The challenge: Shanghai dialect

One very unique point about The Wasted Times is the abundance of lines spoken in native Shanghai dialect.

Actor Du Jiang, who stars in the film, said the lines were not dubbed at all. Each actor had a designated dialect coach and some began learning two or three months prior to shooting.

"This was the hardest part of the filming for me. Acting with guns weren't so difficult, I had been trained during my undergraduate years for that."

Actress Hou Siyan, who is married to Du Jiang in real life and saves him on-screen, was highly praised for the emotions she portrayed.

"Me saving him in that warring period is a very dangerous endeavor, because it means I broke the rules and I may lose what I've got. But to me that's very romantic and shows that romance still exists (even in hard times)," said Huo.

To Hong Kong singer-actress Gillian Chung, Mr. Lu's escort who sacrifices her life to save him, the richness and depth of emotions she had towards Mr. Lu and the final sacrifice were all worth it.

"In that time and era, she felt nothing was more precious than love," said Chung.