When it was first released in 2007, Lust, Caution was a movie that caused a stir for a long time with its bold content and a series of hot scenes of the famous main actors Tony Leung and Tang Wei. Script Based on the short novel of the same name by writer Chang Ailing. Movie story tells the story of a freshman named Vuong Giai Chi – who was assigned to seduce the spy boss named Dich (played by Leung Chiu Wai) so that the anti-Japanese group could find a way to kill her. However, during the mission, she could not resist the physical temptation from the enemy, leading to her betrayal of the organization.
Lust, Caution is one of the most controversial films in the history of Chinese cinema.
The film won a series of domestic and international awards, including a record seven at the Golden Horse Awards, with Tony Leung Chiu-wai as Best Actor and Tang Wei as Best Newcomer. The film was also nominated for the Golden Globes, the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) and won the Golden Lion at the 64th Venice Film Festival.
However, the film's impressive achievements were almost overshadowed by the controversy over the bold love scenes of the two main actors. Director Ang Lee spent 12 days (more than 100 hours) filming these scenes in the film. The famous filmmaker himself admitted that this was one of the most difficult challenges for him in this project. “It was a nightmare period for me. Honestly, I have never felt so scared. Many people like to show off their love affairs, but I think it is a private matter and I am not comfortable letting others see it. I had to struggle a lot mentally,” the director who won 2 Oscars shared in an interview.
Ang Lee also revealed that both Tony Leung and Tang Wei were very nervous about having to perform these difficult scenes over a long period of time. He had to constantly encourage and urge them to complete the scene on time. Every day, they had to practice 2 to 3 different poses before the crew chose the most artistic camera angles to balance the audience's emotions.
Luckily, both Tang Wei and Tony Leung were very professional, willing to listen to the instructions of the director and crew. In particular, the actress was the one who put more effort into this heavy role, helping to make the atmosphere during the filming less awkward. When her co-star gave her the green light, Tony Leung gradually became more confident and completely focused on transforming into those sensitive scenes. When the project was released, Tang Wei gave many compliments to her “on-screen lover”. She commented that Tony Leung was very professional and always respected her throughout the filming process.
After Lust, Caution was released, besides receiving compliments and a series of prestigious awards, Tang Wei was “banned” for 3 years because of her bold performance. It was not until 2010 that the star returned with projects such as Nguyet Man Hien Ni Thi or Thu Muon. Despite facing many difficulties, Lust, Caution is still considered a breakthrough work, becoming an important milestone in her career. This project also helped her catch the attention of many famous directors in Asia and the world, becoming a springboard for the beauty born in 1979 to enter the list of 8 great flowers of Chinese cinema.
As for the male lead Tony Leung, Lust, Caution is a strong response to the criticism that he is not good at doing hot scenes since Spring Festival (1997). However, this film also sparked rumors that caused the relationship between the actor and Carina Lau to be troubled for a long time.
