Classics: A Review of Lust, Caution By Lauren Ennis

President John F. Kennedy famously said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country". In the 2007 espionage thriller Lust, Caution one woman asks what she can do for her country, but soon finds herself wondering how much she is willing to do for her country and at what cost. The film elevates itself beyond typical Hollywood spyjinks by shedding light upon the inner workings of the shadowy world of espionage and the relentless toll of war, even upon those who wage it in secret. Tempting, thrilling, and ultimately thought provoking Lust, Caution more than fulfills its mission.

Lie back and think of China...

                                            

The story begins in 1938 as inexperienced student Chia Chi Wong travels from occupied Shanghai to Hong Kong. She soon falls in with a group of politically active students and joins in their efforts to produce plays to promote the war effort in mainland China. As the war continues, the students become determined to participate in the war effort and decide to utilize their acting skills as spies. Alluring Chia Chi is recruited to seduce notorious collaborator Mr. Yee as part of an assassination plot. While she succeeds in drawing Yee's attention, the plot ultimately fails after Yee and his wife abruptly move to Shanghai and the students are forced into hiding after a fatal struggle with a Japanese agent. Four years later Chia Chi crosses paths with a former classmate who is now working as an intelligence agent for the Kuomintang and is recruited in another plot against Yee. She then reacquaints herself with Yee and the two embark upon a passionate and tumultuous affair. As the assignment continues she finds herself torn between her patriotic duty and her conflicted personal feelings. When final plans for the assassination are put in place she is forced to make an impossible choice between the country she loves and the enemy she has fallen in love with.

Through its nuanced portrayal of its conflicted heroine Lust, Caution raises vital questions surrounding the complex relationships between patriotic duty and personal freedom as well as the relationship between its central couple. Chia Chi begins the film as a passionate idealist, willing to do anything to secure her people's freedom. As the story progresses, however, she finds herself sacrificing her personal liberty and identity in an attempt to secure that of her country. When her assignment begins taking a psychological toll she turns to her fellow resistance fighters for support, only to realize that even amongst her own comrades she has been relegated to nothing more than a political instrument. As a result, she finds herself drawn to Yee who has similarly subjugated his personal will to that of the occupying Japanese regime. Ironically, it is only in each other's company that these political adversaries are free to openly voice their true thoughts and explore their personal desires. Through its portrayal of the couple's tumultuous relationship the film questions the value of political freedom that comes at the cost of personal liberty. Additionally, the film's depiction of the callous treatment of Chia Chi by her comrades offers a subtle, but damning, critique of any nation that reduces its citizens to political tools and collateral damage. In this way, the film uses its historical drama to offer a scathing critique of the repression that continues to dominate modern China.

Move over Mata Hari!

While the film's tale of seduction and spies seems relegated to a bygone era, the exploits of Chia Chi could actually be taken straight from today's headlines. In recent months it has been discovered that the Chinese Communist Party has spent decades utilizing a variety of intelligence tactics to influence its Western adversaries. The daunting extent of this infiltration was documented in a recent cyber leak released by Australia's Sky News. This leak lists Chinese Communist Party members who are currently in places of prominence in the most elite levels of Western technological, political, and academic institutions. In an instance of life imitating art a report has also been released by Axios detailing the work of CCP agent Fang Fang aka Christine Fang. Fang reportedly seduced numerous American politicians including congressman and House Intelligence Committee member Eric Swallwell as part of the regime's Blue Gold Yellow strategy. In light of these revelations the film's lurid tale seems not only entirely plausible, but also eerily prescient. Through its depiction of the unlikely rise and inevitable fall of its spy the film makes for compelling historical drama while also highlighting the all too present threat that oppressive regimes like the CCP pose to both foreign nations and their own citizens who they continues to utilize as political pawns. 

The film weaves a tantalizing web of intrigue and betrayal thanks to the work of its cast. Joan Chen personifies elegance as Yee's society maven wife. Wang Leehom aptly portrays resistance leader Kuang Yu Min's evolution from compassionate idealist to world weary and desensitized agent. Tang Wei brilliantly brings Chia Chi Wong to life in a performance that deftly interweaves vulnerability, courage, sensuality, innocence, and intelligence with heartbreaking realism. Tony Leung is magnetic in his turn as the equal parts cruel and charming anti-hero Mr. Yee, in a performance that is certain to leave viewers as conflicted as Chia Chi. Together the pair exude a chemistry that is nothing short of smoldering as they transport viewers into the heart of war-time espionage.

Lust, Caution is a cautionary tale for our times. The film utilizes its compelling script and captivating performances to highlight the personal devastation that political turmoil leaves in its wake. Through its portrait of the spy as a young woman the film raises questions about duty, patriotism, and sacrifice that continue to resonate today. Follow Chia Chi for a suspenseful and sensual glimpse into the world of espionage in Lust, Caution.

What, me spy?