One thing you have to say for Ang Lee -- he's a director who is unafraid to take chances.  Looking back on his track record, what else can you say about a director who has taken on so many varied bodies of work?  From "The Ice Storm" to "Crouching Tiger," "The Hulk" to "Brokeback Mountain," there is hardly anyone who can rival his project diversity.  Along those lines comes another unique selection, "Lust, Caution," a film that's set in the World War II period and deals with the Japanese occupation of China.  The buzz that's been generated about this film stems from the NC-17 rating that its earned for the explicit content that is in it.  Moreover, Lee himself is proud of this rating as he wants to make a point that really good films can be made exclusively for adults.

 

Alexandre Desplat, fresh off of his classically developed score, "The Painted Veil," was brought on to write the music for this feature. At this point, I think filmmakers know what to expect from Desplat as he has established a penchant for developing mature, fitting music for the films he's worked on.  Taking into account that this is a movie geared for an adult audience, attaching him to this project made perfect sense on every level.

 

For those of you who are looking to buy this soundtrack, you really need to know what type of music you'll be getting.  Desplat created a contemporary, classical type of score for this film, which is what you need to know before you purchase this.  If accepted, and/or interested in such a style, you'll be treated to another mature, polished score that embeds itself into the picture seamlessly.  Desplat's work is, ironically, cautious, and also patient.  He uses the piano and strings at the forefront of his compositions and in turn develops an elegant sound while also delivering tense and anxious moments as an undercurrent.

 

While the movie is set in the Far East, the score is surprisingly Western.  I suppose that this could have been a directive set forth from Lee, but the music, while effective, doesn't truly incorporate the music from the region.  When this style is heard, it's more often than not, subtle.  The other aspect of this work that left me wanting more is the use of Wong Chia Chi's theme, which is delicate and sweet, yet ripe for a full orchestral statement.  Instead, this theme is heard in softer tones and only flirts with a climactic, orchestral apex in tracks 18 and 22.  However, to be fair, it is a superbly written theme that offers other areas of enjoyment, specifically with how its constructed.  I only wish that there was more of a resounding statement at some point with it.

 

Ultimately, for a film that is rich with underscore, the score does manage to keep your attention. The music alone tells an interesting story of strategy, deception and romance.  While the soundtrack offers 24 selections in total, each of the cues are presented as what I call manageable tracks, offering a moderate running time that is never too short or too long, making for a convenient listening session.  The score's only shortcomings is its lack of culture specific influences and its resistance to open up the main theme a bit more.  That aside, it's another polished effort from Desplat that will appeal more to listeners who enjoy the classical music side of film scores.