First Hit: Beautifully shot and gives a sense of the time period and while erotic it wasn’t necessarily arousing which made the sex a tool of seduction. A well crafted film.
Ang Lee’s latest film uses the power of sex and desire to tell a tale of the struggle to make a difference in the war between Japan and China. Idealistic college students wanting to make a difference in the war hatch a plot to kill a Chinese Official who, they perceive, is being a traitor to his own country. The initial plot fails and a new one takes shape that requires one of them to seduce the official. The story evolves from showing the power of seduction and how one can never know how this affects the involved parties.
The NC-17 rating comes from the powerful and visually arresting sex scenes. Some are rough others are an exploration of the growing relationship. Although the film was a little long, all the acting was superb, the direction clear and the storytelling interesting and engaging.
Overall: I liked the film and although a couple of the panoramic scenes seemed false it was exquisitely and beautifully shot.