The Flowers of War (new on Blu-ray)

Before he completes his role as Batman next Friday in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy-ending epic The Dark Knight Rises, find out what else Christian Bale was up to last year with The Flowers of War. The Oscar-winning actor spent several months shooting this war drama, the most expensive film ever made in China, just before donning the cowl and cape again.

Set in a battle-torn Nanjing in 1937, The Flowers of War follows Bale as an American posing undetected as a priest in a wayward attempt to save his life during the mayhem of the Japanese invasion.

Hunkered down in a cathedral, Bale ends up becoming the impassioned protector of a group of young school children in the village, fighting for their survival right alongside his own. Could a series of unexpected relationships lead this imposter to a bold act of self-sacrifice?

Tong Dawei, Ni Ni and Paul Schneider co-star. Rated R. Watch the trailer below: