This film is currently unavailable

Lust, Caution
Esteemed Taiwanese director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi) returned to Asia once more for this startlingly erotic tale of espionage and obsession.
Drama 2007 158 mins
Director: Ang Lee
Overview
Esteemed Taiwanese director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi) returned to Asia once more for this startlingly erotic tale of espionage and obsession. In pre-war, Japanese-occupied China, an idealistic student (Wei Tang) enrols in a plot to entice and then assassinate a secret service head (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai). But as she initiates a passionate affair with her target, she begins to struggle with the emotional demands of her assignment, as the assassination plot is delayed ever further…
Following an Oscar win for Brokeback Mountain, Lee returned to China and Taiwan once again (he previously returned to make Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2000) for this controversial project, for which he recruited some of Chinese cinema’s biggest names in Leung and Joan Chen. But it’s newcomer Wet Tang who steals the show in a sensational, subtly nuanced performance. The film’s explicit sex scenes caused controversy in various countries; particularly in China itself where the film was cut for seven minutes. Elsewhere the film was awarded the most restrictive certificates usually reserved for pornography and extreme material (eg. NC-17 in the US and Category III in Hong Kong). But while its erotic scenes are explicit, they’re integral to the plot, endowing the film’s central relationship with a fervent authenticity.

Related
Drama

The Good Boss The Good Boss
Comedy 2021 120 mins
Javier Bardem is a beleaguered Spanish factory boss in ruthless pursuit of winning an award for excellence in this waspish corporate comedy.

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
Comedy 2022 97 mins Director: Sophie Hyde
Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson), a retired school teacher and widow, is yearning for adventure and really good sex, in comedian Katy Brand’s witty drama.

She Will She Will
Thriller 2021 96 mins Director: Charlotte Boulay-Goldsmith
In Charlotte Colbert’s strikingly gothic film, an ageing actor recovering from a mastectomy taps into a mysterious power at a remote Scottish retreat.

True Things True Things
Drama 2021 102 mins Director: Harry Wootliff
Ruth Wilson is at her best in this compelling drama about a lonely woman whose life is changed by Tom Burke, the dangerous stranger who offers something different.

Happening Happening
Drama 2021 100 mins Director: Audrey Diwan
Audrey Diwan’s outstanding Venice Golden Lion winner could not be more timely or urgent.

Executive Order Executive Order
Science Fiction 2020 102 mins Director: Lázaro Ramos
In Lázaro Ramos’s disturbing dystopian thriller starring Alfred Enoch, the Brazilian government orders the deportation of the country’s entire Black population.
Chinese Cinema

The Assassin The Assassin
Action and Adventure 2015 106 mins Director: Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s mesmerising, visually stunning tale of love and honour was Sight and Sound magazine’s best film of 2015.

Yang ± Yin - Gender in Chinese Cinema Yang ± Yin - Gender in Chinese Cinema
Documentary 1997 79 mins Director: Stanley Kwan Kam-pang
An inspirational and star-laden journey through Chinese cinema in the company of John Woo, Chen Kaige, Ang Lee and Tsui Hark.

A Touch of Sin A Touch of Sin
Drama 2013 125 mins Director: Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke’s state-of-the-nation report on contemporary China is comprised of four stories about shocking acts of violence.

The Grandmaster The Grandmaster
Action and Adventure 2013 109 mins Director: Wong Kar Wai
Wong Kar-Wai’s lavish martial arts biopic tells the story of Ip Man, the legendary trainer who became Bruce Lee’s mentor.

Speechless Speechless
Drama 2012 93 mins Director: Simon Chung
A mysterious, exotic and riveting drama about a nameless man discovered naked on a riverbank, who forms a bond with the hospital assistant who can communicate with him.

The Banquet The Banquet
2006 125 mins Director: Feng Xiaogang
Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) stars is this lavish wuxia based on elements from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Ibsen’s Ghosts.
Featuring Tony Leung Chiu-wai

The Grandmaster The Grandmaster
Action and Adventure 2013 109 mins Director: Wong Kar Wai
Wong Kar-Wai’s lavish martial arts biopic tells the story of Ip Man, the legendary trainer who became Bruce Lee’s mentor.
Featuring Tang Wei

Long Day's Journey Into Night Long Day's Journey Into Night
Drama 2018 138 mins Director: Bi Gan
Bi Gan's ‘destroyed film noir' is a dazzling dive into an immersive dreamscape.
New

The Good Boss The Good Boss
Comedy 2021 120 mins
Javier Bardem is a beleaguered Spanish factory boss in ruthless pursuit of winning an award for excellence in this waspish corporate comedy.

Maisie Maisie
Documentary 2021 76 mins Director: Lee Cooper
An intimate portrait of ageing and friendship, we follow David Raven as he dons his sequins and eyelashes to prepare for a special birthday performance as ‘Maisie Trollette’, Britain’s Oldest Performing Drag Artiste.

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
Fantasy 2017 133 mins Director: Terry Gilliam
Two decades in the making, Terry Gilliam’s wildly imaginative Cervantes adaptation is finally with us, and it’s everything we have come to expect from this visionary filmmaker.

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
Comedy 2022 97 mins Director: Sophie Hyde
Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson), a retired school teacher and widow, is yearning for adventure and really good sex, in comedian Katy Brand’s witty drama.

She Will She Will
Thriller 2021 96 mins Director: Charlotte Boulay-Goldsmith
In Charlotte Colbert’s strikingly gothic film, an ageing actor recovering from a mastectomy taps into a mysterious power at a remote Scottish retreat.

True Things True Things
Drama 2021 102 mins Director: Harry Wootliff
Ruth Wilson is at her best in this compelling drama about a lonely woman whose life is changed by Tom Burke, the dangerous stranger who offers something different.