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Joined: 27 Jan 2003
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Location: Hong Kong

PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:16 am    Post subject:

Ang Lee
(157’, Taiwan)
*****

Ang Lee’s most accomplished film to date, Lust, Caution is an ode to the cinema of yore, replicating the glamour and style of old Hollywood while renewing its complex structures and themes. Lust, Caution’s subject, like many hallowed thrillers before it, is resistance—here the Chinese resistance during the second Sino-Japanese War of the ’30s and ’40s. Tang Wei plays Wang, a young woman swept away by a revolutionary enclave of students in Hong Kong, who soon finds herself used (in several senses of the word) as their mole, assuming the identity of socialite Mrs. Mak in order to cozy up to Japanese collaborator Mr. Yee (Tony Leung). Wang’s disturbing compromises are clearly meant to recall those of Ingrid Bergman’s Alicia in Notorious, and Lee goes one further than Hitchcock by graphically presenting us with the sexual acts she must endure. The ideas remain the same, however, and are just as transfixing: the milieu and aftermath of war as high theatre; the pellucid, then obscuring, qualities of sex; the complex domain of female sexuality, especially as it is read—obsessively and constantly—by various factions of social and political power. (DB)

http://www.torontolife.com/features/lust-caution/
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:17 am    Post subject:

Our Cinema,Our Times﹕《色,戒》的改編與性愛/李焯桃

(明報)09月09日星期日05:05AM

  李安把張愛玲的《色,戒》搬上銀幕,跟以往改編張愛玲的電影最大的不同,在於《色,戒》只是一篇萬餘字的短篇小說。原著較詳細刻劃的只有一頭一尾麻將及珠寶店兩個場面,改編成兩個半小時的電影,創作實有極大發揮的空間,而不至於被珠玉在前的對白和描寫縛手縛腳。李安再一次重施改編《斷背山》的故技。

  若論結構,影片其實十分忠於原著,同樣用打麻將介紹主角出場,在王佳芝(湯唯飾)咖啡館等易先生(梁朝偉飾)時插入倒——4年前在香港演愛國話劇後佈下美人計,然後跳接3年後香港淪陷她移居上海,被重慶特務招攬再續他們的行刺計劃,順序發展接回片首咖啡館一幕,亦即準備下手的一天,最後是由易先生角度出發的尾聲。

  三場性戲「劇情需要」

  《色,戒》倒香港前因那一章長近1小時,基本上是把原著輕描淡寫的情節巨細無遺地拍出來,感覺比較平淡。其後上海的一章才是精彩的戲肉(長80分鐘),不但兩主角的心理和情慾有更細膩的刻劃,連鄺裕民(王力宏飾)和老吳(庹宗華飾)也變成有血有肉的角色。像最惹人談論的三場大膽性愛,其實全部「劇情需要」,儘管與原著的角度不無出入。

  張愛玲看二人那段孽緣,認為關鍵的是有沒有動真情,是十分女人的角度。李安卻從男性的角度切入,明白性愛的本能動物性,對兩個長期活在恐懼和緊張之中的人有強烈的宣泄快感,但同時又引發新的壓力和焦慮;絕不止「總是那麼提心吊膽,要處處留神」或「像洗了個熱水澡,把積鬱都掉了,因為一切都有了個目的」那麼簡單。

  李安更想到易先生作特務頭子,每天工作離不了施刑逼供,心理難免極度扭曲,所以二人的首場性戲以皮帶虐打及猶如強暴的形式進行,便可謂理所當然。第二場性戲改為王佳芝在易公館內的房間中發生,便多了一重偷情的意味,對白也交代了二人數日不見、愛恨交纏的心理(當然真真假假耐人尋味)。性愛過程不再SM,但男方仍處處主動操控。第三場性戲才有較多女上男下的姿勢,輪流主動的過程。平日極度壓抑行屍走肉的易先生,終可通過肉體原始的歡愉,找回一點真實存在的感覺。

  感情心理層次分明

  梁朝偉與湯唯毫無保留的演出,正是為了傳達本能性愛在危險處境下引發極度矛盾複雜的感情心理,三幕戲的發展層次分明。不容忽視的是,李安其後還加多一場日本餐廳的幽會,卻全不涉性愛。王佳芝獻唱一曲《天涯歌女》,易先生似被她的柔情觸動,是點睛的一筆,二人虛虛實實弄假成真的關係發展至此遂告圓滿。同時令她在最後關頭放他一馬多了個伏筆,而不止「這個人是真愛我的,她突然想」那般心血來潮。

  探討極端處境下的人性

  李安這回最大的突破,正是勇於探討極端處境下的人性,直視人生中性、暴力與死亡的真面目而不怕難堪。像香港那一章加添副官(錢嘉樂飾)認破鄺裕民等學生的偽裝,勒索不遂反被刺死的尾巴,其血腥暴力的程度,笨手笨腳刺極不死的描寫,便荒唐得來十分寫實。這一筆的加插也別有意味,一來通過血的洗禮,學生們告別了純情愛國的階段,上海再續行刺計劃已聽命於重慶特務老吳了。二來交代老吳他們早已在背後虎視眈眈,出事後立即把他們偷送至上海,則既毋須借助原著的巧合,更突出了特務江湖世界的險惡。老吳後來不顧王佳芝安危,為套取更多情報命她繼續冒險犯難,固然是一個呼應。更出人意表的奇筆,是最後易先生的副手道出螳螂捕蟬,黃雀在後,他們一早已洞悉了王佳芝的底細,只有易先生被蒙在鼓裏而已。

  張愛玲的原著主要忠於王佳芝的主觀角度,多女子心理細眉細眼的盤算,少男性江湖老謀深算你死我活慘酷鬥爭的刻劃。

  《色,戒》的改編便有點反其道而行,易先生的角色固然立體得多,上述奇筆亦突出了特務鬥法的波譎雲詭,同時多了一重反諷——行刺計劃原來注定不會成功,王佳芝轉念助他脫險的「快走」兩字變成純粹愛的證言,可惜易先生卻更形格勢禁而必須痛下殺手。道理雖較淺顯,但原著中他自我開脫的警句﹕「他們是原始的獵人與獵物的關係,虎與倀的關係,最終極的佔有。她這才生是他的人,死是他的鬼。」所呈現的文學境界,是根本無法用情節或電影手法完整表現的。

  首尾呼應天衣無縫

  影片也擅於利用較長的篇幅,把原著中濃縮的情節作從容的鋪排。像易先生送王佳芝鑽戒一幕便一分為二(含蓄安排她先揀鑽石,訂造戒指需日後到取)其實更為合理。行刺一方有時間部署,一向謹慎的易先生也有放心進入的理由(是他熟悉的珠寶店)。把留下鑽戒在店內改為由王佳芝帶走,作用當然她被捕後可褪下來放回易的書桌上。尾聲的這個鑽戒特寫意涵飽滿,與序篇麻將桌上一隻隻鑽戒光芒四射的母題首尾呼應,同時有「色,戒」的點題作用,簡直天衣無縫。

  文﹕李焯桃

  編輯:葉旺文

  策劃:李焯桃
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:04 am    Post subject:

《色‧戒》的感傷色慾

成英姝

十四年前李安的《喜宴》上映時,宣傳的焦點幾乎都給金素梅露點這件事給拉了去,此番《色‧戒》的新聞點也不意外地集中在男女主角的床戲上,特別是大家都對梁朝偉的重點部位報以期待,當年媒體的品格,金素梅的露點畫面是滴水不漏的。

以十四年前的民風保守,加上金素梅那時是高知名度的女星,裸露胸部當然是很不情願,面臨很大的內心掙扎,為什麼當時李安堅持《喜宴》裡要有這一幕呢?冒著被外界批評,顧及演員的難處,但拍攝這一幕的必要,李安當時確實是一點都不動搖。至今猶記當時許多人質疑何必?噱頭?但當時的我完全可以理解。因為在那相近的時間,我看了阿莫多瓦的《高跟鞋》,這是我很喜歡的一部電影,也是我最常拿來在演講中做劇本構思和拆解的範例,《高跟鞋》裡有一幕,女主角在人妖夜總會的後台和這個男扮女裝演員發生關係,說來話長,這中間涉及複雜的心理因素,女主角這一生活在母親陰影底下,她做的許多事都在意圖報復母親和引起母親的注意,這個人妖表演的角色其實就是摹仿母親年輕時的形象(母親是歌手)。而這個男人的真實身分是檢察官(老天!你不得不佩服阿莫多瓦!)女主角後來懷了他的孩子。女主角在後台和這個男人見面,兩人其實只是陌生人,但是在女主角說她已經很久沒做愛以後,兩人卻乾柴遇上烈火似的做愛起來,穿著衣服的女主角因為劇烈的動作露出雙峰。這個場景其實很有震撼力,在離奇的劇情中透露出一種強烈的色慾。

在《喜宴》裡,金素梅和趙文瑄是假結婚,新婚之夜一個美麗的女人主動在一個男人面前裸露,兩人沒有情感關係,但以動物的本能來說,這是喚起色慾的場景,然而趙文瑄是同志,金素梅不知道,所以這一幕呈現原本女人的裸體所能召喚的雄性原始本能,具有關鍵的重要性,當然不能唬弄過去。可惜拍出來的結果,我得說,差強人意,這不能怪誰,以當時的年頭,演員嚇個半死,雖然清場了,大家還是扭扭捏捏,只能做到這個程度。

《色‧戒》就不同了,若你問我《色‧戒》的床戲拍得如何,我很老實地回答:「很可觀!」我這麼說也許會被張迷罵死,或說我不懂張的小說(我本來就完全不是張迷),但我真的覺得電影實在比小說好看太多,精采太多,也複雜太多。不過這也算廢話,因為原著不過是短短萬把字的小說,劇情非常簡單,李安很聰明選了如此一來發揮空間很大的作品,再者,他從原著裡一定一開始就找到了他感覺耐人尋味的點。對一個年輕天真、還沒識過男人的女孩來說,性的想像是什麼?在為了國家、為了殺漢奸的理由下,豁出去和一個男人激情地做愛,那樣的性愛是什麼?

鄺裕民這個角色在原著裡根本幾乎算不上一個角色,電影裡很奇妙,他被設計成成梁朝偉的對比,很可惜我懷疑王力宏不足以撐起這樣一個位置的力道,所以這個角色的影響力變得很微弱。然而他跟女主角原本是可以有一段美好戀情的,如果時局不是這樣,如果他們不是這這麼幼稚的話,然而事實卻變成他要眼睜睜看著自己喜歡的女孩子被別人開苞,變成漢奸的情婦,和他痛恨的人一次又一次瘋狂激情地做愛。

不多說,在此更一步分析角色的內心就減低了大家自己去看自己領略的趣味。最後我只再提梁朝偉幾句,他在本片的演出我只能用「驚人」、「前所未有」來形容,我從未見過一個男演員在床戲中能演繹那樣令人痛徹心肺的孤獨感,你幾乎可以感覺當他的表情是極端絕望的時候,就是他幾近高潮的時候。這樣一個惡魔的內心,是千般恐懼和孤獨的,縱使他在性愛上極力地企圖以暴力宰制對方,但當他恐懼地大叫,翻身騎上女人,兩腿的肌肉因為恐懼和亢奮而劇烈顫抖,那種壓迫感實在讓人不敢相信演員可以做到此。
我說電影比小說好,多少也是我個人感覺,我並不喜歡張愛玲原著裡這一男一女各自的世故狡猾,但是李安的版本,就是非常李安,比較隱晦,比較壓抑,也許一樣無奈,但更多細膩柔情的傷感。

http://blog.chinatimes.com/indiacheng/archive/2007/09/19/199094.html


Last edited by Info on Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:18 am; edited 1 time in total
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Joined: 27 Jan 2003
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:07 am    Post subject:

陶傑:精膾細炙嚐《色,戒》

  千 呼 萬 喚 , 《 色 , 戒 》 出 場 , 二 十 多 頁 的 小 說 , 拍 成 兩 個 半 小 時 的 長 戲 , 大 家 都 看 大 師 傅 這 席 酒 菜 如 何 烹 調 。

  結 果 不 但 不 令 人 失 望 , 更 是 喜 出 望 外 。 電 影 版 《 色 , 戒 》 , 首 先 顯 示 李 安 是 一 位 補 白 的 大 師 。 就 像 大 陸 的 萬 里 長 城 , 長 期 風 沙 侵 蝕 , 農 民 拆 卸 , 文 革 破 壞 , 據 說 今 天 「 萬 里 」 只 剩 三 分 一 以 下 。 許 多 頹 磚 敗 瓦 , 丟 棄 山 頭 , 空 對 一 片 蒼 煙 日 落 的 天 空 。

  小 說 版 寫 得 殘 缺 模 糊 , 就 像 只 剩 三 分 一 的 長 城 頹 磚 敗 瓦 。 李 安 的 工 作 , 是 把 這 截 長 城 修 復 起 來 , 而 且 看 上 去 , 其 用 料 和 手 工 , 不 跟 兩 千 年 前 戰 國 時 代 的 長 城 建 築 風 格 一 模 一 樣 , 也 要 像 明 朝 的 , 看 上 去 今 古 合 一 , 天 衣 無 縫 。

  用 文 字 來 「 填 寫 」 這 篇 小 說 尚 且 困 難 , 何 況 精 雕 細 琢 的 張 體 文 字 , 要 化 為 影 像 。 怪 不 得 導 演 說 , 拍 《 色 , 戒 》 耗 盡 精 力 , 把 導 演 和 男 主 角 梁 朝 偉 都 折 騰 得 剩 一 把 骨 頭 加 一 張 人 皮 。 修 復 長 城 , 哪 裡 容 易 ? 但 兩 個 半 小 時 的 戲 , 細 節 逼 真 , 枝 葉 豐 盛 , 李 安 的 補 白 不 但 把 張 愛 玲 這 個 如 夢 的 短 篇 立 體 了 , 看 完 電 影 , 回 頭 再 讀 小 說 , 方 悉 李 安 不 但 是 張 愛 玲 的 隔 世 知 音 , 還 更 是 轉 身 託 世 , 不 禁 拍 案 驚 奇 。

  電 影 版 首 先 是 驚 人 地 忠 於 原 著 。 幾 位 女 角 的 服 飾 打 扮 與 張 愛 玲 的 小 說 一 開 頭 相 同 。 打 麻 將 的 對 白 也 基 本 保 留 , 只 是 東 裁 一 截 , 放 到 後 面 的 章 節 , 西 割 斷 一 個 畫 面 , 加 插 在 別 的 地 方 。 李 安 很 細 心 , 搭 出 來 的 上 海 街 景 , 連 四 十 年 代 在 上 海 長 大 的 老 一 輩 人 都 覺 得 神 似 。 香 港 大 學 的 文 學 院 接 上 電 腦 特 技 合 成 , 像 《 生 死 戀 》 裡 那 樣 的 維 多 利 亞 港 , 當 中 連 一 段 鈴 聲 叮 叮 的 屈 地 街 電 車 , 看 著看 著就 像 回 到 戰 時 的 香 港 。

  女 主 角 王 佳 芝 在 咖 啡 店 裡 ?出 電 話 , 發 出 暗 號 , 回 頭 趕 去 珠 寶 店 : 「 她 正 躊 躇 期 間 , 腳 步 慢 了 下 來 , 一 回 頭 卻 見 對 街 冉 冉 來 了 一 輛 , 老 遠 的 就 看 見 把 手 上 拴 著一 隻 紙 紮 紅 綠 白 三 色 小 風 車 , 車 伕 是 個 高 個 頭 年 輕 人 。 」 如 此 細 節 都 拍 進 去 了 , 在 銀 幕 上 別 見 四 十 年 代 上 海 街 頭 的 風 情 。 換 了 一 個 低 手 , 粗 枝 大 葉 , 必 定 忽 略 如 此 瑣 碎 的 描 寫 。 但 少 了 這 一 句 悲 愴 的 情 調 , 也 就 缺 了 一 點 點 頑 皮 的 點 綴 , 這 就 是 戲 味 。

  張 愛 玲 細 膩 的 文 字 , 配 上 李 安 含 蓄 的 戲 味 , 威 尼 斯 影 展 的 評 審 和 觀 眾 , 沒 有 看 過 原 著 , 只 能 欣 賞 電 影 版 一 半 的 好 。 有 幾 場 戲 編 劇 自 己 加 的 。 例 如 王 佳 芝 與 男 主 角 特 務 頭 子 易 先 生 日 久 生 了 一 點 情 , 在 虹 口 的 日 本 壽 司 店 一 場 , 在 原 著 中 沒 有 。 這 場 戲 編 導 加 了 女 主 角 向 易 先 生 唱 了 一 首 《 天 涯 歌 女 》 。

  如 果 真 的 要 挑 毛 病 , 女 主 角 湯 唯 開 口 的 第 一 句 : 「 天 涯 海 角 覓 知 音 」 , 這 「 天 涯 海 角 」 的 那 個 「 角 」 字 , 用 國 語 發 音 唸 成 了 國 語 「 睡 覺 」 的 那 個 「 覺 」 。 然 而 再 聽 一 遍 周 璇 當 年 的 錄 音 原 版 本 , 周 璇 把 天 涯 海 角 的 那 個 「 角 」 字 , 國 語 唱 成 了 「 絕 」 的 那 個 音 。

  這 首 歌 三 十 年 代 末 上 海 流 行 一 時 。 論 發 音 正 確 , 湯 唯 在 電 影 《 色 , 戒 》 裡 唸 對 了 , 周 璇 唸 錯 了 。 但 因 為 周 璇 是 上 海 人 , 上 海 話 把 「 角 」 唸 成 「 絕 」 。 原 版 本 的 插 曲 錯 有 錯 著, 就 此 保 留 下 來 。 在 國 語 中 , 只 有 「 戲 劇 角 色 」 的 那 個 「 角 」 字 才 唸 「 絕 」 。 湯 唯 唸 對 了 一 個 字 , 在 當 時 的 潮 流 中 卻 是 錯 的 — — 這 純 粹 是 雞 蛋 裡 挑 骨 頭 , 因 為 導 演 天 生 細 心 , 故 此 不 嫌 吹 毛 求 疵 也 研 究 一 下 上 海 話 的 發 音 學 。

  梁 朝 偉 的 演 技 絕 對 國 際 級 , 整 天 板 起 一 張 臉 孔 , 這 樣 的 臉 譜 絕 不 討 好 。 兩 個 半 小 時 的 電 影 , 同 一 個 表 情 , 觀 眾 容 易 看 厭 。 但 梁 朝 偉 的 一 張 苦 臉 卻 層 次 豐 富 : 有 時 悲 苦 中 帶 自 憐 , 有 時 悲 愁 中 閃 過 一 絲 奸 險 , 有 時 在 陰 譎 裡 卻 又 浮 現 一 腔 顧 影 自 憐 的 苦 笑 , 尤 其 是 在 壽 司 店 裡 聽 見 王 佳 芝 的 唱 歌 。 在 日 治 時 代 , 服 務 汪 政 府 , 不 但 在 戴 笠 特 工 的 暗 殺 陰 影 之 下 , 自 己 也 當 殺 人 的 勾 當 , 不 是 你 死 就 是 我 亡 , 生 命 朝 不 保 夕 。 所 以 說 單 看 海 報 , 見 到 梁 朝 偉 演 活 了 那 個 獨 立 無 二 的 夾 心 人 的 表 情 , 就 可 以 斷 定 這 部 電 影 是 成 功 了 。

  湯 唯 飾 演 的 王 佳 芝 心 理 活 動 也 更 為 豐 富 , 更 不 易 演 好 。 一 個 在 大 陸 文 革 後 出 生 的 中 國 女 子 , 我 當 初 認 定 , 不 可 能 捕 捉 得 到 民 國 那 個 風 流 時 代 舉 手 投 足 的 女 性 神 韻 。 民 國 女 子 是 別 有 一 種 氣 質 的 : 歸 亞 蕾 、 江 青 、 夏 夢 、 樂 蒂 , 不 論 著 一 襲 旗 袍 , 還 是 在 桌 子 邊 一 坐 下 , 手 臂 支 著腮 輕 嘆 一 聲 , 都 有 一 種 一 逝 不 返 的 末 世 風 情 。 在 北 姑 遍 地 、 按 摩 女 充 斥 的 中 國 大 陸 , 優 雅 的 中 國 女 人 早 已 絕 種 了 。 文 化 的 中 國 , 早 已 亡 了 , 在 李 安 先 生 的 技 巧 下 , 居 然 化 腐 朽 為 神 奇 。 湯 唯 一 個 點 煙 的 手 勢 , 看 得 出 是 導 演 嚴 格 要 求 下 , 來 回 NG 幾 十 次 的 。 胡 蘭 成 在 生 , 看 了 這 個 場 面 也 會 痴 痴 著 迷 。

  還 是 梁 朝 偉 勝 一 籌 。 片 子 看 到 三 分 一 , 已 經 忘 記 了 這 是 一 個 香 港 演 員 , 真 的 以 為 他 是 汪 偽 時 代 的 一 個 特 務 頭 子 。 那 一 頭 向 後 梳 、 塗 上 髮 蠟 的 髮 型 , 當 年 的 陳 公 博 就 是 這 樣 子 的 。 還 有 一 個 江 西 戲 劇 家 熊 式 一 , 在 英 國 翻 譯 了 中 國 戲 劇 《 王 寶 釧 》 , 當 年 在 英 國 報 紙 登 出 的 一 張 宣 傳 照 , 一 頭 塗 滿 蠟 乳 的 黑 髮 那 麼 向 後 梳 , 側 著 頭 , 樣 子 與 梁 朝 偉 竟 爾 完 全 一 樣 。 至 於 場 景 中 各 大 小 道 具 擺 設 , 從 一 張 桌 子 到 一 個 餅 乾 罐 子 , 億 萬 金 元 的 製 作 , 就 該 用 在 這 等 地 方 , 如 此 心 細 如 塵 的 認 真 追 求 , 國 語 片 自 李 翰 祥 之 後 已 不 復 見 。

  四 十 年 代 汪 偽 的 上 海 , 參 考 書 不 多 , 除 了 後 來 流 落 香 港 的 記 者 金 雄 白 所 著 的 《 汪 政 權 的 開 場 與 收 場 》 — — 這 部 巨 著 實 為 真 正 的 曠 世 文 獻 , 令 人 讀 來 掩 卷 唏 噓 — — 還 有 就 是 高 陽 根 據 金 著 另 寫 的 小 說 《 粉 墨 春 秋 》 。 但 考 究 認 真 的 高 陽 , 在 《 粉 墨 春 秋 》 也 犯 了 粗 疏 的 毛 病 — — 他 寫 汪 妻 陳 璧 君 呼 喚 丈 夫 , 叫 他 「 兆 銘 」 。 陳 璧 君 出 身 嶺 南 望 族 , 民 國 時 代 大 戶 人 家 的 太 太 很 少 以 名 字 呼 喚 丈 夫 , 陳 璧 君 當 年 叫 汪 精 衞 , 不 叫 「 兆 銘 」 , 也 不 叫 「 精 衞 」 , 而 是 喚 他 「 三 哥 」 , 因 為 汪 氏 在 兄 弟 中 排 行 第 三 。 何 況 革 命 時 期 , 兩 人 曾 以 兄 妹 相 稱 。 由 此 可 見 , 歷 史 細 節 考 據 之 難 。

  李 安 的 《 色 , 戒 》 歐 洲 觀 眾 會 喜 歡 的 , 因 為 歐 洲 曾 經 淪 陷 過 , 美 國 觀 眾 大 概 看 不 進 去 , 尤 其 加 州 , 那 裡 的 生 活 太 快 樂 了 , 全 無 陰 暗 面 , 怎 懂 得 如 此 深 沉 的 絕 代 情 仇 ? 但 讓 西 方 觀 眾 見 識 一 下 四 十 年 代 中 國 人 的 風 貌 : 不 喧 嘩 、 不 吐 痰 、 說 話 有 品 味 、 不 哄 搶 名 牌 , 連 當 個 所 謂 漢 奸 , 也 cool 得 像 阿 倫 狄 龍 , 真 好 !

===================
不回家的人

全城爭講《色,戒》,不但汪政府一段歷史,從塵封的故紙堆抖了出來,連台灣一本格調清高的文學雜誌,這一期也快賣斷市。

但總有人雞蛋挑骨頭,要麼說李安不「忠於原著」,不然就是張愛玲搞錯了基本的常識──這些人,不知道「創作」兩個字怎麼寫。

這位多愁善感的張大姐,是個苦命的女人,李安看得很透徹,她和胡蘭成的一段情,太多缺陷,太不完美。《色,戒》這個故事很冷峻,甚至絕情,結尾寫易先生回到家,看到太太們還在打牌,他不動聲色,心想自己必須殺她,無毒不丈夫,若不是這樣的男人,王佳芝也不會愛他。這種獨白,出自一支絕望的筆,女人恨起來可以把前塵往事一筆勾銷。但是胡蘭成這樣的男人不會,他只會拖泥帶水,把一段餘情未了的香薰細細地咀嚼從頭。

李安看出張愛玲的恨意,改動了:王佳芝的愛情,難道不值得易先生為之動容?李安把易先生還原成一個男人,而不是張愛玲詛咒的魔鬼。

不錯,這個男人每天進出龍潭虎穴,幹下多少沒人性的勾當,區區美人計他怎會不提防?但是他的辦公室有一幅身穿軍服的舊照,臉上竟有點笑,分明是梁朝偉本人,而不是易先生。這不是破綻,而是導演精心的補白,這個男人在黃埔軍校的時候,想必也是一個熱血青年,只是後來諜海詭譎的生涯,腐壞了他的靈魂,他以為自己已經麻木了,直到遇上一個天真美麗的女人,喚醒了他年輕時的那點本質,他對這個女人動了真情,最後不得已殺了她,他很傷心。

這等溫柔的細節,是導演的創造,易先生從南京回來,王佳芝幾天沒有消息,急得發瘋,哭喊「我恨你。」只因為他不在身邊,他一回來,把她緊抱在懷,女人的心就融化了。易先生反問:「你現在還恨我嗎?」她搖搖頭:「不恨了。」這一句對白,沒有經過長夜等待的情婦,聽不出其中天長地久的淒楚。

就像鄭愁予的一首詩:在高高的塔上,住我的情婦。我來,總一襲藍色的衫,讓她有一點點春天的感覺,因為,「我不是常常回家的那種人。」

仁者樂山,智者樂水,你的「哭位」在哪?因為漫長的等待,等一個青衫男子從遠方歸來。他一回來,你就不恨了,雖然他不是常常回家的那種人。

同樣的還有王佳芝唱《天涯歌女》的一段,用歌詞來代替台詞:「郎呀,穿在一起不離分」,這是舊中國很經典的情話,這些情節一點都不張愛玲,也沒法想像張愛玲會小鳥依人對胡蘭成說出這種話來。

但如果要把張愛玲的故事原汁原味拍出來,恐怕沒那麼討好,一個敏感細膩而有點Mean的女作家,其私隱會有那麼多人感興趣嗎?世上還有很多幸福的小女人,她們的命格也不必像張愛玲那樣清奇。

(陶傑)
===================
人情世故

看《色,戒》,除了能學習豐富的性知識,還有人情世故。

有的人不喜歡最後一場:女主角特工王佳芝身份敗露,關在地下室,易先生的副官,把判決書送呈易先生覆核,原來,這位副官早就知道了王佳芝是易先生的情人,要不要鎗斃,由易先生決定。

許多人質疑:副官早知道真相,為什麼不早告訴主人?這一點說不通。

副官當然不能講。第一,老闆跟誰搭上,是老闆的私隱,副官只能保守秘密,不可以故作機靈,多事提醒老闆懸崖勒馬。只能製造一個時機,讓老闆很自然地自己來發現這顆炸彈,事後,副官可以安排一點痕跡,讓老闆很自然地發覺原來是副官暗中幫了他一把,當面不可以承認,讓老闆心中感激。

身為夥計,最忌多事「懶醒」,許多老闆心胸狹窄,你當面告訴他,他「條女」是重慶間諜,他覺得沒有面子,先收拾了女間諜,然後就收拾你。三國中的楊修,是如何死的?就死在爭表現自己比老闆更聰明。

其次,當年汪政府的特工機構,有很多山頭。除了易先生這個角色的原型丁默,還有另一個頭目李士群,兩人在日本人面前爭風,向日本情報頭子影佐禎昭問責。丁默搭上了重慶特務,李士群知道了,報告日本人,處境很險的。副官知道真相,也一字不可提,這不是無能,而是忠貞。

易先生見到副官知道內情,即使想拯救心頭之愛,也不敢在下屬的面前徇私。副官不揭破,還可以裝模作樣地下樓審訊,然後把王佳芝的名字勾掉:「不過是無知女學生,一時受惑,誤入歧途」,暗中救一命,以謝其提點逃亡之恩。

王佳芝的一顆鑽戒,託副官還給易先生,可以是求情,希望他睹物思人,刀下留命;也可以是決絕,既然事敗,無話可說,這顆鴿子蛋還給你,以免玷污了烈士英名。

曖昧的地方,趣味無窮,《色,戒》如何議論得盡?這等細節,設計得聰明極了,情婦、情人、老闆、打工仔,都各有感觸。易先生簽署了鎗決令,出於政治,不得不為,是以獨自憔悴,情人已經赴死,他卻要偷生,他沒有愛的自主權。亂世兒女,多可憐。

(陶傑)


Last edited by Info on Sat Oct 13, 2007 2:22 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Posts: 1691
Location: Hong Kong

PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 5:44 am    Post subject:

Rolling Stone Review (RS: 3.5 of 4 Stars, Average User Rating: Not Rated)

Starring: Tony Leung, Tang Wei, Joan Chen, Wang Lee Hom

Directed by: Ang Lee

Ang Lee doesn't direct movies according to fashion or the dictates of short attention spans. So leave it to the Taiwanese Oscar winner for Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to craft a Chinese-language film version of Eileen Chang's iconic short story and let it play out for 158 minutes. No matter. A whole world unfolds in those minutes, a fully realized world of Japanese-occupied Shanghai during World War II, of espionage and carnal power games. The film starts in 1938, when Wong Chia-Chi (Tang Wei), a student and aspiring actress, is recruited by the charismatic Kuang Yu Min (pop star Wang Leehom) to act her most demanding role: seducer of Mr. Yee (Tony Leung). He's a Japanese collaborator these Chinese patriots want dead. It culminates in 1942, at a jewelry shop, where the once plain Wong Chia-Chi -- now the epitome of fatal allure -- is about to fulfill her mission. In between, Lee reveals a deft design of politics and betrayal that finds a perfect parallel in the seemingly frivolous mah-jongg games Mrs. Yee (canny Joan Chen never misses a trick) plays with her married lady friends, including her romantic rival. There are no wasted motions. Exquisite beauty and barbarous intent are all caught in the lens of the great cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto. Lee, working with an intricate script by Wang Hui Ling and James Schamus, keeps us constantly off balance. Much has been made of the NC-17 sex scenes. For the reliably idiotic ratings board, it all comes down to pubic hair and pelvic thrusts. For Lee, it goes deeper, into areas of control. Yee approaches sex with the sadistic relish he'd use to torture a suspect, while Wong Chia-Chi acts the role of subservient vessel. When they both drop the masks and yield to grander passions, the effect is devastating. The actors deserve the highest praise. Leung goes places he's never been before as an actor. And newcomer Tang Wei gives a performance that will be talked about for years. Lee is a true master, and his potently erotic and suspenseful Lust, Caution casts a spell you won't want to break.


PETER TRAVERS

http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/11772554/review/16496973/lust_caution_se_jie?source=movie_reviews_rssfeed
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Location: Hong Kong

PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:29 pm    Post subject:

Ang Lee finds the perfect sex game for himself
By David Edelstein

After seeing Brokeback Mountain, with its sanctified couplings against a backdrop of purple mountain majesties, some of us felt that Ang Lee owed us a dirty movie with more bodily fluids. Lust, Caution is that movie—for maybe 10 of its 158 minutes. The rest of the film is absorbing, though. It opens in 1942, in Shanghai under Japanese rule. The heroine, Mak Tai Tai (Tang Wei), sits at a table with three older women, gossiping and playing mah-jongg. What the others don’t know is that her name is really Wong Chia Chi, she’s a member of the Chinese Resistance, and she’s there to entrap the husband of her hostess (Joan Chen), a top official in the collaborationist government. The scene, like the movie, is on the lengthy side, but it isn’t boring. By and by, the husband, Mr. Yee (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai), shows up and gazes steadily at Tai Tai/Chia Chi. The atmosphere is fraught. There’s something about watching a luscious young woman sitting rigid in a blue satin dress buttoned up to her throat tossing mah-jongg tiles—clack clack clackclack clack—that makes a man want to see her naked, fast.

Mah-jongg and Ang Lee are a good fit—which I don’t mean remotely as an insult. The game is elegant, formal, and deliberate, but with a hint of repressed violence, as you know if you’ve seen old ladies play. Mah-jongg brackets Lust, Caution, which ends with a mournful cello and the staccato snap of tiles. The film, which jumps back to Hong Kong in 1938 to show how Chia Chi arrived at that table, is an enlargement of a short story by Eileen Chang, about whom Lee writes in an afterword to a new, movie-tie-in edition: “To me, no writer has ever used the Chinese language as cruelly … and no story of hers is as beautiful or as cruel as ‘Lust, Caution.’ ” What drew him to Chang’s work is plain. Like Lee’s other films, Lust, Caution grows out of a tension between essence and form—between a person’s emotions and the role he or she must play. Obedient Chinese girls are not supposed to sword-fight Wutan style, corkscrew through the air over rooftops, or have rough sex with hairy bandits. Marlboro men aren’t supposed to smooch.

BACKSTORY

Mah-jongg, long the game of Jewish grandmothers, has reemerged to become something of a hipster pastime, as reported by Bust magazine. But Williamsburg women, beware: A recent Hong Kong Medical Journal report said that mah-jongg has been found to induce epileptic seizures in some players, brought on by the critical thinking it takes to play with those nifty tiles. The Journal cited 23 cases of mah-jongg-related seizures (three in Hong Kong and twenty in Taiwan). Hoping to head off an epidemic, doctors are recommending just watching the game instead of participating.

Young women patriotically playacting to lure war criminals to their deaths aren’t supposed to give themselves completely to their prey, either, but our heroine is a romantic who weeps at movies and loses herself in her performances. As Chia Chi, with straight hair and no makeup, Tang Wei looks and acts 15, and her face is wide open, guileless. As Tai Tai, she’s ripe, lissome, and teasingly furtive. She meets Yee’s eyes, looks away quickly, and meets his eyes again. When he brutally takes her, the first time, the girl underneath cries out in pain and disgust, but the actress, when it’s over, gives a little smile. Or is it the other way around?

Yee is even more difficult to anatomize. One of Hong Kong’s most galvanic stars (in Hero, he made sand-writing overpoweringly erotic), Leung has shrunk and aged himself, so that Yee seems ill at ease in his body. Paul Verhoeven’s Black Book had a similar scenario (Resistance lass seduces Axis bigwig), but the heroine’s Gestapo lover was a sweetie under those jackboots and swastikas. Leung’s Yee has been coarsened by presiding over tortures and executions, and those bad habits come out in the bedroom. He knows that Tai Tai might be a spy—he has ferreted out other would-be lovers/assassins. But the risk brings him out of his paranoid-authoritarian little shell.

How’s the sex? Terrific, but not because the bodies are so great (although they are) or the positions so arousing (although there is a kind of pretzel-y thing they do I’d like to see diagrammed). It’s because instead of a tasteful fade to black, we see another dimension of character. Who has the real power? Who’s caught in whose web? At their most enmeshed, Chia Chi and Yee are both the spider and both the fly. (We should thank James Schamus, the head of Focus Features, for standing his ground and refusing to order Lee to trim the sex scenes for an R rating. I’m sure it didn’t hurt that he’s also the movie’s co-writer and co-producer.)

There are other “actors” in over their heads in Lust, Caution—some of them members of Chia Chi’s little theater troupe–cum–assassination squad, a group of ex–drama majors who try to enlarge their stage to encompass the world. There’s a scene that isn’t from the story—a grueling bloodbath that rips the movie’s fabric but drives home the point (literally) that killing someone for real is murder. Lee studs Lust, Caution with reflections in mirrors and windows to underline the larger question of identity: Which is the true face and which is the mask? But you don’t have to bother with all that stuff—Tang Wei’s face is nice enough in all its guises.

http://nymag.com/movies/reviews/38019/
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:36 pm    Post subject:

'Lust, Caution' takes relationships to the extremes

By Ho Yi
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Sep 21, 2007, Page 13

Lust, Caution (色,戒)


The lust factor of this movie has been covered from every angle in the media. Monday, Ang Lee's (李安) Lust Caution (色,戒) hits the big screen in Taiwan and audiences will have the chance to cut through the sensationalist claptrap and judge the movie's merits for themselves.

Although Lee earned his second Venice Film Festival Golden Lion in three years for this espionage thriller, the first was Brokeback Mountain in 2005, more attention has been given to the movie's steamy scenes and its NC-17 rating awarded in the US.

The adaptation of Eileen Chang's book of the same name is peppered with generic elements, but employs a unique narrative structure to tell the story as only Lee can: by searching for the human factor behind the plot and profound truths.

The story opens in Japanese-occupied Shanghai in 1942. A group of wealthy, idle wives of high-ranking men plays mahjong at the home of Mr. Yee (Tony Leung, 梁朝偉), who is head of the collaborationist Chinese government's secret service. Among Mrs. Yee's (Joan Chen, 陳沖) mahjong partners is Mrs. Mak, the bored young wife of a businessman.


Rewind to Hong Kong, 1938. Mrs. Mak is an unassuming college student named Wang Jia-zhi, abandoned by her father who fled to the UK. After joining a theater troupe that performs nationalistic plays, Wang Jia-zhi realizes she has found her calling in acting and is gifted with the ability to move and inspire audiences.

Prompted by the troupe's patriotic leader Kuang Yumin (Wang Lee-hom, 王力宏), the actors decide to serve their country by assassinating Yee, a collaborator. Wang Jia-zhi becomes Mrs. Mak and uses her talents as well as womanly charms to seduce Mr. Yee.

The operation fails with unexpected bloodshed, forcing Wang Jia-zhi to flee.

Fast forward to Shanghai, 1941. Wang Jia-zhi is reenlisted by Kuang, now part of the organized resistance, to reprise her earlier role. As she is drawn deeper into the liaison, Wang's real identity is gradually subsumed by her assumed one, to the point that even she has difficulty discerning one from the other.

Throughout the film, Rodrigo Prieto's lush cinematography captures the slightly romanticized charm of Shanghai in the 1940s - earning the Mexican cinematographer top honors at Venice. Historically correct costumes and production design set a tone that is beautifully illuminated by Alexandre Desplat's melancholy score.

As the early part of the film, in which grand ideas of patriotism and loyalty play significant roles, fades into the background, the real drama of the film gets off the blocks when Wang Jia-zhi's sexuality is played out in the shadow of a patriarchal society and her search for a real self begins.

Self-identity is a recurrent theme in many of Lee's films, and Lust, Caution highlights the director's sober observations about human nature - this time the nature of a woman whose identities shift in the roles she plays for others. Wang Jia-zhi convinces Mr. Yee that she is Mrs. Mak by actually becoming Mrs. Mak, and while she is gradually consumed by playing the part, she is simultaneously empowered by the palpable feelings it generates within her, Mr Yee' s belief in who she is and the sexual intimacy and love that ensue.

The much talked about sex scenes appear halfway through the film when Lee has developed the personalities of the main characters. From brutal to tender to overwhelming, every instance of their sexual encounters serves the narrative. The initial sex scene sees Wang Jia-zhi engage in a series of calculated 1940s movie moves, but to both Wang Jia-zhi's and the audience's surprise, Mr. Yee turns the scene into a sadomasochistic episode in which his truer nature - one that is necessary to accomplish his job - is revealed.

Unquestionably graphic and visceral, these scenes are crucial to understanding the shifting emotional dynamics between the characters. Wang Jia-zhi's destructive path is skillfully examined by Lee's meticulous control of the complicated tangle of love, hatred and lust.

While American-born pop star Wang Lee-hom can easily be forgotten with his comparatively bland performance, it is, perhaps, unfair to criticize his performance too sharply considering who he is up against. Novice Tang Wei is pleasantly believable - growing from a shy young woman to a seductress. Leung reminds the audience that he is one of the world's best actors with subtle expressions and nuanced gestures - and delivers emotionally charged moments with precision and (need we say?) passion. Veteran actress Chen also turns in a fine performance, helping to bring to life the social circle that revolves around idle gossip at the mahjong table.

Director Lee's monumental talent lies not only in the diversity of his filmmaking, but his ability to make his characters believable. In the case of Lust Caution, he succeeds in creating a human drama with the rich layers of complicated emotions that typifies Chang's works. Yet to fans of the beloved novelist, no film adaptation can ever perfectly represent the intricate and sublime world of Chang.


Film Notes
Lust, Caution (色,戒)

DIRECTED BY: Ang Lee (李安)
STARRING: Tang Wei (湯唯) as Wang Jia-zhi; Tony Leung (梁朝偉) as Mr. Yee; Joan Chen (陳沖) as Mrs. Yee; Wang Lee-hom (王力宏) as Kuang Yumin
LANGUAGE: In Mandarin, Shanghainese, Cantonese, English and Japanese with both English and Chinese subtitles
RUNNING TIME: 156 MINUTES

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2007/09/21/2003379834
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 2:25 pm    Post subject:

非 常 熱 戲 : 《 色 , 戒 》 人 性 與 獸 性 交 戰

愛 情 高 尚 , 性 慾 低 微 , 人 與 獸 的 最 大 分 別 是 人 懂 得 抑 制 慾 望 , 王 佳 芝 ( 湯 唯 飾 ) 因 為 愛 國 、 愛 鄺 裕 民 ( 王 力 宏 飾 ) 而 走 上 間 諜 之 路 , 結 果 慘 遭 慾 望 吞 噬 。 《 色 , 戒 》 最 大 膽 的 地 方 , 不 是 性 器 官 畢 露 的 三 場 床 戲 , 而 是 拿 原 始 慾 望 擊 愛 情 的 地 位 。 由 愛 生 性 順 理 成 章 , 由 性 生 愛 則 旁 門 左 道 , 王 佳 芝 對 易 先 生 ( 梁 朝 偉 飾 ) 的 愛 源 自 野 蠻 猥 褻 的 性 交 , 這 份 愛 透 過 一 枚 六 卡 拉 的 粉 紅 鑽 戒 獲 得 印 證 , 她 無 法 從 愛 國 情 操 及 鄺 裕 民 的 精 神 之 愛 中 得 到 滿 足 , 她 只 能 從 獸 行 與 鑽 光 、 性 慾 與 物 慾 中 體 驗 愛 情 。 愛 與 慾 的 主 次 地 位 被 顛 倒 , 人 與 獸 的 界 線 變 得 模 糊 。

再 一 次 , 李 安 向 愛 情 常 規 提 出 質 問 , 《 斷 背 山 》 探 討 性 別 界 限 , 《 色 , 戒 》 探 索 愛 與 慾 的 分 層 線 。 上 一 回 問 : 愛 情 為 何 非 要 分 性 別 ? 這 一 回 問 : 愛 情 有 沒 有 分 高 尚 與 骯 髒 ? 看 電 視 看 到 眾 名 嘴 圍 李 安 發 問 , 可 惜 沒 有 觸 及 最 敏 感 地 帶 : 在 張 愛 玲 的 原 著 文 字 中 , 關 乎 性 愛 意 象 的 只 有 「 每 次 跟 老 易 在 一 起 都 像 洗 了 個 熱 水 澡 」 、 「 到 女 人 心 的 路 通 過 陰 道 」 和 一 段 坐 做 愛 的 簡 短 描 寫 , 描 述 或 許 帶 有 激 烈 的 暗 示 , 但 不 見 畸 形 , 李 安 導 演 , 是 甚 麼 令 你 想 到 用 性 虐 場 面 來 替 張 愛 玲 補 白 的 ?

李 安 自 然 沒 有 賣 弄 色 情 的 動 機 , 粗 野 的 性 行 為 只 為 表 達 潛 藏 在 人 性 下 的 獸 性 。 漢 奸 禽 獸 不 如 , 易 先 生 象 徵 獸 性 , 王 佳 芝 代 表 人 性 的 一 方 , 第 一 場 床 戲 她 是 他 砧 板 上 的 肉 , 到 了 第 三 場 床 戲 , 她 已 與 他 互 動 起 來 , 偷 享 一 刻 的 暢 快 抽 搐 。 扭 曲 的 做 愛 姿 勢 形 象 化 人 性 遭 獸 性 扭 曲 , 反 客 為 主 形 如 天 使 被 魔 鬼 臣 服 , 李 安 說 過 中 國 小 說 用 詞 向 來 內 斂 , 但 當 放 在 電 影 媒 體 便 不 能 太 過 含 蓄 , 要 讓 觀 眾 看 得 見 。 話 雖 如 此 , 個 人 還 是 認 為 李 安 借 用 了 張 愛 玲 的 故 事 , 說 自 己 想 說 的 。 這 沒 有 貶 意 。

論 導 演 技 巧 及 主 角 的 演 出 , 《 色 , 戒 》 好 得 近 乎 無 可 挑 剔 , 含 蓄 的 對 比 手 法 尤 其 高 明 。 王 佳 芝 演 話 劇 、 看 電 影 時 為 別 人 的 故 事 感 觸 落 淚 , 但 成 為 間 諜 後 , 她 卻 沒 有 為 自 己 掉 過 一 滴 眼 淚 。 令 王 佳 芝 變 得 麻 木 的 並 非 易 先 生 , 傷 她 最 深 反 而 是 正 義 的 化 身 鄺 裕 民 。 三 年 前 他 害 怕 假 公 濟 私 竟 派 有 召 妓 經 驗 的 同 學 替 心 上 人 開 苞 ; 三 年 後 他 鼓 起 勇 氣 吻 心 上 人 , 卻 不 知 道 她 的 心 已 歷 盡 滄 海 桑 田 。 如 果 那 年 他 不 是 她 心 死 了 , 結 局 也 許 截 然 不 同 。 過 份 壓 抑 等 同 虛 偽 , 釋 放 程 度 該 如 何 拿 ?

撰 文 : 阿 童 牧
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 2:42 pm    Post subject:

林奕华:易先生才是真正的“猎物”

  http://www.sina.com.cn 2007年09月27日00:45 南方都市报

  张爱玲没有在《色,戒》中直接描写王佳芝与易先生在床上是怎样的两个人。但在张爱玲眉目传情下,读者不难想象他和她会怎样做―――性欲先是心理需要的反射,再通过肉体接触得到满足。王佳芝身为色诱的饵,易先生是活在紧张与惶恐之中的权力角色,二人之间的多重扮演包括猎人与猎物,主人与仆人,侵略与被侵略,施虐与受虐,都将从心理转化成床第活动。在一切的尽在不言中里,其实离不开最核心的模式:一个主动,另一个被动。

  表面看来,易先生当然是主动一方。他是男人,年纪比王佳芝大,虽说是被诱惑者,但对方到底是有夫之妇,他的配合再被动,也带有侵略者味道。也就是说,他有义务了解勾搭自己的人妻为何不满足,从而明白他自己的魅力与长处何在。

  如果易先生真觉得被王佳芝看中是某种恭维、抬举,那他的弱点之一,就是虚荣。都说虚荣的人再主动都不过是在行为上进取,骨子里对被认同的极度渴望,说明他其实是被动型人格。他的主动,只是主动的被动。

  李安用三次幽会交代易先生与王佳芝在关系上的变化。第一场易先生来势汹汹,扯头发,撕破衫,一切符合强势男人的架式,尽是霸王硬上弓。但做完后他快乐吗?满足吗?倒更像公事公办一场。第二次是姿势先行,两个人的地位比第一次相对平等,因为过程是探索式的。到了第三次,经历过第二次的互相包容―――彼此已大约摸到对方的需要―――李安让王佳芝作出了最大胆的举动:她蒙住易先生的眼睛,要他在一种不安全感之下体验高潮的到来。

  镜头多次在汤唯与梁朝伟的反应来回切割。女上男下的这段较劲戏,男方感受明显被女方控制,梁朝伟把几次接近爆发却又被汤唯按住的紧张演得丝丝入扣,直至真已忍无可忍,从他喉头发出的那一声既痛楚又畅快的嘶叫,我认为是《色,戒》/李安为华人电影树立的里程碑:男人作为“猎人”必须承受的压抑、钳制、伪装,就这样被一个懂得他的“猎物”彻底释放。

  难怪易先生会把王佳芝视为“知己”。读到张爱玲这样写我们还不是太明白,直至李安以他的诠释解开了这个谜―――易先生才是真正的“猎物”。林奕华/文
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:36 pm    Post subject:

A Splendid Battle in the War of the Sexes
By JAMES BOWMAN

September 28, 2007

There's a wonderful poem about adultery called "Story of a Hotel Room," by the mysterious English poet Rosemary Tonks, which ends like this:

"…someone should have warned us / That without permanent intentions / You have absolutely no protection / If the act is clean, authentic, sumptuous / The concurring deep love of the heart / Follows the naked work / profoundly moved by it."

"Lust, Caution," the superb new movie by Ang Lee, is of the same opinion. Based on a story by Eileen Chang and set in Shanghai during World War II, it tells the story of a plot by some Chinese students to assassinate Mr. Yee (Tony Leung), the head of the collaborationist government's secret police, by setting a honey trap for him. But the bait, the beautiful Wong Chia Chi (Tang Wei), discovers too late that she has been caught in the poetess's trap.

It is a scenario of almost stunning audacity. The audience is required to sympathize with a vile murderer and tyrant who routinely and without compunction tortures and executes his fellow Chinese on behalf of the country's Japanese occupiers. Moreover, the patriotic students who want to kill the police chief come across as a bunch of pathetic amateurs and dreamers, easily manipulated by a sinister communist agent as ruthless as Mr. Yee himself.

As if all that were not enough, most of the story is told in flashback. It begins as the students are finally about to spring their long-prepared trap on Mr. Yee, then takes them up to the point where Wong gives the coded signal. Then it takes us back four years to the origins of the plot among a group of freshmen at Hong Kong University. Some two and a half hours later, we finally get back to the place where we were in the first few minutes.

Even if the characters — apart from Wong — were more sympathetic than they are, you'd think the nonlinear structure would be a sure way to lose the audience along a long and meandering way. I can't remember the last time I sat through a nearly three-hour movie without resentful feelings that it was a good deal longer than it needed to be.

Not so with "Lust, Caution." Everything works triumphantly. Not only does the cinematic storytelling — almost a lost art in Hollywood these days — keep you on the edge of your seat, but the atmospherics, for which latter-day Hollywood has got into the habit of sacrificing plot, character, and plausibility, knock the spots off anything the dream factory has produced in ages. This is by far the best movie I've seen all year.

Worth a special mention in the category of atmospherics that also advance the plot are the sex scenes. These are another example of Mr. Lee's boldness, not only in incurring for his film the dreaded NC-17 rating, which automatically reduces its commercial potential, but also in daring the challenge of banality and triviality.

I certainly wouldn't have thought it was possible anymore to show on-screen sex that was not merely pornographic or clichéd or both, but Mr. Lee's two wonderful leading actors pull it off, along with their clothes and their inhibitions. Here at last is that hitherto undiscovered Holy Grail of erotic cinema, sexual imagery that really is artistically essential to the film's serious purposes. These are to plumb the depths of the human heart and explore the nature of human sexuality, an exploration that also has political ramifications. The latter are all understated and not at all crude or propagandistic. They transcend ideology — in a way that, as it happens, Mr. Lee's previous film, "Brokeback Mountain," did not — by making us see its irrelevance to the real wellsprings of human action.

As a meditation on power, and what it does to those who possess it, and on sex in relation to power and trust, I don't know anything to beat it. It's also a movie about acting, and how the parts we play in life end up determining who we are. Oh, and by the way, it's also a great tragic love story to rank with the best the movies have ever produced.

Finally, mention should be made of the film's fidelity to historical truth, both moral and material (at least so far as I can tell). If the storytelling seems almost miraculous in its adherence to a dwindling standard of movie craftsmanship, the resolute refusal to impose upon the past the values and assumptions of the present seems at least equally astonishing.

All this together produces an emotional logic as compelling as the narrative logic, and it's bound up in a perfectly neat Chinese package with a lovely original score by Alexandre Desplat that is redolent of the romantic Hollywood movies of its period, which are a recurring motif. Don't miss it on any account.

http://www.nysun.com/article/63595?page_no=1
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 9:42 am    Post subject:

Ang Lee paints a masterpiece with new film 'Lust, Caution'

By: Samantha Urban, Associate Entertainment Editor

Posted: 10/5/07

If you're Academy Award winning director Ang Lee, how do you top yourself after "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Brokeback Mountain?" Simple. You direct a Chinese-language film version of an iconic short story by Eileen Chang and fill it with enough full frontal nudity and sexual encounters to earn it an NC-17 rating. However, Lee's new film, "Lust, Caution" is much more than sex and violence.

"Lust, Caution" paints an exquisite portrait of power and espionage set in Japanese-occupied Shanghai during World War II. The film tells the tale of Wong Chia Chi (Tang Wei), a student recruited by the dashing drama student Kuang Yu Min (Wang Leehom) to join a rebellion of actors.

What begins as moneymaking, patriotic plays turns into a plot to assassinate Mr. Yee (Tony Leung), a Japanese collaborator. Wong Chia Chi goes from plain to breathtaking as she assumes the identity of Mak Tai Tai, the close friend and mah jong partner of Mr. Yee's wife (Joan Chen).

Obviously, there is controversy surrounding the film's rating. The sex scenes are explicit, to be sure, but they support and accentuate the movie's themes.

Sex becomes a symbol for power plays between Yee and Wong Chia Chi. He uses sex as he would interrogate and torture a suspect, while she plays the role of the submissive and willing victim. The scenes between the two are beautiful, erotic and thrilling , but never uncomfortable or unnecessarily graphic.

The mah jong scenes are similar in their relentless symbolism. Wong Chia Chi always plays the loser and the victim, but manages to give the audience the feeling that she truly has the upper hand in her double life.

Newcomer Tang Wei is nothing short of magnificent. Her performance gives any award-winning actress a run for her money. She brings both innocence and a searing sexuality to the role she so clearly dominates. Anytime she's onscreen, your eyes won't wander.

Tony Leung is equally captivating as the strong and quiet Mr. Yee. Leung is no stranger to the cinema, and proves his worth in "Lust, Caution." Each of Leung's side glances and assertions of strength say more than dialogue ever could.
Ang Lee has crafted his masterpiece with this film. Each and every movement of the camera is deliberate.

Each color, each motion and each expression has a purpose and a meaning. Lee proves himself as an artist of the silver screen, using blocking, costuming and a camera like a painter uses brush strokes.

"Lust, Caution" is visually riveting and one of the most beautiful films to come along in a while.

To be fair, the film does feel slow at times. But the story is so seductive and enthralling that by the time the story plays itself out, the initial pace no longer matters.

"Lust, Caution" is one of those rare films that stays with you for days after watching it. It may be because of the haunting score or the raw emotion of the story, but either way, "Lust, Caution" is not to be missed. It is easily one of the best films of the year.


http://media.www.smudailycampus.com/media/storage/paper949/news/2007/10/05/Entertainment/Ang-Lee.Paints.A.Masterpiece.With.New.Film.lust.Caution-3014476.shtml
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 12:39 am    Post subject:

Lust, Caution

From Marcy Dermansky

Guide Rating - 4 out of 5

Ang Lee's Lust, Caution won the prestigious Golden Lion award earlier this year at Venice, but not without some controversy. Apparently the press was unhappy with the choice, and early reviews have been mixed. The run time is two and a half hours, MPAA ratings stuck the film with a cautionary NC-17 rating, and on top of that, I'm not a fan of Lee's previous film, the acclaimed, academy award winning Brokeback Mountain. I went into the screening with trepidation. The trepidation was not necessary.

Lust, Caution is a gorgeous film, sweeping you away to a different time and place. Based on a short story by Eileen Wang, Lust, Caution opens with four women, expensively dressed, gathered round a mahjong table, making conversation as their tiles fly across the table. The youngest player at the table seems out of place, her lustrous red lips and impeccable attire belied by the seeming innocence of her youthful face. The 156 minute long espionage thriller belongs to this young woman, Wong Chia Chi (Tang Wei), whose life is shaped by the misfortune of coming of age in Japanese-occupied Shanghai during World War II.

The wide-eyed college freshman stars in a school production intended to stir patriotism. Her first and only student performance is so good that she brings the entire audience to their feet, chanting for the success of the nation. From there, it's a fast leap from the stage into espionage. The handsome leader of the theater group is also a handsome revolutionary Kuang (Wang Leehom) and he invites the impressionable Wong to join his scheme to assassinate a top Japanese collaborator, Mr. Yee (Tony Leung).

The inexperienced young radicals play spy in early, fumbling, captivating scenes as the hapless student actors attempt and fail to murder the untouchable diplomat. The Chinese resistance, however, turns out to be watching them, and later asks Wong to reprise her role as an affluent married woman who will lure Yee into a trap. Wong's total transformation is nothing less than stunning: from the straight-haired, almost ordinary girl to Mrs. Mak Tai Tai, a poised, coiffed woman in alluring Chinese dress. All throughout Lust, Caution, the enormous divide of Wong's character continues to amaze. Tang Wei is disarmingly beautiful, and she gives a wonderful performance in her first film--in an exceedingly difficult role at that.

Leave it to a powerful nation to depend on a young, inexperienced woman to help win a war. Lust, Caution contains extended, graphic sex scenes that often border on violent and establish the complicated nature of the relationship between the older Yee and the younger, less experienced woman. Tony Leung, one of Asia's biggest movie stars, gives a fearsome, complex performance as a sadistic man who literally pierces his way into the secret agent's heart.

http://worldfilm.about.com/od/chinesefilms/fr/lustcaution.htm
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 12:42 am    Post subject:

Lust, Caution (NC-17)
Jenny Peters

Hollywood.com Says

This erotically charged sizzler from Oscar-winning director Ang Lee is a brilliant look at how the best-laid plans of freedom fighters during wartime can backfire, especially when sex with the enemy is a fundamental part of their deadly scheme.

Story

The story of Lust, Caution begins in the midst of WWII in Asia, as the Japanese have a stranglehold on key areas of China, including Shanghai and Hong Kong. The iron-fisted Chinese, who are collaborating with the invaders, are led by Mr. Yee (Tony Leung), a cruel and ruthless man who delights in the torture and murder of his fellow countrymen who are fighting against the Japanese occupation. When a patriotic band of college students (made up of four men and two women, all part of the drama school) decide to strike a blow for Chinese freedom by assassinating Mr. Yee, it falls to Wang (the mesmerizingly beautiful Wei Tang) to infiltrate his home and heart to pave the way for the killing. But as her compatriots--including handsome Kuang, played by American-born Chinese rock star Lee-Hom Wang, who loves her from afar--bid their time, waiting for the moment to strike, Mr. Yee and Wang enter into a torrid affair that begins to consume them both. Think of the Hitchcock classic Suspicion, shift from Europe to Asia, add in intensely explicit sex scenes and a completely unexpected ending, and you have Lust, Caution--a film that is soon to be considered a classic as well.

Acting

Veteran actors Tony Leung and Joan Chen lead a fine cast of actors who together create this completely believable glimpse into Chinese culture during the dark days of Japanese occupation. Both give intense performances--he as the powerful, emotionless Mr. Yee and she as his vapid, shopping and Mah Jong-obsessed wife. But the most amazing performance is that of newcomer Wei Tang, the Miss Universe finalist who makes her film debut in Lust, Caution. Her fantastic face, slim body, and almost ethereal presence seem to blot out everyone else when she is on the screen; you can’t help but look at only her. Her transformation in the four-year span of the story is masterful. As she goes from a naïve young student to a mature woman whose physical obsession with a man she despises begins to overwhelm her. The ingénue proves that she is much more than just a pretty face. In fact, she deserves an Academy Award nomination for her often subtle, always fearless performance that is at the heart of the film.


Direction

Ang Lee has a unique cinematic ability to begin a story very specific to a time, a place, and a culture, and end with a universal tale that resonates across all societies and peoples. He did it beautifully with Sense and Sensibility, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as Brokeback Mountain, and he’s done it again masterfully with Lust, Caution. This newest film is an intense look at how war often causes an individual to make the ultimate sacrifice for the common good, yet it also explores another underlying theme: the idea that there is a never-ending battle between the sexes for emotional dominance within a sexual relationship. Ang Lee’s deft hand is evident in every frame, including the incredibly explicit (and often violent) sex scenes that have given the film its NC-17 rating. But this is not pornography; every scene is necessary to the story, showing us that using sex as a means to an end (no matter how noble that end) is a very dangerous game to play, especially during wartime. Look for Ang Lee’s name to come up on the Academy’s list again this year as awards season kicks into high gear. He deserves every honor for this emotionally disturbing masterpiece.


http://www.hollywood.com/review/Lust_Caution/4931568
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:48 am    Post subject:

Approach with Caution

By: Dan Benamor

Posted: 10/11/07

Following what film critics saw as a masterpiece (Brokeback Mountain) would be hard for any director, even Ang Lee. But Lee and Co. deserve credit for taking artistic risks with their latest film, Lust, Caution, which features an odd love story, graphic sex scenes and an over-two-hour running time. But for those willing to stick out this slow-paced spy film, Lust, Caution is a surprising and ambitious feat.

The film takes place in World War II-era China, where a band of patriotic students join together to create a resistance group. One of these students, the beautiful Wong (newcomer Wei Tang), attempts to infiltrate the life of the highly placed Japanese collaborator Mr. Yee (Tony Leung, familiar to American audiences for his role in Hero) in order to eventually assassinate him. The ultra-stern Mr. Yee gradually begins to show a romantic interest in Wong, and Lust, Caution follows the escalation of their relationship.

The film's writing crew consists of James Schamus (Hulk) and Hui-Ling Wang (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), working off a short story by Eileen Chang (Flowers of Shanghai). But the writers are in no hurry; this is an epic story of colossal changes in the lives of Wong and Mr. Yee, and it takes some time to develop those characters.

Lee was heralded for the cinematography used in his earlier work, Brokeback Mountain, and, for this film, he seems to have turned to classic American films from years past. For example, Lust, Caution's noir atmosphere, the sexual symbolism of cigarettes and even numerous allusions to Cary Grant films all suggest old-school influences, which Lee acknowledged in an interview with indieWire (Lee listed Casablanca and "old American films from the '40s, early Bette Davis" as some inspirations).

Despite the film's noir influences, Lee shot most of the film's scenes in bright light, which works to contrast the very dark elements and facets of Lust, Caution's story. And the film's framing and establishing shots also give it the sense of an old-time movie, yet another element Lee might have gathered from classic influences.

Yet the film, rated NC-17 for "explicit sexuality," differs from Casablanca and other classic films with its graphic sex scenes. Though sex doesn't come into play until nearly halfway through the film, when it does appear, audience members can't ignore it, multiple positions and all. And though some more editing could have probably garnered Lust, Caution an R rating, leaving in these scenes does actually serve a purpose - audience members are able to learn more about the characters and their changing relationships through these graphic scenes.

And the actors' performances make the film notable for more than just sex. Mr. Yee and Wong have a very complicated relationship viewers will ponder after the film is over, and both Leung and Tang do their parts to make the relationship believable. Leung gives a very measured performance as the disciplined Mr. Yee, constricted in body language and emotion, and when he finally shows some vulnerability, his performance makes a real impact. Similarly, Tang effectively transforms from a na've college student to a hardened spy, and she manages to convince the audience of every nuance of emotion and feeling - a downward flick from her eyes tells us a whole story.

Though Lust, Caution may be a tough movie to watch for some - extremely long and more than a bit slow - the patient building of the relationship between Mr. Yee and Wong is effective, if you can sit through a lot of polite dialogue scenes.

For people who don't need their movies to have lots of explosions and snappy banter, Lust, Caution could be extremely rewarding. If you're going just for sex scenes, don't bother - there's more to this film than just nudity.

http://media.www.diamondbackonline.com/media/storage/paper873/news/2007/10/11/Diversions/Approach.With.Caution-3025282.shtml
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:43 am    Post subject:

Sexual chemistry & occupation

'Lust, Caution' director Ang Lee on his latest creation

by David Lamble

10/11/2007

"I never read in Chinese literature what women get from sex." — Ang Lee, director of Lust, Caution .

A fresh-faced, dazzlingly beautiful Chinese student actress, torn by the conflicting demands of her heart, her loins and her war-blighted country, starts sleeping with the enemy in an erotically explosive new film from Ang Lee. Based on Eileen Chang's 1950 short story, given a Brokeback Mountain-style expansion by the filmmakers, Lust, Caution brazenly challenges Eastern and Western assumptions about erotic expression on screen, as well as giving the recollection of war's dirtiest secrets from a female perspective. It also tests one's tolerance for endless amounts of Mah Jong. Yes, there was a moment early on that I desperately recalled Woody Allen's joke about his mother's attempted suicide through an overdose of Mah Jong tiles.

Lust, Caution opens in Japanese-occupied Shanghai. It's 1942, and Lee introduces us to his plucky heroine Wang Jiazhi (the talented newcomer Tang Wei) as she makes a fateful phone call. The former student actress is about to set into motion the assassination of her lover, the sadistic lynchpin of the Japanese-run Chinese puppet government, the brooding Mr. Yee (Tony Leung). Moments later, we travel back in time to see how a younger woman was persuaded to infiltrate Mr. Yee's household by a handsome and fanatically patriotic young actor played by the Rochester, New York-born Chinese pop star Lee-Hom Wang.

Audiences who make it through the leisurely paced first act will be rewarded by a brutally explicit first-date fuck between Leung and Wei that is all but a rape, and the startling revelation that the girl may come to care for this suave brute to a degree not imagined by her fellow student rebels. If Jack and Ennis had gone at it with this ferocity, they'd still be up on Brokeback.

In Lust, Caution, Ang Lee lets us see the students pop their cherries in respect to first sex — a comically inventive scene has Wei pinned down under an erotically inept young man as he breaks her in for Mr. Yee. Later, the students will also lose their virginity as killers when the sudden appearance of a corrupt official forces the group to discover just how specifically grisly the act of murder can be. The victim is gutted like a dumb beast at a slaughterhouse.

To Western audiences, the moments Lee chooses to punctuate and the moments he tosses aside may seem maddeningly arbitrary and dramatically wrongheaded. But the director is steely-eyed in his determination that his film is not mere pulp fiction. It's transformative cinema where Chinese audiences can symbolically purge the lingering guilt and shame of occupation, where American audiences can experience how the most satisfying sex can be war by other means, and finally, where both sides can see the meaning of betrayal through the eyes of a young woman who gives insidious new meaning to the notion of sacrificing one's body for one's country.

Tony Leung is at the peak of his game as the charming if loathsome Mr. Yee. The filmmakers smartly choose to reveal his crimes only indirectly, through his behavior in bed. Those who fell for him as one half of a doomed gay couple in Happy Together will now have a whole new perspective on the man who is possibly China's leading romantic icon. Tang Wei fully lives up to her mentor's expectations in a role that calls for her to show several different faces to the camera.

Your love for Lust, Caution may finally be judged by just how well the return of a large, expensive ring compares emotionally to Brokeback 's blood-stained shirt.

On the record

Appearing at a San Francisco hotel press conference with his female star (Tang Wei) following the film's debut at Mill Valley, Ang Lee fielded questions about just how faithful he has been to the original short story by popular Chinese author Eileen Chang.

"Some of Eileen Chang's fans may not agree, but I think I took hint from the short story. I've never read from Chinese literature what women get from sex. She even suggested that the way to get to men's hearts is through the stomach, and to women's is through the vagina. It�s that clear, so how can I miss it? I think she did whatever is shocking to the literature, and from that perspective, to examine patriotism. I took that lead with photography, with real people.

"To me, there is another attraction which I didn't get a hint from the short story. All three of us, me and the two actors [Tony Leung, Tang Wei], are fanatical about acting: we just want to see what ultimate performance is like. She has to put up the ultimate performance to withstand the scrutiny of an interrogator, to survive. And he wants to see the truth, even if that means inflicting pain. I don't see sex just for sex's sake — it generates chemistry that triggers love, feelings and intimacies. That's pretty profound material. They're both in denial of true love, needing it desperately.

"When I get two great actors naked on the bed, ideal shooting circumstances, very private, would I let it slip and regret it for the rest of my life? So we just decided to jump in. Those scenes are extremely intense for me. The real sexy part is outside of the three sex scenes, like when they seduce each other — to me, they are [sexier]. Throughout the movie, it's an organic approach I believe, a holistic approach, it just peaks on those sex scenes."

For Lust, Caution's Chinese release, Lee cut several minutes of erotic scenes. Surprisingly, American audiences will get the uncut version for a change, but that required an NC-17 rating. Lee was emphatic in dismissing the idea that the film was shot in reference to securing a specific rating, in the US or elsewhere.

"You're crazy if you think cautiously. When I [shoot], I don't care about that. You're in another zone, you just want to do your best, we worry about that later. Maybe the movie doesn't need it, maybe it's something great! At that time, I just see it as other people's problem, the studio's supporting it. They didn't force me to sell my house, my children."

In acrobatic shots, his actors assume practically all the positions of the Kama Sutra. So invariably, Lee is asked, "Are the actors actually having sex in the scenes? Because it's hard to tell in the shots that you choose."

"That's a hard question to answer. I said once to a journalist, 'Did you see the movie?' The thing is that I've never seen anything like that myself. You often have hot, steamy scenes, or just good performers, but not in such an intensity. Or you'll see real sex in porno films, but you don't have dramatic motivation or the exquisite performers."

http://www.ebar.com/arts/art_article.php?sec=film&article=406
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