"Stylized and visually arresting, with intense sex scenes that earned the film an NC-17 rating, Ang Lee's Lust, Caution is an immersion into another time, place and mentality." (SF Chronicle) Set in mid-20th century Japanese-occupied Hong Kong, Lust, Caution is a political spy thriller/love story that shows how greatly people's lives were affected by World War II, and how the war complicated and perverted the way people interacted with one another. The film follows a young woman, Chia Chi, who finds herself among a group of politically active actors. When their stage performances fail to sate their political desires, they turn to active resistance. As the prettiest member of the troupe, Chia is chosen to seduce the Chinese traitor Mr. Yee, who has been interfering with the resistance, even though she is a virgin. She "practices" with one of her group members, introducing a major theme in the film: people doing normal things for wrong or twisted reasons. Through deception and manipulation, Chia infiltrates Yee's world, and learns his personal and political secrets. more at focusfeatures.com 35mm
2007, color, 2 hours 37 minutes, USA/China/Taiwan