"Zhang said he was moved to cast Bale on the recommendation of Steven Spielberg. Bale starred in Spielberg's 1987 hit "Empire of the Sun," playing a young boy struggling to survive in Japanese-occupied China during World War II. (Bale, for his part, said he was "completely oblivious" to the connection between the two films when he committed to "Flowers." "It's a different lifetime for me," Bale said of "Empire of the Sun." "I barely remember that experience.") Zhang had seen only Bale's two Batman films and said he initially had doubts, from those viewings, about Bale's ability to play the Miller character. But when he arrived for a meeting at Bale's house and found books about the rape of Nanjing on his coffee table, he was convinced. "It showed he was serious about this, more serious than anyone else I talked to," Zhang said."

"A dozen convent girls are hiding in the church, watched over by a young male ward (Huang Tianyuan). A reprobate American mortician (Christian Bale) arrives, and sticks around to drink up the church's wine supply and pocket whatever cash he can put his hands on. Also seeking refuge are a dozen or so rambunctious and colorfully clad hookers, including one (Ni Ni) who speaks fairly good English. The Bale character and the prostitutes are mostly played for robust humor - a somewhat risky strategy - until the sanctuary is invaded by Japanese troops intending to violate the young virgins (the hookers avoid notice, a little too easily, by hiding in the basement). Bale's mortician has dressed up as a priest, mainly as a lark, but shows unexpected mettle in trying to protect the girls."

"ComingSoon.net: There have been other recent movies about the invasion of Nanking so what was it about the novel or the story that made you interested in telling your own?"

"It’s already been reported that Zhang’s latest movie is the most expensive film in Chinese history, and while it includes much of the cinematic artistry that’s made the filmmaker famous throughout the world, it also has some of the sensibilities of Western war movies and wartime romance dramas. It’s also the most English we’ve seen in any films from Zhang, roughly 50%, which didn’t prevent it from becoming his 7th film put forward by China for Oscar consideration."

""The Flowers of War," a melodramatic tale of unlikely heroism set during the Japanese invasion of Nanking, is affecting at times, but finally feels overblown and heavy-handed. It's a disappointment from director Zhang Yimou ("Ju Dou," "Raise the Red Lantern")."

"Daws Butler as Preacher Mouse"

"The Hollywood Choir Boys as Vocalists"

"“Thou shalt not kill”. Sounds like a mighty good book of rules, but them men didn’t follow them."

"Mel Blanc as Grandpa Squirrel"

"David Giuntoli - Scott Wickland"

"Demetrius Grosse - Dave Ubben"

"Christopher Dingli - Sean Smith"

"Peyman Moaadi - Amahl, an interpreter"

"Alexia Barlier - Sona Jillani, an undercover CIA officer in Libya"

"Freddie Stroma - Brit Vayner, an undercover CIA officer in Libya"

"David Costabile - "The Chief", the Benghazi Chief of Base, CIA"

"Pablo Schreiber - Kris "Tanto" Paronto, a former U.S. Army Ranger"

"David Denman - Dave "Boon" Benton, former Marine"

"Matt Letscher - Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens"

"Dominic Fumusa - John "Tig" Tiegen, a former Marine"

"Toby Stephens - Glen "Bub" Doherty, a Global Response Staff (GRS) officer"

"Glen 'Bub' Doherty: Okay, annex, we're officially lost. Neither Google or Siri know where the fuck you are."

"Glen 'Bub' Doherty: Sorry I'm late. I got hung up in the gift shop."

"When everything went wrong six men had the courage to do what was right"

"Mark 'Oz' Geist: [to Sona] I need your eyes and ears - not your mouth!"

"I hate to piss on your party, ladies, but five dudes with M4s is not enough. The locals on your front gate are worthless, perimeter's soft, and this whole compound's a fucking sniper's paradise; any big element gets inside here, You guys are gonna fucking die."

"Here's what you guys are good at: working out, eating five hot meals a day. What you're not so good at, is doing what you're told."

"In 2012, the threat level in Benghazi, Libya was deemed "critical". When everything went wrong, six men had the courage to do what was right."

"What makes these special operators, so special, if you can't do what I need, when I need it."

"Payback's a bitch and her stripper name is Karma."

"[to the Chief, after the attack starts] : You're not giving orders anymore. You're taking them. You're in my world now."

"You can't put a price on being able to live with yourself."

"2012: The United States had 294 Diplomatic outposts worldwide. 12 were in places so dangerous the State Department deemed them threat level "critical." Two were in Libya: Tripoli and Benghazi. October 2011: U.S., French, and British forces attacked Libya by air. As the air campaign continued, the Libyan people violently deposed dictator Muammar Gaddafi after 42 years of tyrannical rule. Warring militia gangs raided Gaddafi's massive armories. Violent turf wars broke out. Benghazi became one of the most dangerous places on Earth. Virtually every foreign embassy closed, except a U.S. Diplomatic outpost, and a covert CIA base. The CIA matched for lethal weapons before they spread to the global black market. The CIA base was protected: 6 elite ex-military operators. Code name: G.R.S. This is a true story."

"James Badge Dale - Tyrone S. "Rone" Woods"

"Seriously guys. If the consulate ordered a fucking pizza it would've been there by now."

"John Krasinski - Jack Silva, former Navy SEAL"

"Max Martini - Mark "Oz" Geist, former Marine"

"Suzanne Flon as Mademoiselle Villard"

"Michel Simon as Papa Boule"

"One man's impossible mission - to save his country's priceless treasures!"

"It carried their hopes, their nation's honour!"

"Burt Lancaster as Paul Labiche"

"Those paintings are part of France. The Germans want to take them away. They've taken our land, our food, they live in our houses, and now they're trying to take our art. This beauty, this vision of life, born out of France, our special vision, our trust. We hold it in trust, don't you see, for everyone? This is our pride, what we create and hold for the world. There are worse things to risk your life for than that."

"Well, hurry it up. We're working on a locomotive, not a pocketwatch."

"You crazy bastard."

"Paul Scofield as Col. Franz von Waldheim"

"[last words] Labiche! Here's your prize, Labiche. Some of the greatest paintings in the world. Does it please you, Labiche? You feel a sense of excitement at just being near them? A painting means as much to you as a string of pearls to an ape. You won by sheer luck. You stopped me without knowing what you were doing or why. You are nothing, Labiche. A lump of flesh. The paintings are mine. They always will be. Beauty belongs to the man who can appreciate it. They will always belong to me, or a man like me. Now, this minute, you couldn't tell me why you did what you did."

"Jeanne Moreau as Christine"

"Stanley Andrews - Maris"

"Harry Woods - Renoir, a Legionnaire deserter"