Chistian Bale is one of the best actors of my generation, and also one of my favorite. In the last few years he's been in "The Machinist", "Batman", "The Prestige" and "Harsh Times". Of course that's not even mentioning "Little Women", "American Psycho" or "Shaft". Can you think of another actor with that kind of range? Neither can I. Now we can add "Rescue Dawn" and "3:10 to Yuma" to his list of accomplishments. Both characters have strengths and weaknesses, but they are so different at the same time. I am fascinated to find out what his technique for preparing for roles is. He seems so effortlessly to become the character, and I don't even think about it being Christian Bale, I accept him as the person he is portraying. I mentioned to Jess how this was different from Russell Crowe's role in "3:10 to Yuma", just about the whole movie, I was like "that's so typical Russell Crowe." or "I bet that's what Russell Crowe is like in real life". Now that isn't bad, just like Pacino, DeNiro or Nicholson, sometimes the actor's persona actually contributes to the character they are playing. But I have a great deal of respect for Bale, to select such a wide range of roles and then to disappear so wonderfully into each one.
"Rescue Dawn" was an interesting look at a group of POWs at the beginning of the war in Vietnam. I wanted to see the film because Christian Bale was in it, and because I had heard that it was a beautiful film, with the jungle landscapes actually being a character in the story. Maybe because I heard that, I focused so much on the cinematography and the emphasis on the locations. It was lush, green, wet, hot, forbidding and Christian Bale did a good job too. The stroy itself wasn't anything new, and I don't think there were any deep messages. It was a good thing, as it always is, to be reminded of what men have done in service of this country. I think that even with a war going on today it is so easy to not notice since most of our lives are unaffected. There also was the basic premise of friendship, and the need for human contact, that's always a good thing too, so if you are in the mood for a trip into the jungles near Vietnam, this might be a good choice for you.
"3:10 to Yuma" isn't a great Western. Of course the greatest Western of all time (The Searchers) wasn't great because it was a Western, it was great because it rose above any genre. "3:10" does the same, in it's own way. The overall story, and the characters it contains mostly have been done before, but not quite like this. Christian Bale is a hero that represents what we would be like if we were hereos. Flawed, inadequate, unsure and afraid. Sure, we've all seen movies about reluctant heroes, but rarely do we see someone play it like it's who they really are, struggling between their heart and their will right there onscreen. Then we get the Russell Crowe character. I could compare his perfomance to another famous actor, but in doing so I migh unintentionally give awy too much about the film. Let's just say that seldom do you see a truly wicked bad guy who we actually get to know as the film progresses. What I liked was that the stroyline allowed us to see Crowe's personality and motivation, without it being an excuse for him or an attempt to convince us to like him. The film wasn't a great Western, just like "Brokeback Mountain" wasn't. This was a good movie, with well developed, brilliantly acted characters, in a Western setting.
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I'd have to disagree with your examples of Pacino and De Niro as actors who always play to their own personalities like Jack Nicholson. Pacino and De Niro both have well established personas that they can play to, and they definitely do much of the time, especially in the later, more spoofy periods of their careers.
But c'mon De Niro used to slip effortlessly into roles at least as different as the ones you mentioned for Bale. There's not much similarity in say, Al Capone, Travis Bickle, Jake Lamotta, Vito Corleone
And while Pacino does have the more over-the-top persona that he used a lot in the 90s, from Scent of a Woman to the Devil's Advocate, think about the difference between him in just two films, Scarface and the Godfather. In Scarface he goes soooooooooooooo far over the top, that he eats, regurgitates, and eats again the scenery. In Godfather, he's just Michael Corleone, quiet, menacing, thoughtful. In fact he's so much Michael Corleone, that I don't think "hey that's Al Pacino" I just think of him as Michael.
The actor I always do think of as kind of the apotheosis of using the same persona again and again to good effect is Clint Eastwood. And Jack Nicholson was a good example. And maybe I'd give you the De Niro of today, so fallen from on high.
Anyway, a long argument against a little sidepoint. Sorry. I liked 3:10 to Yuma, too.
Sweet, someone to debate with...
I agree that De Niro and Pacino are both great actors, each with a wide range of roles, especially early in their careers.
I disagree with the idea that they have the same ability to disappear into their respective characters as does Christian Bale. You mentioned De Niro's "Untouchables", "Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull" and "Godfather II" perfomances. Sure they are different roles, but De Niro plays them as we expect De Niro to play them. Obviously the "Raging Bull" perfomance is probably the most intricate, and that shows that he's a great actor. But for me it's still a great De Niro perfomance, and not De Niro becoming Jake La Motta.
I was gong to compare Russell Crowe's performance in "3:10 to Yuma" to many of Humphry Bogart's perfomances. I think Bogart was one of the best actors, but like John Wayne he wasn't trying to be someone else, he was playing his characters as only he could play them.
What sets Bale apart from all the other actors I've mentioned is that he seems to be giving his performance to the person he is portraying (real or fictional).
I will admit that there may be another factor in play here though... Depending on when and where you come into movie viewing will guide how you percieve certain actors. I've been blown away by Bale partially because I have seen him from a kid all the way to his current performances. De Niro and Pacino were already firmly established in our culture, and therefore didn't have the same chance to impress me with their devolopement. That's a Crum way of saying that I think you had a good point, but I think I had a good one too.
Peter, I had never thought of Bale that way before. It never hit me that an actor is really good if you have no idea what he would be like in real-life. Just think of the difference between Bale in Shaft and Bale in Newsies.
Is The Machinist any good? I have thought about seeing it ever since I saw a "making of" short that showed Bale, extremely emaciated, walking around the set.
Peter -
There's an article about Christian Bale and how he prepares for a role on the CNN.com homepage today. I thought you might be interested.
Miss you guys!
Aunt Marty
Aunt Marty,
Thank's for the head's up on the CNN article. I like what Bale said about studying the character you are portraying but making it his own. There seem to be too few people in Holywood with imagination, most seem to have figured out a formula that sells and they reuse it over and over again.
I hope you and your family are doing well, say "hi" to everyone out there and we miss and love you as well.
Ben, you mentioned "Shaft" and "Newsies"... That CNN article mentioned "Empire of the Sun", how about that for a first movie? Also, "The Machinist" as a film wasn't anything all that great, but just to watch Bale in such a physical state is pretty impressive.
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