It is also historically inaccurate (suits the Party Line). The real destroyer of the monastery was a Chinese warlord (who would actually make an enjoyable character for a historical film!) But its nothing new, real history is a ways more entertaining than historical films...
I don't think I've ever seen a film before where "foreigners", without any given nationality, are so blatantly evil. I don't know how far to WWII times war propaganda I'd have to dig to find equaling treasures. This overt hatred of "foreigners" showed not only in the white villains with fake beards, but also in the costumes and choice of weaponry - Tse wore western-type clothing and used guns (and in one scene which was a perfect example of violent aestheticism, bayonets).



























