Lust, Caution (NC-17 edition)

Admittedly, my primary motivation for initially viewing Lust, Cautionwas based on reports by foreign newspapers that the film had sparked a certain...frenzy...in China between amorous couples. One story told of a couple who was hospitalized trying to re-enact some of the more complicated positions. In spite of its creative moves, however, Lust, Cautionis a serious film. Moviegoers looking for ways to spice up their "routine," will not be disappointed. But to watch the film is also to be pleasantly surprised.

The film is set in China during the time of the Japanese occupation. Chinese citizens against the occupation were called the "resistance" and it is this group and its efforts to bring down the Japanese that is the focus of the story. It is reminiscent of an early James Bondfilm, filled with spies, murders, mysteries, and beautiful characters. One in particular gives all of herself over to the resistance. In the process, she loses her dignity and her chance at true love, but in exchange, her reward is her country.

After watching the film, you're left thinking about the meaning of limits, and you might ask how far you'd be willing to venture yourself if it were you instead of the character who had been asked to sacrifice so much. You might also ask yourself, for each character, what was their lust, what was their caution. And then ponder why. That, far more than the intimate scenes, is what makes Lust, Cautionworth seeing.