Lust, Caution

Sex in film is often reserved for art house films, slasher flicks, and B-movies. Sex is bad for studios because any instance of sex can lead to an unfavorable rating. Studios want films accessible to as many demographics as possible and sex in film does not allow people younger than 18 into theaters. Intense scenes of a sexual nature can also harm a films appeal to audiences. It's difficult to watch a rape scene or a particularly graphic sex scene from a subjective perspective. When used right, and tastefully, sex can be an effective thematic device to convey and number of emotions or themes.
Lust, Caution is a period piece set in World War II era China. It's the story of a young woman played by Wei Tang who becomes involved in a dangerous game of espionage to kill a traitor. Director Ange Lee does a superb job depicting a time and place, a feeling, a sense of what China was like during the war. I admit, I am not Asian and unfamiliar with Asian social or cultural norms. Yet it was easy to understand what the how and why the characters act and see the world around them. That's perhaps the real highlight of the film. Lee accomplishes the difficult task of creating a world that dictates the characters and yet feel like it's the characters all along. Some people will dislike this film. It's long (two hours plus), deliberately paced, and the characters change in subtle manner - which most people perceive as not at all. That's a shame because it's a film that accurately depicts the human condition. We don't change the way most films would have us believe. Human nature is not to in a moment realize we have been wasting our entire lives and become free spirited on a whim. We change over time not at a time.
It's a shame that so many people will discount this film because of the what are popularly perceived as thematic 'flaws'. Graphic sex scenes, a slow pace, and what an average moviegoer would consider unsympathetic characters, do not go far in tendering it's mainstream appeal. That's fine with me. I'd rather be among the fraternity of people who do appreciate the existence of art under those circumstance.