Bale arrived in Nanjing alone Feb. 2 and insisted on the same accommodations as the director and crew, director Zhang Yimou was quoted as saying in a statement by his production company. Bale also attended an extra's birthday party, "playing around with everyone, playing hard, without the pretense of a big star at all."

The Oscar winner for "The Fighter" and star of "The Dark Knight" portrays an American priest in the World War II movie. He finished filming recently and returned to England, the statement sent to The Associated Press said.

"An A-list Hollywood actor traveling alone to an alien country and an alien set, working and living for several months with several hundred foreigners he doesn't know well - that is very incredible and very impressive to me," Zhang was quoted as saying.

The director best known in the West for "Raise the Red Lantern" and "To Live" called Bale a generous performer.