The names of major cast members of Oscar-winning director Ang Lee's Lust, Caution were finally released on July 17th after much speculation. The actress is Tangwei, a new film star in Chinese mainland.
The mystery was unveiled by Ang Lee through David Magdael & Associates. Tang Wei had just entered into the movie circle, still endowed with an air of simplicity and purity, and happened to have a similar nature with the main character Zhang Jiazhi in a short story by the renowned late female Chinese writer Eileen Chang. Just as quoted by Ang Lee, the reputation is less important, and a pure quality is the key feature.
Ang Lee expressed in a press release article that Tang Wei had already shown her talents in her previous movies and he was convinced that she would be the best actress for the part.
Based on the same-named short story by Eileen Chang, the story of Lust, Caution is set in the Japanese occupied Shanghai during the Japanese aggression of the 1940s. The main character, named Wang Jiazhi, is a college student with progressive thoughts and a pure heart. Tang Wei, graduated from Directing Department of China's Central Drama College, has an innocent face and a lively personality. She has acted as a volunteer for the college students'drama festival several times consecutively. Therefore she possessed the most similar background to the main character.
Ang Lee, after winning the Oscar for the best Director for his film Brokeback Mountain this year, has begun the preparation work for filming in Chinese mainland. The selection of actors and actresses of the new movie Lust, Caution has lasted for a period of time.
(People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2006)
