Thursday, 7 August 2014

Se, jie


Also Known As:
Lust, Caution
Year:
2007
Countries:
People’s Republic of China (PRC)… Republic of China (ROC)… United States of America (USA)…
Predominant Genre:
Thriller
Director:
Ang Lee
Best Performances:
None
Premiss:
Espionage thriller of a young woman swept-up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure.
Themes:
Compassion | Guilt | Self-expression | Totalitarianism
Similar (in Plot, Theme or Style) to:
Unknown
Review Format:
DVD

Considering this movie originates from a novel written by a woman, it is not surprising it would take on an intimately-sexual caste of mind - brought to the screen, by men, with lavish attention to emotional detail. This says a lot for the expressive sensitivity of this cinematic project, but not for how it delicately balances political duty with personal desire.

The theme is basically anti-imperialism and anti-oppression and the many violent struggles that this entails. And the negative affects this has on the ability of having fulfilling relationships with others as one finds it increasingly difficult to know upon whom one can rely.

The rather awkward time scheme makes audience identification problematic as we shunt backwards and forwards in time for no apparent reason; making the film’s length more than a little wearisome.

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Science:



No science is immune to the infection of politics and the corruption of power.



Jacob Bronowski… (1908 - 74), British scientist, author. Encounter (London, July 1971).


Sleep of Reason:



The dream of reason produces monsters. Imagination deserted by reason creates impossible, useless thoughts. United with reason, imagination is the mother of all art and the source of all its beauty.



Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes… (1746-1828), Spanish painter. Caption to Caprichos, number 43, a series of eighty etchings completed in 1798, satirical and grotesque in form.


Humans & Aliens:



I am human and let nothing human be alien to me.



Terence… (circa 190-159 BC), Roman dramatist. Chremes, in The Self-Tormentor [Heauton Timorumenos], act 1, scene 1.


Führerprinzip:



One leader, one people, signifies one master and millions of slaves… There is no organ of conciliation or mediation interposed between the leader and the people, nothing in fact but the apparatus - in other words, the party - which is the emanation of the leader and the tool of his will to oppress. In this way the first and sole principle of this degraded form of mysticism is born, the Führerprinzip, which restores idolatry and a debased deity to the world of nihilism.