How does Christian Bale occupy himself between Batman movies? Apparently by filming Chinese historical war dramas like The Flowers of War (previously titled The 13 Flowers of Nanjing), which finds the actor playing another kind of hero in black -- an American priest who helps Chinese escapees dodge death during the Nanking Massacre. Not sexy enough for you? There is probably more graphic violence (including execution-style kills), impassioned screaming, Christian Bale facial hair styles (I counted three!) and sex with prostitutes in this trailer than in all of Dark Knight Rises.
Set in 1937, this drama from Zhang Yimou (House of Flying Daggers) stars Bale as John Magee, an actual American priest who helped rescue more than 200,000 Chinese soldiers and civilians who were at the risk of being slaughtered by the Japanese army during the Nanking Massacre. Magee risked his own life by running outside of the Nanking Safety Zone to help protect men, women and children -- in addition to capturing the horrors on his 16 mm camera.
The Flowers of War was shot last year in Nanjing, China on an approximately $90 million budget -- making it China's most expensive film yet. The Flowers of War will hit theaters in China on December 16. It does not yet have a U.S. release date.
Verdict: While I won't be pre-ordering tickets, I will gladly watch any history lesson starring Bruce Wayne.
[via Collider]