Too many sex scenes in the latest Ang Lee movie

The latest movie by Ang Lee, the maker of «Brokeback Mountain», has received an NC-17 rating in the United States.

A drama set in 1940 during the Sino-Japanese war, «Lust, Caution» contains a number of erotic scenes between its two stars, Tony Leung and the young Tang Wei, which has caused it to be restricted to those over 17 in the US.

Production company Focus Features is supporting Ang Lee by taking on the risks: a movie forbidden to American adolescents due to its «hot» scenes has access to a limited public in art house theatres and is less likely to be considered for Oscar nominations.

The conservative body of the Oscars are less inclined to give awards to movies that include a lot of sex, preferring less steamy productions. Throughout the history of the Oscars, only one movie restricted to those over 17 has ever won for Best Film: «Midnight Cowboy», with Dustin Hoffman, in1969.