching. More than likely I was anticipating the already notorious sex scenes. In any case LUST CAUTION is another masterpiece by Ang Lee that may take time for some to appreciate it. Years to come it will be studied and watched compulsively. It will strike debate among cinephiles of its worth. Most importantly it will be a film to be treasured, perhaps not by many, but by a very enlightened few.

During the sex scenes I was holding my breath. Lee's slow burn toward these instant classic scenes was like foreplay leading to an explosive climax. Lee's themes of repression and double lives continue in LUST CAUTION. I look forward to savoring and arguing about this film for years to comes.