Director Ang Lee on the Making of "Lust, Caution" 色,戒 at The Asia Society

Ang Lee on his erotic espionage thriller "Lust, Caution" -- winner of Best Film at the 12/8 Chinese-language Golden Horse Awards as well as the Venice Film Festival. Interviewed at the Asia Society by La Frances Hui, Ang Lee and lead actress Tang Wei discuss the role of sex in the film, the characters' motivations, differences in how Asian and American audiences respond to the film and why, and the cutting of the sex scenes in China. The Academy Award-winning director of "Brokeback Mountain" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" discusses all this and more with scenes from the film and the making of the film, with additional interviews with lead actor and Asian cinema icon Tony Leung, and Tang Wei. The film also won the Golden Horse awards for best actor, best new performer, best makeup & costume design, best score and screenplay adaptation.

[@shaunthebrown2]

This film is an absolute masterpiece. Ang Lee, thank you for making such astonishing films!

[@MayadIdub]

Beside "Hero", this is the best Chinese movie I've ever seen. Ang Lee is such a genius. Tang Wei and Tony Leung are brilliant! I've watched this movie many times and I never get bored. It's awsome.

[@AL-ut4gc台灣]

Tang Wei is a great actress. She's so elegant, too. She plays the role with the reserved feeling so well!'

[@laeiyal7661]

Best movie never get bored watching it over and over again …Ang Lee is the best and Tony Leung is legend 🔥

[@EvilDoer35]

great movie!!!! acting, directing, filming, directing, everything - simply awesome!

[@cecilia1999]

Ang Lee is one of the best directs out there, just watched this movie, very very soul-grabbing.. and i m not surprised by liang's acting, he has always been so good. but the girl is surprisingly good , being only 27 and having this one as her first film, she did an excellent job!

[@paulg.960]

I watched this movie last week and I can't stop thinking about it! what an awesome Masterpiece! I fell in love with Wei Tang! What an absolutely beautiful, talented woman. I wish I could marry her today!

[@MsAnnas]

She's already married with korean famous director and has 1 daughter

[@paulg.960]

@@MsAnnas I know, but I can still daydream, and save her in Lust & Caution.

[@xBlueWinter]

Sigh, hearts will melt watching Tony's performance. God damn, his eyes can kill.

[@yukie_tn]

I watched this movie 10 years ago and while I thought it was decent, it was really depressing and hard to "like". At the time I graded it around a 7/10 and not something I would like to revisit. But recently in the mood to rewatch a lot of Tony Leung films, this is the one I can't put down and the entire movie is so layered with subtlety. Now a much more mature me gives this a 10/10.

[@ChickengirlDesign]

This was an excellent movie...highly recommended!!!

[@rasalghul9331]

Tang Wei is such a natural beauty

[@BrusselsSouth]

A good film with good actors.

[@toorad2b4u]

its an awesome movie... its slow but i really really liked it. very emotional

[@AL-ut4gc台灣]

Yes, there have been many female spies like her to complete their mission for their countries, and turned out to really fall in love with their enemies. Lust, always turns to love for most women!

[@呀你可]

Wow wow wow true

[@njnyri88]

Tang wei is good & elegant, good that she speaks English. :)

[@jradetzky]

Tang Wei is so hot

[@mauricioandino]

MY BEST CHINESE FILM EVER!!!!!!!

[@befany14]

His movies are not just about "gay people and sex". He directed Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Sense and Sensibility, The Ice Storm, and Hulk. These movies are not "sex" movies as you put it. You should open your mind to other ways of thinking. If you want to remain a bigot then don't watch his movies and don't watch these videos. We don't want your homophobia here.

[@swc868]

This movie is beautifully made. But as a chinese descent, I find it so dark, intense and depressing that it is hard for me to watch it the second time. I think it has something to do with the cultural-historical imprint that we have inherited, even though we've never really lived through the WW2 era. I would imagine that it would be like having a Jewish descent watching the Schindler's List. Almost too intense to sit through the entire movie.

[@Lin_Zhou]

so Ang Lee and Tony Leung collabrates in this movie? My god, the only two Asians i like (i'm not into Asian films despite me being Chinese) in the same movie, yep watching it now.

[@murataht]

come on, this is a film, it is an art. You guys still fighting over the stupid political things? we all are human beings!!!

[@sloth3726]

after finishing watching the movie,I feel I fall in lover with the Fl. She is so adorable and beautiful, I can’t understand why china only made her silent after film come out

[@shamiksharaj5743]

Tonny Leung are the legend

[@kaneshirogirl]

I cannot say about this movie because I haven't seen it, I'm sure it must be really interesting, I was speaking in general, why hasn't he picked Takeshi yet? I say he should make a movie with a leading man role for Takeshi!!! I think he's not only gorgeous but a great actor too. But I agree with your last part of the comment. I hope he picks him soon!!! I miss him!!!

[@Tiberiotertio]

Yes you are right! but when you look mattosa987 comes from Polen, there they tend to be a bit old fashion, and conservative. In western Europe this movie is by far not as shocking as he puts it. It is just a very nice move!

[@jstele]

He was just quoting the screenplay.

[@blackpearlpearly2029]

I want someone to explain why the end of the story he killed her cause at least she saved his life

[@tcen8168]

it's his job.

[@yukie_tn]

Mr. Yee's secretary works for the Japanese and is really there to keep an eye on him. Mr. Yee has been doing things behind their backs (burning documents in secret, the weapons that neither the KMT or Japanese could find). He had to kill her to preserve himself.

[@呀你可]

@@yukie_tn source?

[@sloth3726]

because his secretary is Japanese spy，and one of his mission is to spy his job. So he must kill her, and his eyes showed that he love her in the last scene

[@independent0425]

WOW the lead actress is smoking hot..

[@kaneshirogirl]

Well, well now this is a thing I totally don't understand. How such a great director and from Taiwan as Mr. Ang Lee wouldn't choose Taiwan's gem, beloved Takeshi Kaneshiro for one of his movies???!!!

[@mattosa987]

tell that to ang lee....

[@jradetzky]

"the way to a man's heart is through his heart. The way to a woman's heart is through her vagina" LOL

[@eyesofyoureyes1287]

i think it's the opposite though

[@jakechung5522]

I think he said stomach but not heart for the part regarding men.

[@joraechul]

왕자지가 누구지???

[@joraechul]

아, 왕지아즈 구나.... 미한해.

[@Moontown1]

very bastos and movie na 2 as in utgan jud ang mutan-aw ani bagay jud ni cya sa mga mag lovebirds

[@mattosa987]

nobody is perfect but his movies are ..weird he make movies about love between 2 men(!!!!???) and the sex scenes in "Lust caution".... He also said that he have such deep depression and he have some problems.And I dont call him "disgusting" but that sex scenes were for me disgusting.

[@mattosa987]

what???

[@NGE0001]

Have to say I lost ALL respect for these two actors and the film when I found out that sex scene was them having REAL SEX!

[@123EpicWin321]

Show probably could not act it but wanted to improve her acting career.

[@NGE0001]

Watch it a turn up the brightness on the screen you will see the penetration.

[@senssinekong1332]

One of the worst movie I've seen. But Tang Wei is beautiful girl.