The emergence of China as an economic superpower

Who says that you're the only person who didn't "get" Lust, Caution? As Chinese films tap into the Western film markets, Ang Lee's newest controversial film has found itself in the unlikeliest of debates: local Chinese claiming that expatriates fail to appreciate the underlying themes of the movie. Yet this comment isn't anything new; since the beginning of China, the Chinese showed skepticism of foreigners understanding Chinese culture. Lust, Caution reminds us that this film, although directed by an internationally renowned director, focuses on eras in Chinese history with few correlations to American or European history that the majority of Western audiences can relate to.

Lust, Caution is an espionage film set in 1930s Shanghai. The story follows the love affair between a loyal Chinese woman and a traitor for the Japanese. Many subtleties, such as those in relationship and mahjong-playing, became the basis of what is claimed to be "inaccessible" to Westerners. One expat, a netizen on a Chinese forum, believes that Lust, Caution may be a bit too distant. "Let's face it, your average American or European filmgoer isn't going to be too up on all the political history involved, whereas people from Chinese mainland and Taiwan will at least have some passing awareness," he wrote. Some expats admit to being confused by some of the film's themes, and relate their confusion to that expressed by Chinese students watching Field of Dreams. Why would ghosts come out of corn fields and play baseball? Makes no sense at all.

However, some expats claim to have been indifferent to the supposedly inaccessible nuances, saying that the movie could be understood how it was meant to be expressed regardless. One expat wrote: "Foreigners won't understand it? Why the hell not? It's a decent movie by all standards, intense sex scenes, good story, multi-dimensional acting." So what did you think of Lust, Caution and its prospects in the West?