Lust, Caution (2007): Where Was Ang Lee Movie Filmed?

of Lust, Caution (2007): Where Was Ang Lee Movie Filmed? Varun Patel
Updated August 3, 2022

Honey traps are something that spy movie lovers would be well aware of. It is the practice of using an attractive person with promise (or execution) of romantic/sexual relationships for investigative or extortive purposes. ‘Lust, Caution’ is a 2007 erotic espionage film that is all about this practice. It could perhaps be one of the best depictions of the practice. The movie is directed by the acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee.

Ang Lee is a Taiwanese filmmaker who has become internationally recognized. He is best known for the magical realist film, ‘The Life of Pi,’ which won him an Academy Award for Best Director. Apart from that, Lee has also worked on 2003’s ‘Hulk,’ ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,’ ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ and several others.

‘Lust, Caution’ is set in Hong Kong in 1938 and Shanghai in 1942 at a time when Imperial Japan ruled using a puppet government. The movie revolves around a group of students who attempt to assassinate a high-ranking officer from the puppet government by using an attractive woman. It is loosely based on the failed attempt of a Chinese spy, Zheng Pingru’s attempt to assassinate Ding Mocun.

Lust, Caution Filming Locations

‘Lust, Caution’ is a period movie and depicts its setting extremely authentically. It is an Ang Lee movie, after all. The filmmaker scouted for locations painstakingly in order to nail the movie’s aesthetic. Hence, it is natural for viewers to wonder which places the movie was filmed.

Shanghai, China

A large part of the movie was filmed in Shanghai, specifically in Shanghai Film Studio, one of the biggest production facilities in China. Filming was also carried out in the Chedun shooting base, where a new set was purpose-built. Some of the facilities were built to scale and were also used for future productions. As many as 182 different storefronts were prepared.

Apart from that, filming was also carried out on location in Shanghai. Approximately 3000 residents’ air conditioners had been removed for one particular scene. Shooting in the city (outside the production facility) took place at Majestic Theater on Nanjing Road W and Nanhui District, amongst others. Filming was also undertaken in Xinchang. Have a look at the following tweet. It shows how filming was carried out in the Green House Ladies’ Clothing Emporium:

Hong Kong

Apart from Shanghai, filming was also carried out in Hong Kong. Here, filming took place for a month. The University of Hong Kong was one of the places where filming was undertaken.

Malaysia

Malaysia was another place where a large portion of ‘Lust, Caution’ was filmed. Here, filming was carried out in places like Ipoh, Kampar, Kuala Lampur, and Penang. According to local sources, a few scenes had also been shot in a host of different notable places like Jalan Bandar Timah, Jalan Panglima, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Jalan Chua Cheng Bok, Jalan Che Wan, Jalan Sultan Yusuf, Jalan Dato’ Maharajalela and Jalan Pasar.

Read More: Best Chinese Movies

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