Ang Lee Chooses Lust over Caution

Ang Lee has never been one to shy away from a controversy, and his new film Lust, Caution is no exception. The Taiwanese director, who shot the stunningly gorgeous Brokeback Mountain, has moved on to the topic of espionage during WWII. The main actress, based on a real character, is a double agent working to infiltrate the network of a Chinese conspirator working for the Japanese. She works her way closer and closer to the villain by becoming his lover, gaining his trust, all the while planning his assassination. (Trailers available here.)

It is this aspect of the film, which is central to the story, that has caused a stir. The sex scenes are so racy and long, it is shocking even to a Western audience that has become more accustomed to this type of content. After walking out of a US theater on a recent trip home I found myself wondering how the movie could possibly have managed to secure an R-rating. It was only later that I discovered it had been given the dreaded NC-17 rating, frequently the kiss of death in the US market.

The next question is how Lee will be able to market the film in China where censors are even less forgiving. I, myself wondered if his choice of tone meant that he had decided that he did not care if the Mainland audience was able to see it in the theatres—which would have been quite peculiar for a Chinese language film.

It turns out that Lee had to cut 7-8 minutes of footage to get into onto Chinese screens. If that does not sound like much to you, time the most graphic sex scenes in the next movie you watch. It is unlikely you will find more than 45 seconds. In Malaysia they actually eliminated more, dropping a total of 11 minutes. Fortunately the original version is a robust 2 and a half hours leaving plenty of room for shortening.

Sex is not the only part of the film that is likely to see the cutting room floor. There is one especially graphic scene of violence that would make almost anyone queasy. However, it is clearly the sexual content that will raise the most eyebrows. Some of the scenes border on pornography, leaving so little to the imagination that interviewers have questioned whether or not the acts were simulated or real (Lee has answered such inquires with an elusive, “I leave that to you to decide.”) And yet despite (or perhaps because of) the explicitness, I walked away feeling that it was more gut wrenching than erotic.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the censorship is that it will significantly change the scope of the film. Clearly Lee is trying to make a point with the brutality and intimacy of the couples’ sexual encounters, and it is difficult to imagine implicit activity having the same stunning effect. Unlike an action film that uses sex as a tool to entice and titillate an audience, Lust, Caution wields it like a skillful painter, both drawing you in and keeping you at a safe distance. Without that message, audiences will walk away with an interesting experience, but it is unlikely to be Lee’s original design. What would a Disney-fied Last Tango in Paris look like?

As most of you know, much of this is a moot point. The Chinese audience already has ways to get their hands on the original, uncut version, weeks before it reaches the official Mainland channels. DVD stores around Chinese cities are stocked, so many have probably already seen the tawdry footage.

Personally, I think it would be fascinating to watch the cut version at this point. The cinematic effect must be so completely different, the emphasis so twisted, that it would be like watching an entirely different movie. Since both versions will be widely available, perhaps it is not a horrible thing that the Chinese censored it. This lets Lee make the film exactly the way he wanted to, while still reaching all audiences. It will be interesting to see what the director decides to do next.

For more blog entries like this you might also be interesting in looking at Cup of Cha.

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