The film Lust Caution is now 18 years old. We were thinking about some of the Chinese actresses who were famous at this time. Zhang Ziyi, who made her American debut in Rush Hour, was one of them. Shu Qi (The Transporter, So Close) was another. But why was the lead actress in Lust Caution not such a big star?
Tang Wei was 22, the age when most actors get their first taste of stardom. What happened to her?
Well, the film was very controversial, especially in China. So much so, that the Chinese government blacklisted Wei, and she didn’t make another film until 2010, eventually working in Hong Kong and South Korea, in smaller productions.
Whilst Tang Wei was punished for her role, the male star continued to work in China and Hong Kong. Showing that there is still a powerful double standard in the way male and female stars are treated in Asian cinema.
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