Asian Beauty Appreciation

Lust, Caution (Se, jie) is a 2007 film directed by Ang Lee based off a story by Eileen Chang. The setting is 1930-40s China during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

It stars Wei Tang as the foolhardy young student Wong Chia Chi who poses undercover as Mak Tai Tai in a resistance effort to assassinate Mr. Yee (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), a high-ranking official of the Wang Jinwei Regime.

The film starts out in 1942 Japanese occupied Shanghai with Wong Chia Chi already knee deep undercover as Mak Tai Tai. She befriends Mr. Yee’s wife Yee Tai Tai (Joan Chen) and becomes a part of her inner circle of friends, thus ensnaring Mr. Yee with her beauty.

The first scene is a game of mahjong, which becomes an important center piece to the film.  Much like the ongoings of war and espionage, the game takes strategy and with each match the stakes behind each player’s motives increase. Also a great amount of subtle acting takes places within these scenes, mostly using gestures and eye movements. It’s really a chess match.

The next act of the film takes place when it flashes back to 1938 Hong Kong where we see the first transformations of Wong Chia Chi from a shy freshman at Lingnan University to the confident elegance of Mak Tai Tai. With this metamorphosis I would like to commend not only the production value of the film but also the costume design.

It’s incredible to see street scenes with hundreds of extras all in appropriate 1940s garb. Mak Tai Tai’s outfits especially fit her for they emulate the films of the era. And what is she but acting in a role of espionage. This also brings me to the use of mirrors throughout the film. Not only do they represent analytical reflection but each time we see a character doubled in a mirror, it’s as if we’re seeing their other selves. With Wong Chia Chi we see Mak Tai Tai (and vice versa) and with Mr. Yee we see the man, not the figure.

As the story progresses Mak Tai Tai eventually entraps Mr. Yee with the use of her beauty and flirtation and becomes his mistress. The following love/hate relationship between them is the real meat of the film.

And as featured as Wei Tang’s beautiful physiognomy is, her naked body is given more of a role in this section. The film boasts more than a few sex scenes, with each one more revealing and lengthier than the last. And this is why the film received a NC-17 rating in the U.S.

There are many high points to this film such as the epic tale that it depicts, but with this comes one of its downfalls. The story is extremely specific and anyone not familiar with the history behind the setting can become lost very easily.

While it’s difficult to fully understand the backdrop of the film, at the same time it’s very easy to relate to the character of Wong Chia Chi and her motives behind her actions.

Wei Tang in her first film role masterfully illustrates not only the turmoil but the determination of such a brave and cunning woman. It’s also amazing how she holds her own against the prolific  Tony Leung and his subtle and humanizing portrayal of such a callous figure.