Rating of
3/4
Wonderfully evocative, but not for everyone
newmans_own - wrote on 10/05/07
Ang Lee’s newest film, an erotically-charged espionage thriller with more than a few deliberate shades of Hitchcock is definitely not for the casual moviegoer. Not only will its occasionally meandering 2 ½-hour plus running time try the patience of the less easily engrossed, but the intensely graphic sex scenes (the film is rated NC-17, almost exclusively for that reason) will no doubt shock and offend many viewers. But to those that are swept away by the alluring visuals and suspenseful story, LUST, CAUTION will be a rich, wonderfully evocative experience.
The one aspect that will turn away the most viewers is the film’s graphic depictions of sex. Lee does not shy away from the act itself or the frightening, uncomfortable and disturbing emotions connected with it. The film’s thematic content is helped a great deal by the frankness of these scenes; a sequence where Wei and Leung’s bodies are literally meshed together visually illustrates the heroine’s mind far better than words ever could. This is one of the many Hitchcockian traits Lee uses to great effect; there is a distinct reliance on visuals over dialogue throughout, letting the actors’ eyes speak volumes more than their mouths.
LUST, CAUTION is not a film for someone who basically wants to stop thinking for two hours and watch a movie. Those who are up to the challenge will feel more than justly rewarded by what they see. It is a long, roller coaster-like journey, but a very effecting one. Those who watch it will understand that they’ve seen something very different; a film that takes severe risks and deftly pulls them off. Lee once again shows he is a modern master of the cinema, able to adapt to any genre and produce a work of art.
***
Full review at http://newmanscorner.blogspot.com
