Academy award-winning director Ang Lee has confirmed that a censored version of his latest film will be shown in mainland China.

According to Screen Daily, Taiwanese national Lee said that Lust, Caution would have its more explicit sex scenes removed for Asian audiences.

The film, a contender for the Leone d'Oro top prize at the Venice film festival this week, has already been given an NC-17 certificate in the US, banning anyone under the age of 18 from watching it.

Lee's long-time movie producer associate James Schamus defended the film's adult nature.

"We made the movie we absolutely wanted to make," he insisted.

"We are being very modest in our expectations for the film, not because of the NC-17, not because of the foreign language, but because quite frankly Ang has made a film which is a challenge."

Based on a short story by Chinese author Eileen Chang, Lust, Caution is set in Shanghai amid the Japanese invasion of the second world war.

It features a plot by members of the Chinese resistance to kill a collaborator by using an attractive young woman as bait.

The film's inclusion at the Venice film festival was controversial in itself however after it was classified as being from Taiwan, China, implying that the island state was part of China itself.

But Sense and Sensibility director Lee told reporters in Venice: "I think it is more important to show the movie. I leave it to the politicians and the festival."


03/09/2007 11:32:22