snowerlewn
Lifetime Total
1+
IMDb Member
17 years
Reviews
Se, jie (2007)
Ang Lee's masterpiece, Cultural nuances in the way of understanding
Ang Lee's Lust, Caution got a lot of negative reviews in the US. I was shocked. I always thought Lee, of all people, could convey the nuances of Chinese culture to a Western audience.
I admit I love this movie, as I do all his work, except The Hulk. And I'm not implying you have to give it the thumbs-up because it won the Golden Lion. However, after reading dozens of reviews from mainstream media in North America, I have a strong feeling that most critics failed to understand the movie - not only the subtleties, but even some of the plot. Of course, the two are often interconnected.
Rex Reed of The New York Observer called Mrs Yee "silly" because he assumed she is oblivious to her husband's trysts with other women. This couldn't be further from the truth. From how she reacts to her husband's emotional breakdown in the last scene, it is obvious she is in the know. There are Chinese wives who feign ignorance of their husbands' affairs, and this is probably something an American film critic cannot grasp. Shouldn't she be throwing a tantrum? They might ask.
Rex continues: "Neither of the two stars look like they're having much fun." I wonder what movie he was watching. Of course they were not having fun. This is not a romantic comedy. The lady is scheming to kill him, and he is figuring out whether she is another beautiful assassin sent his way. They are both walking on razor's edge, which is not a fun activity.
Most critics call the movie a spy thriller without realizing the multiple layers of the story. It is mostly psychological, with the two leads constantly testing each other and using a language rich in undertones. Almost every line has so much texture it could take a few more lines to decipher.
Many see a resemblance with films of similar plots, such as Paul Verhoeven's Black Book and Hitchcock's Notorious. But they fail to see the link to previous Lee masterpieces such as Sense and Sensibility and Brokeback Mountain. Think of it. "Lust" is "sensibility" while "caution" is "sense". Both leads - and even some of the supporting characters - have to maintain a life of caution for self-survival. When they succumb to lust or passion, they pay the ultimate price.
The three sex scenes received such widespread misinterpretation that trimming them might not be the terrible idea it should be. People got so carried away with the S&M and acrobatic couplings that they forgot to detect the symbolic meanings. The scenes epitomize their relationship, from domination, to distortion, to harmony. That's something a simple head shot could not convey. And it does not necessarily imply the lady loves to be tortured. That would be the same as saying she is a gold-digger who falls for a precious diamond.
The definite moment when she falls for him is at the Japanese club when he reveals his weakness. (He has a hunch his future as a collaborator is doomed.) She has a soft spot not for his power and money, but for the latent humanity he finally lays bare. The big stone just confirms his feelings for her, in her mind.
American critics are quick to pick up the clues of Hollywood movies that appear in the meticulously portrayed old Shanghai and have found an allusion to Hitchcock's Notorious, but nobody seems to have noticed that Mr Yee's every move is watched by his secretary, who knows his lover's secret identity and will probably bring about his downfall.
Human emotions writ large can transcend boundaries. It is the niceties that cause cultural misunderstandings.
I admit I love this movie, as I do all his work, except The Hulk. And I'm not implying you have to give it the thumbs-up because it won the Golden Lion. However, after reading dozens of reviews from mainstream media in North America, I have a strong feeling that most critics failed to understand the movie - not only the subtleties, but even some of the plot. Of course, the two are often interconnected.
Rex Reed of The New York Observer called Mrs Yee "silly" because he assumed she is oblivious to her husband's trysts with other women. This couldn't be further from the truth. From how she reacts to her husband's emotional breakdown in the last scene, it is obvious she is in the know. There are Chinese wives who feign ignorance of their husbands' affairs, and this is probably something an American film critic cannot grasp. Shouldn't she be throwing a tantrum? They might ask.
Rex continues: "Neither of the two stars look like they're having much fun." I wonder what movie he was watching. Of course they were not having fun. This is not a romantic comedy. The lady is scheming to kill him, and he is figuring out whether she is another beautiful assassin sent his way. They are both walking on razor's edge, which is not a fun activity.
Most critics call the movie a spy thriller without realizing the multiple layers of the story. It is mostly psychological, with the two leads constantly testing each other and using a language rich in undertones. Almost every line has so much texture it could take a few more lines to decipher.
Many see a resemblance with films of similar plots, such as Paul Verhoeven's Black Book and Hitchcock's Notorious. But they fail to see the link to previous Lee masterpieces such as Sense and Sensibility and Brokeback Mountain. Think of it. "Lust" is "sensibility" while "caution" is "sense". Both leads - and even some of the supporting characters - have to maintain a life of caution for self-survival. When they succumb to lust or passion, they pay the ultimate price.
The three sex scenes received such widespread misinterpretation that trimming them might not be the terrible idea it should be. People got so carried away with the S&M and acrobatic couplings that they forgot to detect the symbolic meanings. The scenes epitomize their relationship, from domination, to distortion, to harmony. That's something a simple head shot could not convey. And it does not necessarily imply the lady loves to be tortured. That would be the same as saying she is a gold-digger who falls for a precious diamond.
The definite moment when she falls for him is at the Japanese club when he reveals his weakness. (He has a hunch his future as a collaborator is doomed.) She has a soft spot not for his power and money, but for the latent humanity he finally lays bare. The big stone just confirms his feelings for her, in her mind.
American critics are quick to pick up the clues of Hollywood movies that appear in the meticulously portrayed old Shanghai and have found an allusion to Hitchcock's Notorious, but nobody seems to have noticed that Mr Yee's every move is watched by his secretary, who knows his lover's secret identity and will probably bring about his downfall.
Human emotions writ large can transcend boundaries. It is the niceties that cause cultural misunderstandings.
Ong-Bak (2003)
unexpectedly
At first blush, particularly for the uninitiated, this film has a weak storyline. However, upon reflection, one sees how this film highlights both the mental and spiritual imagination of the director, Prachya Pinkaew, the choreographer, Panna Rittikrai, and the actor, Tony Ja. This movie, not relying on computer gimmicks or wire hook-ups, displays the amazing physical stamina and spiritual depth of a Muay Warrior. Just how much of the truth we saw in the movie is only on screen and how much of it finds a home deep in the soul of Ja, really does not matter, since on screen, there is a magnificent story of commitment portrayed throughout the contradictions and tensions between good and evil. Ting, played by Ja, loves his Muay Thai master, his poor village and is committed to what the Buddha stands for- living an honorable
life. Moreover, his honestly, dignity and faithfulness to his calling in life prevail over the contradictions and tensions he faces throughout the story and brings the viewer to a place that seldom the American audience finds- a lesson in spirituality. For this reason, I liked the film.
I had heard of Muay Thai boxing before, but did not know the depth of spirituality associated with it. I learned from the movie and also from a conversation with one of my classmates whose husband is a Muay Thai boxer more about the relationship among the physical, mental and spiritual domains that are central to this art form. This conversation was an added bonus to the lowering of my learning curve.
When the film ended I realized that I had just sat through close to two hours of violence, blood and foul language grounded in the despair of a desperate corner of Thai society; all of which were overridden by the prize of Ong-Bak that Ting brought back to Nang Pradu. I was surprised to see that my heart was caught between a sigh and a grin.
life. Moreover, his honestly, dignity and faithfulness to his calling in life prevail over the contradictions and tensions he faces throughout the story and brings the viewer to a place that seldom the American audience finds- a lesson in spirituality. For this reason, I liked the film.
I had heard of Muay Thai boxing before, but did not know the depth of spirituality associated with it. I learned from the movie and also from a conversation with one of my classmates whose husband is a Muay Thai boxer more about the relationship among the physical, mental and spiritual domains that are central to this art form. This conversation was an added bonus to the lowering of my learning curve.
When the film ended I realized that I had just sat through close to two hours of violence, blood and foul language grounded in the despair of a desperate corner of Thai society; all of which were overridden by the prize of Ong-Bak that Ting brought back to Nang Pradu. I was surprised to see that my heart was caught between a sigh and a grin.