Lust, Caution

Lust, Caution is a World War II spy movie with sex in it. That's a short sentence to describe this long movie, which is essentially a remake of Hitchcock's Notorious set in China. I think Hitch would have been proud of the sadomasochistic relationship between Tony Leung's vile government official and the young girl who is secretly plotting to murder him, if only because it shows what he could not. In Notorious, Ingrid Bergman must become a sex slave in order to live up to her high-minded patriotic ideal, but Hitch can only imply the awkwardness Bergman's character must have felt in bed with Claude Rains. Ang Lee chooses to show that awkwardness as it develops, contemplating the imaginary line between sex and love.

The spy, named Wong Chia Chi and played by newcomer Tang Wei, is not as politically motivated as Bergman: she is a college student who gets involved with a political theatre troupe by chance, and ends up becoming their leading lady. Her skill is admired, and when the troupe delves into that other type of performance, spying, she is hoisted up as bait. She doesn't care for the ambitions of Kuang, the troupe leader, so much as she cares about him, but even that doesn't motivate her to have sex with Mr. Vee, the group's target. It seems she lets herself be degraded (at first) for the sake of acting, simple pretending, a high stakes poker game. Tang Wei's performance is soft-edged, revealing a young girl who is not calculating or methodical, but instinctual. She often notices behavior and dives into conversations hoping her character will surface. She is, as they say, "a natural." It isn't too much of a leap to see her more than just physically involved with her prey; the film's many details, and many twists, do not anticipate the ending, which is unsatisfying and emotionally ambiguous.

The film's motion is a downward spiral, as Wong vacillates between love and hate for Mr. Vee. The film, like Wong, is not very concerned about the specifics of evil; perhaps this political blind spot is what allows Wong to fall so deeply for Mr. Vee. By ignoring the political ins and outs of wartime China, the film engrosses us in the sex, the suspense, and the pretending, not unlike Notorious.

Sex is the hinge this story turns on, and the film withholds it as long as possible. There are only two real sex scenes, but the first is violent while the second is simply long and graphic. Mr. Vee seems to channel his sadistic work (torturing rebels) into his bedroom etiquette, but Wong's intentions are more difficult to read. At times she seems in pain, while other times she seems simpatico with Vee's passionate aggression. She speaks to her superiors in the resistance as if she hates every moment with Mr. Vee, and I don't believe she is lying to them. Perhaps she is so repulsed at herself for being attracted to his domineering behavior. Add to this the confused and unconsummated relationship with Kuang, who I'm sure would be a better man to live with, but perhaps not as satisfying sexually. Wong's choice between sex, (or should I say rough sex), and love is a choice Ingrid Bergman never had to make.

Hitch would've liked the sex, but I'm not sure what his opinion would be of director Ang Lee's slow pacing and atmospheric direction. The film, as said before, is long, but this is to its credit: we may expect an "epic" three hour film to be based on a long novel, yet the 158 minute Lust, Caution is based on a short story. Like well written prose, Lee's film describes and focuses, never rushing past anything important, poetically balancing plot, theme, and detail. This is a story that could have been cheap and pulpy. Instead, it is hefty and complete, leaving an indelible mark on those who will invest in the characters.