Trivia

Director Ang Lee made Tony Leung Chiu-wai study the performances of Marlon Brando in Último tango en París (1972), Humphrey Bogart in La muerte en un beso (1950) and Richard Burton in Equus (1977), to give him a sense of wounded masculinity, which Lee felt was right for the character of Mr. Yee.

Ang Lee said that directing the explicit sex scenes in this film was more difficult than directing the complicated fighting scenes in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000).

Reportedly, director Ang Lee saw 10,000 actresses before casting Tang Wei.

The rather explicit sex scenes were shot over eleven days on a closed set, with only the main camera and sound personnel present.

TIME Magazine reported that shooting the passionate sex scenes took its toll on director Ang Lee and the leading actors. They could only work half-days, and actress Tang Wei fainted at one point.