New pictures from Christian Bale's upcoming film The Flowers of War have been released, Digital Spy said.

The war drama, which is directed by Hero and House of Flying Daggers helmer Yimou Zhang, centres on a mortician (Bale) who poses as a priest in order to protect a group of young girls in a church during the Japanese invasion of China.

Bale has admitted that he found aspects of the shoot upsetting, in particular watching his young female co-stars portray continual emotional distress.

The Flowers of War opens in UK cinemas on August 3. Watch a clip for the film below: