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Lust, Caution

Original title: Se, jie
  • 2007
  • 16
  • 2h 37m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
46K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,749
480
Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Tang Wei in Lust, Caution (2007)
Theatrical Trailer from Focus Features
Play trailer1:45
4 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaHistoryRomanceThrillerWar

During World War II era, a young woman, Wang Jiazhi, gets swept up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure, Mr. Yee.During World War II era, a young woman, Wang Jiazhi, gets swept up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure, Mr. Yee.During World War II era, a young woman, Wang Jiazhi, gets swept up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure, Mr. Yee.

  • Director
    • Ang Lee
  • Writers
    • Eileen Chang
    • James Schamus
    • Hui-Ling Wang
  • Stars
    • Tony Leung Chiu-wai
    • Tang Wei
    • Joan Chen
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    46K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,749
    480
    • Director
      • Ang Lee
    • Writers
      • Eileen Chang
      • James Schamus
      • Hui-Ling Wang
    • Stars
      • Tony Leung Chiu-wai
      • Tang Wei
      • Joan Chen
    • 190User reviews
    • 197Critic reviews
    • 61Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 BAFTA Awards
      • 28 wins & 56 nominations total

    Videos4

    Lust, Caution
    Trailer 1:45
    Lust, Caution
    Lust, Caution: Arrival At The House
    Clip 1:23
    Lust, Caution: Arrival At The House
    Lust, Caution: Arrival At The House
    Clip 1:23
    Lust, Caution: Arrival At The House
    Lust, Caution
    Interview 0:35
    Lust, Caution
    Lust, Caution
    Interview 0:45
    Lust, Caution

    Photos599

    View Poster
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    + 593
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    Top cast38

    Edit
    Tony Leung Chiu-wai
    Tony Leung Chiu-wai
    • Mr. Yee
    • (as Tony Chiu Wai Leung)
    Tang Wei
    Tang Wei
    • Wong Chia Chi…
    Joan Chen
    Joan Chen
    • Mrs. Yee
    Leehom Wang
    Leehom Wang
    • Kuang Yu Min
    Chung-Hua Tou
    Chung-Hua Tou
    • Old Wu
    • (as Tsung-Hua Tuo)
    Zhi-Ying Zhu
    Zhi-Ying Zhu
    • Lai Shu Jin
    • (as Chih-ying Chu)
    Ying-Hsuan Kao
    Ying-Hsuan Kao
    • Huang Lei
    Lawrence Ko
    Lawrence Ko
    • Liang Jun Sheng
    • (as Ko Yu-Luen)
    Johnson Yuen
    Johnson Yuen
    • Auyang Ling Wen…
    Kar Lok Chin
    Kar Lok Chin
    • Tsao
    Yan Su
    Yan Su
    • Mrs. Ma
    Saifei He
    Saifei He
    • Mrs. Hsiao
    Ruhui Song
    • Wang's Aunt
    Hui-Ling Wang
    • Mrs. Liao
    Jie Liu
    Jie Liu
    • Mrs. Leung
    Anupam Kher
    Anupam Kher
    • Khalid Saiduddin
    Akiko Takeshita
    • Japanese Tavern Boss Lady
    Hayato Fujiki
    • Japanese Colonel Sato
    • Director
      • Ang Lee
    • Writers
      • Eileen Chang
      • James Schamus
      • Hui-Ling Wang
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Director Ang Lee made Tony Leung Chiu-wai study the performances of Marlon Brando in Last Tango in Paris (1972), Humphrey Bogart in Vreemde ontmoeting (1950) and Richard Burton in Equus (1977), to give him a sense of wounded masculinity, which Lee felt was right for the character of Mr. Yee.
    • Goofs
      In the café scene where Mak Tai Tai is calling her comrades the ringer heard through the phone both times is a modern ringer, which wasn't used until the 1970s/early 1980s.
    • Quotes

      Old Wu: Don't tell me what to do! You listen to me! Yee murdered my wife and both my children. But I could still eat with him at the same table! That's what an agent must be able to do! I'd like nothing better than to kill him with my own hands. But if letting him live another few days is valuable, then we must! Keep him hooked, and keep me informed. Don't do anything without my order. Remember... For an agent there is only one thing... Loyalty. To the party, to our leader, to our country. Understand?

      Wong Chia Chi: Don't worry. I'll do whatever you say.

      Old Wu: Good. Very good. All you need to do is keep him trapped. If you need anything...

      Wong Chia Chi: What trap are you talking about? My body? What do you take him for? He knows better than you how to put on an act. He not only gets inside me... he worms his way into my heart like a snake. Deeper. All the way in. I take him in like a slave. I play my part faithfully... so I, too, can get to his heart. Every time... he hurts me until I bleed... and scream. Then he is satisfied. Then he feels alive. In the dark... only he knows it's all real.

      Old Wu: That's enough.

      Wong Chia Chi: That's why... That's why I can torture him until he can't stand it any longer... and still I go on until we collapse from exhaustion.

      Old Wu: Enough!

      Wong Chia Chi: And when he finally comes inside me, I think maybe this is it. Maybe this is when you'll rush in and shoot him in the back of the head... and his blood and brains will cover me!

      Old Wu: Shut up!

    • Alternate versions
      An R-Rated version was made for the home video market for sale in places that doesn't carry NC-17 films (e.g. supermarkets). The run-time of the R-rated version is only ~30 seconds less but features ~70 seconds of alternative footage to soften the rating.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Kingdom/Trade/The Game Plan/Feast of Love/The Darjeeling Limited/Lust, Caution (2007)
    • Soundtracks
      Klavierstücke Op. 118 No. 2 Intermezzo
      Composed by Johannes Brahms

      Performed by Alain Planès

      (p) 2007 Decca Label Group

    User reviews190

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10

    More incredible film-making from Ang Lee

    What a movie. I saw this movie yesterday and I'm still thinking about it. Tony Leung is just awesome. I had seen him in a few movies, I'd already determined that he's a great actor. I have no problem understanding what's going on with him without reading the subtitles because he communicates so much with his eyes. So watching him in this I was curious to see that something else was coming across than you'd normally expect. Here he's playing against type and I thought he did a wonderful job. Definitely Oscar worthy. As is his costar, who I kept trying to rack my brain for a film I'd seen her in but apparently she's a newbie. You'd never know it from her performance. It's a true leading performance since she carries most of the film being in just about every minute of it. She's great. And how great was it to see Josie Packard (Joan Chen) again. :)

    Ang Lee is a genius. He's so good at capturing the emotions of his characters and actors. It's like he unfolds them so that everything on the inside is laid bare. From The Ice Storm to Brokeback Mountain to Lust, Caution he shows you real people and how they love and damage and betray each other, and more specifically how it feels. That's true talent. Anyone can point a camera. This is something else entirely.

    The film itself is the best espionage film I've ever seen, but that's not all it is. It's very much like a noir and a war film and romance is probably the genre that is represented least. I've read a few reviews mentioning love and falling in it. There is some of that but I think maybe those people might want to give this one another go. They might have missed the point.

    Who should see this? Adults. But I'm not saying that because of the sex scenes. I'm 33. I don't know if I would have completely grasped the emotional complexity of this film 10 years ago. I think you need to have been kicked around a bit by life to fully appreciate what's happening here. Anyone who likes old movies, sad movies, good movies. Bogart fans, noir fans, costume design fans should all enjoy it. I sincerely hope it gets some recognition around Oscar time. It's my favorite this year so far.
    • the_Poppuns
    • Oct 5, 2007
    • Permalink

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    FAQ23

    • How long is Lust, Caution?Powered by Alexa
    • What are the differences between the R-rated version and the NC-17 version?
    • How much is ten taels of gold?
    • Is the character Wong Chia Chi based on a real-life person?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 24, 2008 (Netherlands)
    • Countries of origin
      • Taiwan
      • United States
      • Hong Kong
      • China
    • Official site
      • Focus Features (United States)
    • Languages
      • Mandarin
      • Japanese
      • English
      • Shanghainese
      • Hindi
      • Cantonese
    • Also known as
      • Sắc, Giới
    • Filming locations
      • Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia(students on the tram: Jalan Chung On Siew)
    • Production companies
      • Haishang Films
      • Focus Features
      • River Road Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $4,604,982
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $63,918
      • Sep 30, 2007
    • Gross worldwide
      • $67,091,915
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 37 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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