Lust, Caution

R

Released Sep 28, 2007

2h 35m

Mystery & Thriller

War

History

Drama

List

73%

149 Reviews

Tomatometer

84%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

During World War II a secret agent (Tang Wei) must seduce, then assassinate an official (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) who works for the Japanese puppet government in Shanghai. Her mission becomes clouded when she finds herself falling in love with the man she is assigned to kill.

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Critics Consensus

Ang Lee's Lust, Caution is a tense, sensual and beautifully-shot espionage film.

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emma s

Loved this film. Beautiful, atmospheric cinematography. Impressive acting and a plot full of the heartache, violence and tragedy of war. Up there with Lee's Brokeback in my opinion - his two best films.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/21/23

Full Review

Stephen C

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I continue to wonder if the explicit sexual content was really necessary but this is ultimately a movie about the clash between private desires and ideologies and it is hard to deny how well Lee sells that conflict.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

david l

Lust, Caution is the most risqué movie from Ang Lee as it features explosive, graphic sex sequences that take up quite a lot of screen time. That central dynamic between the two main characters was fantastic, intense and complex while the performances from Tang Wai and Tony Leung were incredible. It's a shame that the movie is otherwise overlong, way too slow in pace and dull in its padding first half.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Ang Lee's most controversial (and in my opinion, best) film to date sees Wei Tang's Wang Jiazhi gets swept up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure, Mr. Yee. Wei Tang's performance is monumental, a staggering tour de force that should undoubtedly have won her an Oscar, and the much talked about explicit sex scenes feel essential to the emotion of the high stakes story, and drive the remainder of the film till it's hard hitting conclusion.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A perfectly fine film let down by a weak and unearned conclusion

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/20/21

Full Review

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Ang Lee

Director

Tony Leung Chiu Wai

Mr. Yi

Joan Chen

Mrs. Yi

Wei Tang

Wang Jiazhi

Leehom Wang

Kuang Yu-Min

Anupam Kher

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Ben Kenigsberg

Time Out

Rated: 3/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Roger Moore

Orlando Sentinel

Rated: 3/5

May 13, 2009

Full Review

Amy Nicholson

I.E. Weekly

What lingers is the suspicion that women carry a burden of war they can't ever put down, and that even noble idealists can justify turning their girls into whores.

Rated: A-

Feb 22, 2008

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Lust, Caution’s explicit scenes mature into ballads of passion and love.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 8, 2024

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

Lee has consistently demonstrated a certain talent for exploring human relationships, and Lust, Caution is perhaps one of his thorniest, most complex works.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 11, 2021

Full Review

Kaleem Aftab

The List

Alas, Lee would have benefited by showing more lust and less caution.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 3, 2018

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

During World War II a secret agent (Tang Wei) must seduce, then assassinate an official (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) who works for the Japanese puppet government in Shanghai. Her mission becomes clouded when she finds herself falling in love with the man she is assigned to kill.

Director: Ang Lee
Producer: Ren Zhonglun, Darren Shaw
Screenwriter: Hui-Ling Wang, James Schamus
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Shanghai Film Group, Haishang Films, River Road Entertainment, Focus Features
Rating: R (A Scene of Brutal Violence|Strong Sexual Content)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, War, History, Drama
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 28, 2007, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 27, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.6M
Runtime: 2h 35m

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