One hour ago, I watched "Lust, Caution", the movie that had been hyped for what felt like an eternity, and I finally got to see it. Two hours and twenty-four minutes long, but I didn't feel it was too long. Secretly, I regret those 12 minutes cut with scissors; they don't justify the price of a ticket.
It wasn't because I didn't get to see Tony Leung's intimate scenes, but because the tears in his eyes during the last scene lost their感染力 (infectiousness), their persuasive power, and even felt somewhat abrupt due to those missing 12 minutes. But with the suspense of those 12 minutes still lingering in my mind, I could still piece things together.
What does 12 minutes mean in a movie over 2 hours long? And how does it compare to the overall atmosphere of the entire film when considering its restricted level? We may never know. What we do know is that some extremely brilliant segments were omitted because they conflicted with morality. And morality, is something that the weight of history cannot bear, so it must be discarded. At this moment, I truly thank my parents for giving me a great imagination, allowing my thoughts to rapidly run through the dark cinema, even connecting logic seamlessly.
Thus, I saw the brilliance of this film without beating my chest in frustration over not seeing Brother Leung's full physique.
As for Tang Wei, I was still thinking about her after leaving the theater. Back then, Ang Lee scoured the globe to select a female lead, passing over big names like Zhang Ziyi and Shu Qi, and chose her, this relatively unknown woman, who was even more than 5 years older than the originally set age for the role. But do you know the best way to tell a woman's age? It's not by looking at her wrinkles, or her nasolabial folds, or her skin. Rather, it's her eyes - her gaze. The layer within them can't deceive anyone. Time gives you what it takes, gradually clouding clarity, no matter how much Estée Lauder one uses, it cannot be concealed or hidden. Perhaps what Ang Lee saw was the ageless clarity in Tang Wei's eyes?
Only she could grasp it perfectly.
Her double eyelids, slightly upturned corners of her mouth, look far from beautiful, yet have so much flavor.
For 8 months, that was the duration of their filming. She was fully immersed in the role, not even answering her mother's calls. She wanted to stay submerged, fearing that every detail from the modern world would ruin the feeling of the movie. When the movie would end, for her, seemed endless. Because she met Ang Lee.
Now, the play is over. She has become famous. The ugly duckling walks the red carpet in various gowns, but her eyes are still Wang Jiaozhi's. Her grace still belongs to Wang Jiaozhi. One play made her supreme, but walking out from it might take a long time, perhaps forever.
Just like Chen Xiaoxu, who remained trapped in Lin Daiyu's character all her life.
So what about Tang Wei?
If she doesn't cling to the role, like the Buddhist concept of not being attached to appearances, and sees her own path, it would be better for her to slowly walk out.
The one who can act alongside Tony Leung, using a naive gaze to bring tears to his profound eyes, besides Tang Wei, no one else could surpass Wang Jiaozhi. Give me back those 12 minutes of intense bed scenes, because only they can teach us: the person we love with both body and soul is the one etched into our lives.