At the end of Zhang Ailing's novel, after Mr. Yi executed Wang Jiazhi, he was triumphant. He and Wang Jiazhi are tigers and wives, and they are the ultimate possession. This is Zhang Ailing's consistent decisiveness and cruelty. In the film, Tony Leung sits on the edge of the empty bed, tears full of tears, he still loves Wang Jiazhi. Ang Lee seems to be obsessed with the original work, but he actually made an essential adaptation. After all, Li Ang is a man, and Zhang Ailing never trusts men, and never holds any hope. On this point, Ang Li couldn't stand on Zhang Ailing's position.
I have no problem with Li Ang’s adaptation, although I prefer Zhang Ailing’s novels. In the novel, the character Wang Jiazhi doesn't understand herself; however, Li Ang understands! Ang Lee's handling of Wang Jiazhi is really good. In Zhang Ailing’s writings, Wang Jiazhi did not love Mr. Yi either, but—“She finally had such a strong feeling for him that it was irrelevant to any feelings, just feelings.” cold). Ang Lee used this sentence to support a 150-minute movie.
Wang Jiazhi’s father took her younger brother to the UK and left her behind (not in the original book); she was willing to join the plan to assassinate traitors, partly because of the excessive hormones of the patriotic youth, partly because of the love for Kwong Yumin; In order to gain sexual experience, she took the initiative to dedicate herself to a classmate she didn't like. Afterwards, she was surrounded by strange eyes and even hated herself. Such a woman who was sacrificed under patriarchy was actually using sexual enjoyment to vent and resist. In the film, Wang Jiazhi's words out of control to Lao Wu are exactly her despair and hopelessness-like punching the air with a boxing, unable to vent depression. So don't just see the level of "Lust Caution" NC17 and just feel refreshed. The sex scenes in the film will never make you excited, on the contrary, it is very sad and uncomfortable.
At the last moment, she let go of Mr. Yi, destroyed the entire assassination plan, and also killed herself. This is where Zhang Ailing is so hot. The so-called great mission, great cause, can be ruined by a woman's subtle psychological changes. And Wang Jiazhi herself was destroyed with the mission of destroying herself, she has no way to escape, even if there is a way, she does not want to escape, this is the saddest thing.
Zhang Ailing has always been uninterested in topics such as lofty, mission, and sacrifice, and is impatient. She believes in the least credible part of the "person". And the invisible, intangible, and unknowable mass of darkness, but it guides our destiny. Therefore, the theme of "Lust Caution" is by no means "falling in love with someone you shouldn't love" (this sentence is printed on all the posters on the streets of Hong Kong). It is dangerous and silent, like an iceberg under the water.
In fact, what I want to say, Ang Lee has already said too well: "She is a brave woman who dares to write the physical enjoyment of women into a story with such a patriarchal and such masculine war as the background. She is How can you put such a subject on such a huge canvas?-It was such a small drop of water, but the ripples it caused were surprisingly large."
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