And they both grew up to be recognized masters of their craft. They respect their old teacher even when he's old and infirm. They know they wouldn't be famous performers without that training.

Dieye is not seen as masculine because he's the "Concubine." Yet he also has a strength. Until he doesn't.

THE CORE OF MASCULINITY

by Rumi (1207-1273)

The core of masculinity does not derive

from being male,

nor friendliness from those who console.

Your old grandmother says, “Maybe you shouldn’t

go to school. You look a little pale.”

Run when you hear that.

A father’s stern slaps are better.

Your bodily soul wants comforting.

The severe father wants spiritual clarity.

He scolds but eventually

leads you into the open.

Pray for a tough instructor

to hear and act and stay within you.

We have been busy accumulating solace.

Make us afraid of how we were.

In the movie “Lust, Caution” Mr. Yee works for Wang Ching-Wei, an actual historical figure who was head of the collaborationist government. He is mentioned briefly by the students, mostly as a kind of bogeyman who is the source of China’s problems because of his kowtowing to Japan. 

Some historians, though, interpret him as a more complex character who allied with Japan because he thought continued resistance would lead to unnecessary suffering. He thought an Asian overlord, as opposed to British or American interests, might preserve some semblance of Chinese sovereignty. He saw himself as a patriot attempting to navigate an impossible situation by seeking a form of peace that would be the best outcome for China.

“[T]he war was the unmaking of a man whose name is little remembered outside the ranks of China historians: Wang Jingwei. Wang’s story is one of the great tragedies of twentieth-century history. He was a more prominent nationalist and revolutionary in his youth than either Mao or Chiang, and served as second in command to the legendary revolutionary Dr. Sun Yat-sen.”

“Forgotten Ally: China’s World War II, 1937–1945” by Rana Mitter.

The young, beautiful, idealistic Chia-chih can be a metaphor for Wang Jingwei (spellings confuse me). She uses her intelligence and allure to seduce Mr. Yee, the enemy. Her goal is to get close enough to him to destroy him. She does it all for her country. 

Part of her allure is her “Chineseness” because it represents what Japan can’t appreciate. There are long shots to call attention to her quipao, especially in the tailor’s shop. In the Japanese tavern scene her performing for him the traditional Chinese song even brings him to tears. 

But she misjudges him, and herself. She goes too far and gets caught up in the performance. She succumbs to his dominance for the rush the affair gives her (like the rush of her first performance, this time on the stage). She grossly overestimates his commitment to her and as a consequence she is the one destroyed.

From our vantage point as readers of history or viewers of film, we can see that both Wang Jingwei and Chia-chia are pawns of larger forces. Of course a metaphor can only go so far. Wang Jingwei doesn’t have any illusions that he can “kill” Japan. He’s a national figure whose decisions affect millions. Chia-chia is just an amateur in a self-made group of spies. Importantly, her compromise is more intimate, to the extent of allowing herself to be raped. Still, she’s the embodiment of the interior struggle and difficult decisions faced in war. What would you do for your country? What would you do for yourself? 

Mitter understands the terrible decisions that are made in wartime. He discusses Chiang Kai Shek (Wang Jingwei’s friend and bitter rival) and CKS’s his decision to leave Nanjing vulnerable, which we know now ends up with the city’s people brutalized by the Japanese: “Leaving Nanjing was just one of the horrific choices he had been forced to make. He would be forced to make many more before the war was over.”

Through emotion between the characters’ emotions during the War and how war changes people, including how they have to make choices of various moralities to survive.  Caution is the restraint people have to use to get along in society, lust is where we would be without restraint.

2. What is the role of acting and performance in the film? Consider how the characters perform various roles in the theater, in politics, and in the bedroom.

The character’s acting is a survival mechanism.  Acting is an escape for people when times are difficult.  Even if we do not go to the movies, we still take that time out of our day to wind down, even if it is just a couple minutes surfing the internet.  Politics are also an act as politicians all play to different audiences depending on what they want to achieve or obtain.  The bedroom is the ultimate theater, as people become both who they are and who they are not.

3. What are the turning points in the narrative where Wang Jiazhi becomes increasingly emotionally invested in her role as Mai Taitai, and less invested in political revolution? How does this emotional investment blur the lines between performance and “authenticity”?

Wang Jiazhi becomes a “honeypot” as her body becomes a tool as her dalliance with Mr. Yee becomes more of a way to attempt to change policy.

4. What does the film seem to be saying about the private lives of individuals in the context of war, revolution, and high politics?

There is no private life in the context of war, revolution, and politics.  You are involved.  If it is war, you are on one side or the other.  If there is a revolution, you are on one side or the other.  If you are a politician, everything is public (now) and scrutinized.

5. While the source novella does not contain explicit descriptions of erotic acts, Lust, Caution was given an NC-17 rating due to the sexually explicit content. Why do you think the director chose to include these scenes and to film them in with what might be regarded as pornographic cinematography?

Seduction is powerful.  Adding these scenes shows the power and the fragility of the characters and the situation they are in.  In war, the characters' lives were fragile.  In the bedroom, there is power that is separate from what is happening outside of the bedroom.  These scenes show that.  By showing the scenes as raw instead of what appears to be scripted, it adds authenticity to the emotion.

6. The big question: why does Wang Jiazhi do it?!

She has fallen in love, or at least sees her own fragility in this situation.  

7. We hear about terrible acts that Mr. Yi carries out (for example, torture in interrogations), but we never see these acts on screen. Why do you think that is?

Part of torture is the thought of what “might” happen, the not knowing.  By hearing of what was done but not having any proof (on screen), we can imagine the acts being more terrible than if they were on screen.  Lee was also influenced by Hitchkock, who did not show the terror on screen.

8. Why is the ring so important in the film? What does it symbolize?

It symbolizes the final entrapment for Wang and ultimately leads to her downfall.

9. What does the film seem to suggest about nationalism and nationalist identity?

I think about the chanting “USA USA USA” at the Olympics for this question.  The chanters may not feel like they belong, but they still identify with the chant.

I liked the pictures of Hong Kong from the 1990s, before China took over.  The stop motion filming and the color was visually pleasing.  The jump cuts reminded me of Blair Witch, though the context was different because of the use of color.  The soundtrack had the theme of change, set the tone of the movie, and followed what was happening with the relationships–they were changing.

The only personal relationships were between the characters, not being between families.  This reflects being a lost individual in a city.  It also shows the transience of a large city, as everyone but the main characters, 223 and 663, leaves.  This reminds me of my students, where I get new students up to the last week of school.  Milwaukee is by no means the size of Hong Kong, but this transience and (sometimes return) spoke to me most from the movie.  The idea that many people were the same in the movie was also reflective of being in a large city, where people can be swapped out for another.