It took a bit longer than we expected, especially considering the Oscar qualifying run starts in just under two weeks, but the U.S. trailer for Zhang Yimou's Oscar contending, Christian Bale starring "The Flowers Of War" has arrived and it's a bit of a mixed bag.
The story focuses on the Nanjing Massacre in 1937, when thousands of inhabitants of the then-capital Nanjing were murdered by invading Japanese troops. Christian Bale plays an American who disguises himself as a priest named John and shelters prostitutes and students at an all-girls school during the attack. To be sure, the movie looks gorgeous, with some impressively lensed battle sequences that are truly pulse quickening. Unfortunately, whenever anybody opens their mouths, the dialogue is truly painful, with some pretty overwrought, on-the-nose exchanges. The film is China's entry to the Oscars, and it will be up to the Foreign Film body to decide if this is good enough for the final five. Frankly, we could see it going either way as the Academy has never been above voting in fare that may be well intentioned, but may not quite pull off what it's trying to accomplish.
"The Flowers Of War" will hit theaters in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco on December 21st before going wide in 2012. Watch below. [via ONTD]
