 There were initial worries about the sales and distribution prospects for a black-and-white film, but the production eventually went ahead.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.