Ang Lee's controversial war drama "Lust, Caution" took home the prestigious Golden Lion award for best film during the closing ceremony of the 64th Venice film festival on Saturday.

Having already won the Golden Lion two years ago for "Brokeback Mountain," Lee was not considered an immediate favorite, which is why his sudden triumph came as a surprise to many.  

Set in Shanghai during World War II, "Lust, Caution" centers on a group of Chinese plotting to assassinate a powerful political figure with the help of a seductive woman. The film sharply divided critics, and was recently slammed with the rare NC-17 rating by the Motion Picture Association of America for its graphic, sexual content.    
   
The Silver Lion for best director was awarded to veteran filmmaker Brian De Palma for "Redacted," an anti-war docudrama about the rape of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl by U.S. soldiers. The film is based on true events.

Meanwhile, Brad Pitt snatched the award for best actor for his role as Jesse James in Andrew Dominik's Western "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," which is scheduled to hit theatres later this month.  

The special jury prize was awarded ex aequo to Abdellatif  Kechiche's French drama "The Secret of the Grain" and Todd Haynes' upcoming Bob Dylan biopic "I'm Not There," in which seven characters embody different aspects of the musician's life.

Cate Blanchett pulled the award for best actress for one of the roles in "I'm Not There." Last year's actress honors went to Helen Mirren for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in "The Queen."

Other winners included Paul Laverty, who took home best screenplay for Ken Loach's "It's a Free World...," and Rodrigo Prieto, who was awarded best cinematographer for "Lust, Caution."

Winners were picked by a seven-member jury presided by "Hero" director Yimou Zhang.

The Venice film festival is the oldest of its kind and the third biggest in Europe, next to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival.