Lust, Caution (2007)

Director: Ang Lee

Writers: James Schamus, Hui-Ling Wang, based on a story by Eileen Chang

Stars: Tang Wei, Tony Leung, Joan Chen, Leehom Wang, Chung-Hua Tou, Zhi-Ying Zhu, Ying-Hsuan Kao, Lawrence Ko, Johnson Yuen, Lar Lok Chin

A young woman living in China during the Japanese occupation (Tang Wei) becomes entangled with a collaborator (Tony Leung), whom she has been assigned to seduce and set up for execution. 

The assignment eventually becomes the context for her entire life, until her very sense of self is wrapped up in layers of deceit and betrayal. 

Ang Lee's masterful film introduces us to our characters when they are young college students swept up in idealistic fervor and then rejoins them years later when they are older and wearier, fighting the same battle more out of necessity than idealism.

 

This is a long film because Lee takes his time fleshing out these characters, but it is time well spent. 

I was thoroughly engrossed and shattered by the film's harrowing conclusion.