What western army was depicted in 新少林寺?

[abcdefg]

Could anyone make out who the western soldiers were or were supposed to be? I mean the ones who were selling machine guns and wanted to build a railroad and later shelled the temple. I could not make out their origin.

All in all, I found the dress uniforms in this movie very confusing. Some had badges and trappings that looked German, while others looked Russian, although they were Chinese.

Perhaps it was just a bunch of small outfits during the "Warring States" period. But who wore the blue uniforms? Who wore the gray uniforms? I do know who the monks were.

Who were the big guys with the battle axes? Where was thier regiment from? Tibet? Mongolia? They seemed "non indigenous" or maybe at least non-Han.

[skylee]

I agree that those things are confusing.

[xiaocai]

Just like asians appear in many western movies, you can not tell which country they are from.

[abcdefg]

Just like asians appear in many western movies, you can not tell which country they are from.

OK, I understand that. "Generic" western forces. Thanks.

Why did one of the evil armies round up and shoot adult males who lived outside the temple-ciy walls? I thought at first they were being conscripted as slave labor, but that seems to have been wrong.

[skylee]

Those people were recruited to "build the railway" but instead they were made to dig up the "treasures" which were given to the westerners in return of the firearms. They were killed so as to keep this a secret.

[abcdefg]

Those people were recruited to "build the railway" but instead they were made to dig up the "treasures" which were given to the westerners in return of the firearms. They were killed so as to keep this a secret.

I see. Thanks.

[gabriellim]

Ok since i just watched the movie not too long ago, here are my 2 cents:

Could anyone make out who the western soldiers were or were supposed to be? I mean the ones who were selling machine guns and wanted to build a railroad and later shelled the temple. I could not make out their origin.

My guess would be the Americans, judging from their accents (assuming movie logic applies for native language).

All in all, I found the dress uniforms in this movie very confusing. Some had badges and trappings that looked German, while others looked Russian, although they were Chinese.

Perhaps it was just a bunch of small outfits during the "Warring States" period. But who wore the blue uniforms? Who wore the gray uniforms? I do know who the monks were.

The movie was set during the warlords era in China. It is quite common for Warlord armies to don western-looking uniforms.

Who were the big guys with the battle axes? Where was thier regiment from? Tibet? Mongolia? They seemed "non indigenous" or maybe at least non-Han.

It feels like a generic version of the Axe-Gang (fu tou bang). In some chinese movies, a bunch of axe-wielding gangsters are often portrayed as the bad guys. Historically such a gang existed, though i'm sketchy on the details.