This is a brilliant film directed by Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain). The protagonist of the film is the very attractive Wong Chia Chi (Wei Tang) because of awkward circumstances up a resistances involved in dangerous espionage. The film begins with Wong Chia Chi joining a University theatre group involved in highly nationalistic repertoire during the nationalistic uprising in 1938 China. This was momentous time in China with the rise of the Mao's communist forces and the Nationalistic forces of China further complicated by the imminent Japanese invasion and World War 2. Wong Chai Chi also known as Mai Tai Tai begins to develop a relationship with a leading member of the group Kuang Yu Min (Lee-Hom Wang) but flees the group to Shanghai after she witnesses the group actually murder a Traitor to the nationalistic movement after she was goaded into luring him into a house. Furthermore she had to sexually seduce this victim after mechanically losing her virginity to one of the members of the group for training. This emotionally confronting experiences is devastating for Tai as she actually is very fond of Kuang this combined with the brutal amateur murder by the group were the major factors in her desertion of the theatre now turned resistance group.<br /><br />The Japanese invade Shanghai and Tai's father flees to London and Tai is forced to fend for herself under cruel murderous Japanese occupation and their Puppet Chinese government. Three years after her separation from Kuang they are reunited in Shangai. Kuang easily recruits Tai in the organised resistance probably more due to her unrequited feelings for Kuang. Her Mission is to seduce Yee head of the Chinese Police of the puppet regime. Tai succeeds in seducing Yee and endures his cruel and violent sexuality for such a long period that she begins to develop feelings for the him and vice-verse. The explicit sexual scenes highlight the sacrifice that Tai makes and the cultural perspectives and are justified. A masterpiece!!