Christian Bale bargains for sex as drunk mortician

By Sarah Fitzmaurice

His current film The Dark Knight Rises is storming the box offices across the globe no least in Britain

But Christian Bale is set to be seen in a very different role in The Flowers of War, which is set to hit cinemas in the UK in August and MailOnline have an exclusive clip of the film.

Almost unrecognisable: Christian Bale's film The Flowers of War is set to come to Britain in August

The actor is seen transported back to 1937 in China during the 'Rape of Nanking' and Bale takes on the role of US mortician John Miller who arrives to bury the foreign head priest of a convent for Catholic girls, just after the city was bombed and invaded by the Japanese forces.

Bale's character poses as a priest in order to help thirteen young girls and twelve prostitutes.

Saint or sinner? Bale's character is seen trying to sleep with a prostitute before he poses as a priest to try and save a group of young girls

Travelling back in time: The actor is seen transported back to 1937 in China during the 'Rape of Nanking' and Bale takes on the role of US mortician John Miller

But Miller is by no means a saint and in the early stages of the film the drunk is seen trying to bed one of the prostitutes.

That the American actor landed the role was a major coup for this sweeping story because it is the first real collaboration with a major Hollywood star in over 100 years of Chinese film history.

Tough role: Bale said the Chinese film brought out his soft side

The Flowers of War will hit cinemas on August 3

Speaking about the film Bale said:'I found it a very human and very moving story.'

'The trickiest thing for me was watching all those poor girls bawling their eyes out the first few days… It would almost make me cry. I’m looking at them… and I’m thinking, this is going to be tough.'

Director Zang Yimou said: 'Christian was especially great with the kids…he was moved by their performances, which in turn heightened his own.'

Bale noted: 'I think Yimou makes staggeringly beautiful movies with real substance to them and brilliant characters.'

The movie’s release has not been without controversy while back in China to promote his passion project which was released in the country last year, Bale was arrested by Chinese authorities after an attempt to visit well-known human rights activist Chen Guangcheng - a blind human rights lawyer under house arrest – and threats of censorship ensued.

Flowers Of War is showing exclusively at Empire Cinemas from August 3rd 2012.

Translated From Chinese

Hoshino is Japanese finest ... So they say