During World War II, a secret agent must seduce and assassinate an official who works for the Japanese puppet government in Shanghai.
Direction
Ang Lee's meticulous reconstruction of 1940s Shanghai down to the cigarette brands.
Acting
Tang Wei's devastating debut—she was banned from Chinese cinema for this.
Cinematography
Cigarette smoke, silk qipaos, and shadows that feel like they're watching you.
Director
Ang Lee
Tony Leung Chiu-wai
Mr. Yee
Tang Wei
Wong Chia Chi / Mrs. Mak
Joan Chen
Mrs. Yee
Leehom Wang
Kuang Yu Min
Tou Tsung-hua
Old Wu
Jacqueline Zhu
Lai Shu Jin
Ven Kao
Huang Lei
Lawrence Ko Yu-Luen
Liang Jun Sheng
Johnson Yuen Tak-Cheung
Auyang Ling Wen / Mr. Mak
Chin Ka-Lok
Cho
Su Yan
Mrs. Ma
He Saifei
Mrs. Hsiao
Song Ruhui
Wang's Aunt
Fan Kuang-yao
Secretary Zhang
Lisa Lu
Mahjong Partner of Aunt
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The infamous sex scenes took 13 days to film and were so realistic that Chinese authorities investigated whether the actors actually had intercourse. Tang Wei was blacklisted from mainland cinema for three years.
The film adapverts Eileen Chang's short story, itself based on a real failed assassination attempt—Chang was obsessed with the story for decades, rewriting it multiple times until she finally allowed its publication.
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