budget, which he did not specify. Later, however, a general manager from the same company told a reporter that the initial budget was US$2 million, but the final expenditure exceeded this number by over 30 percent. The Japanese cast members in the film, two of whom came to know Jiang while on exchange in the Central Academy of Drama in the 1980s, initially expressed concerns with the Japanese war crimes depicted in the film. Jiang spent two weeks discussing the issue with them, and showed them documentaries about the war, including some made by Japanese filmmakers. According to Jiang, the Japanese cast members eventually came to trust him. Jiang also used many non-professional actors and actresses in the film, some of whom were also members of the crew. Jiang himself also played the leading role in the film, which he admitted was a tiring experience. He said he also came to distrust what most of the crew members said about his acting, especially when they were tired and wanting to finish for the day. Cinematography Though it was released in 2000, Devils on the Doorstep is filmed almost entirely in black and white — except for the last four minutes, during which Ma is executed. As his head rolls to the ground, the cinematography not only changes from black and white to color, but the camera perspective also shifts from a neutral third-person point-of-view to the first-person perspective of Ma's severed head. In an interview, director Jiang Wen explained that the reason for filming in black and white was to mimic the nature of historic photographs and make the film indistinguishable from its counterparts made before the advent of color cinematography. Monochrome cinematography also contrasts with the artificiality of the bright colors characteristic of Fifth Generation Chinese cinema. Devils on the Doorstep often alternates between extreme long shots and close-ups. These long shots, contrasted with extreme close-ups that fiercely frame characters' faces yet exclude the object of their gaze, or focus on details such as a pair of military boots, a sword or other mundane objects, create a fragmented vision that reflects the protagonists’ confusion. This type of cinematography can be compared to the style of a detached documentary that intends to lead viewers to comment on the images they are seeing rather than hook viewers with strong emotions. In the early scenes of the film, hand-held cameras are used