out ing ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁production , ▁visit ing ▁Prag ue ▁and ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁and ▁meeting ▁writers ▁who ▁helped ▁correct ▁foreign - language ▁dialog ue . ▁Ult imately , ▁they ▁decided ▁they ▁needed ▁to ▁film ▁in ▁Vienna ▁and ▁Shang hai ▁to ▁properly ▁dep ict ▁those ▁cities . ▁Lord ▁Frederick ▁Pope ' s ▁estate ▁was ▁Ch iche ley ▁Hall ▁while ▁his ▁concert ▁were ▁fil med ▁at ▁Sh eld onian ▁Theatre ]] ▁at ▁Oxford ▁University . ▁In ▁C rem ona , ▁Italy , ▁Gir ard ▁visited ▁viol in - making ▁schools ▁and ▁met ▁some ▁people ▁who ▁made ▁the ▁instruments , ▁rec ruit ing ▁some ▁as ▁ex tras . ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁challeng ing ▁part ▁was ▁se cur ing ▁permission ▁from ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁China ▁to ▁simulate ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Revolution ▁in ▁Shang hai , ▁with ▁Fich man ▁trav elling ▁to ▁China ▁seven ▁times ▁before ▁the ▁government ▁allowed ▁shooting , ▁which ▁took ▁place ▁only ▁five ▁days ▁later . ▁Sho oting ▁in ▁Shang hai ▁took ▁place ▁on ▁Hong ▁Z hen ▁Old ▁Street ▁in ▁the ▁Hong kou ▁District . ▁H undred s ▁of ▁Chinese ▁police , ▁with ▁guns , ▁closed ▁the ▁streets ▁where ▁shooting ▁took ▁place , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁ 4 5 0 ▁ex tras ▁loud ly ▁calling ▁for ▁revolution . ▁Fich man ▁claimed ▁" there ▁was ▁the ▁possibility ▁that ▁we ▁were ▁going ▁to ▁cause ▁a ▁ri ot ". ▁The ▁action ▁in ▁the ▁Montreal ▁segments ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁complex , ▁which ▁Gir ard ▁said ▁put ▁the ▁greatest ▁stra in ▁on ▁himself ▁and ▁the ▁cast . ▁Fil ming