The Battle of the Predominant Feelings I Have for Christian Bale
Professionally Obsessive Love
VS
Incapacitating Fear
There’s been a lot of hoopla in the news (read: everywhere ever) lately about Mr. Bale’s mega-tantrum thrown at the DP of the upcoming Terminator: Salvation film. After Stephen Colbert’s lighthearted use of the sound bite Tuesday evening, and surprisingly long poke at it through Steve Martin last night, I finally listened to the clip over at TMZ. And yes, it is excessive. It’s frightening to imagine yourself in the DP’s shoes, just trying to do your job and then being verbally assaulted by one of the country’s biggest actors. But at the same time, the media obsession with it is just as excessive. (Note: this blog does not constitute “media” and refuses to feel guilty for writing about the event.)
Bale has a shitstorm of judgment raining down on him because he had the misfortune of being caught on tape. I imagine that a fair number of other actors, directors, producers, and other high-ranking studio personalities have gone on very similar tirades within the privacy of their sets, traumatized new assistants, and gone about their day blissfully free of moral finger-wagging. That doesn’t mean Bale’s, or anyone else’s, tongue-lashings are 100% acceptable. It just means that people need to stop acting like he’s Hitler wearing a necklace of puppy heads.
At about 2 minutes in, I’m more impressed than appalled: that man can rant. Can you imagine the torrents of fire he’d spew at anyone who truly wronged him? Jesus. I’m used to seeing and admiring him in apathetic, robotic roles where he excels at being emotionless. Patrick Bateman, Cleric John Preston, Trevor Reznik—and even as Alfred Borden and Bruce Wayne—he fills the screen with an inhuman calm one can’t help but admire. It’s almost reassuring to know Mr. Bale, the man, does have feelings—even if they are overwhelmingly angry at times.
There are arguments for both views, whether you cite his arrest for supposedly assaulting his mother and sister last year (later dismissed as merely a verbal argument over some cash), or note that the facts surrounding the rant have been overlooked as people focus solely on the tirade itself. Harry over at Ain’t It Cool News shares a bit of insight on the event, which is worth a read for anyone who’s still worried about it at this point (read: hopefully no one). Or, I could comment on Michael Mann’s quote that Bale “becomes the character so totally that he’s that person 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The accent, everything.” Of course, maintaining an accent while yelling at the top of your lungs must have proved too difficult a challenge. But with the method acting Bale puts into his roles, coupled with the fact that the ruined scene was an emotionally-charged and very difficult one, I can see where he might have come off too strongly to begin with. It should have ended much earlier than it did, but the incident isn’t enough to destroy Bale’s character, in my eyes. He’s still an amazing actor, and that’s why I watch him, and will continue doing so. Maybe even more so now, for fear of him hunting down and berating me for missing his latest film. Wait, that sounds like it could turn kinky fairly quickly…Incapacitating fear of Christian Bale, for the fantasy.
But Professionally obsessive love for Christian Bale, for the win.
Tags: The Battle of
I also read the AICN posts and I have to agree, even though lately the Batman stigma has attached itself to Bale, his other work is even more amazing. Though I thought it amusing that his accent crept in and out while ranting.
I can’t image how actors reach their characters, but if you have to be in an emotional place for an extended period of time, I can imagine it’s tolling on the psyche. It would be a pain in the ass to complete a difficult scene only to watch playback and see a jackass walking across the scene in the background.
Professional Respect for Christian Bale for the win.
I’m with you, Jillian. I’ve acted in plays and student movies all throughout high school and college (which I’m sure were nowhere near as challenging as acting in a major production), and I can vouch for how hard it is to get in character—and how absolutely frustrating it is when someone takes you out of your moment. Do I think Bale took it a bit too far? Maybe, maybe not, as I wasn’t there to see how big of an a-hole the DP was being. But I definitely understand what he was going through—it’s kind of like if you sneak up behind a painter and yell “BOO!” which causes him to spill paint all over his work. Sure, they can repaint it, but it may never be up to the initial quality it was before the incident.
And let’s face it: Russell Crowe is a genuine asshole, but the man is still a magnificent actor. His personal life won’t get in the way of my enjoyment of his films.
Same goes to you, Mr. Bale. Can’t wait for Terminator!
Holy crap. You know your Christian Bale character names. Was I the only one rooting for Hugh Jackman in The Prestige?
The real winner is whoever made this: http://www.ugo.com/movies/christian-bale-soundboard/
What was I doing with my life before if it was not speaking to people via only this soundboard?
Obviously living half-heartedly. If that.
You SO were the only one rooting for Hugh Jackman in The Prestige. He’s intense as hell. Did you see The Machinist? Not the best, but he’s so devoted to his ‘craft’ that it’s really kind of frightening. I think he kind of takes himself too seriously.
When he was preparing for the role, he ate an apple and a can of tuna a day for like 3 months and lost like 900 pounds just so that he could look like a tortured insomniac.
http://subterranean.up.seesaa.net/image/Machinist20Portrait2.jpg
Check out that mess.
And yet, I’ve loved him unreasonably since little women.
I was totally rooting for Hugh Jackman in The Prestige.
The dude dicked around with Nikola Tesla (played by David Bowie), what’s not to love.
I thought viewers were expected to root for Hugh Jackman? I mean, it’s his wife’s death that starts off the whole thing. Of course, he does go mildly crazy and become pretty obsessive, but if you were going to say either of them had a “right” to begin their eternal feuding, it would be him.
They were both pretty much jerks, though. I love that movie.
Never mind. I re-watched The Prestige and was reminded of what an absolutely terrible person Hugh Jackman is in it, and thus how terrible you are for rooting for him, Joey.
“Your music is bad, and you should feel bad!”
You know what? I like rooting for the asshole every now and then.
Maybe because I can relate to them.