Christian Bale is an actor who likes to throw himself into the roles he takes as much as possible, whether it’s staying in character even when the direct yells “cut,” or gaining or losing an unbelievable amount of weight to play an insomniac or real-life politician. There’s very little Bale can’t do, but he’s best known for playing Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s influential Dark Knight trilogy.
They are some of the most critically acclaimed movies of all time, and Bale’s performance almost single-handedly legitimized acting in superhero movies. However, whether or not it’s his best role is up for debate, as the actor has played murderous psychopaths, introverted geniuses, and drug-addicted boxers, which are all up there as some of the best performances of the 21st century.
Bruce Wayne: He Made Batman Fearful For The First Time
With Christopher Nolan taking the source material seriously and trying to ground a superhero in reality for the first time, Christian Bale did the same thing with his approach to Batman. Though it was clearly a directorial decision to have Batman lurk in the shadows and scare his enemies, Bale certainly pulled it off expertly.
Between the throaty voice and his dominance, no other actor before or after him has been as fearful in the role, especially considering that the Batman that came before were hard to take seriously. The actor has influenced every Batman-related movie that has come after thanks to his serious portrayal.
Alternative: The Machinist (2004)
If viewers saw The Machinist before Batman Begins, there is no way they thought the actor could have played Bruce Wayne, but as Bale can seamlessly lose and gain weight at the snap of a finger, he has thrown himself into roles in extreme ways.
The Machinist was the first time that Christian Bale did what he become most known for outside of the Batman movies, which is to drastically change his body weight for a role. In the movie, Bale looks unhealthily skinny, as he lost a whole 62 pounds for the role of a machinist with insomnia.
Bruce Wayne: Played The Playboy Aspect Well
As there are two sides to Bruce Wayne, one being the masked vigilante and the other being the billionaire playboy, Bale played both parts equally well. His smug face when walking into any restaurant or hotel with a girl under each arm was the most Bruce Wayne-thing to ever be seen on-screen.
Even though these parts have some of the trilogy’s weakest writing, as the playboy proclaims he’s buying a restaurant when the host tells him his dates can’t play in the water feature, Bale plays of the narcissistic and egotistical traits of the troubled character so well.
Alternative: American Psycho (2000)
Being based on the vulgar novel of the same name, American Psycho follows Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banker who slowly becomes increasingly obsessed with murder, killing sex workers and his own colleagues.
As Bale is known to be an incredibly emotional actor, what’s so great about his portrayal of Patrick Bateman is that he is completely emotionless. The most feeling he has in the movie is when he’s talking passionately about his favorite music, but outside of Huey Lewis and the News, Bateman soullessly goes about his socialite lifestyle while murdering people in the most brutal ways.
Bruce Wayne: Humanized The Character
When it comes to the pervious portrayals of Batman, most of them have been great, but they‘ve always remained fairly cartoonish, even when tackling Bruce Wayne’s sordid past with his parents. However, one parallel throughout the whole Dark Knight trilogy is just how character-driven the series is, as all of Bruce’s actions are based on what’s happened to him previously.
And for the most part, Bale’s Bruce Wayne deals with his problems and feelings, whether it’s grief or stress, just like any other human being.
Alternative: The Big Short (2015)
As The Big Short features an ensemble cast, Christian Bale is actually secluded from the other actors, as he plays Michael Burry, one of the first experts to uncover the housing market bubble.
The Big Short doesn’t just have an incredible ensemble cast, but it also features actors playing themselves, as at several points in the movie, famous people appear on-screen just to explain the plot because the details of the scandal are that confusing. The most confusing of which is when Burry explains his scheme, but given how great of an actor Bale is, audiences were gripped despite not understanding it, even with him barely ever leaving his office in the whole movie.
Bruce Wayne: Plays Off His Co-Stars Brilliantly
Though Bale has been in ensemble casts before, including The Big Short, none of his interactions with them are as dense as the ones in the Dark Knight trilogy. Whether it’s his love triangle with Harvey Dent and Rachel or trying to convince Alfred that his vigilantism is for the greater good, none of Bale’s other movies have reached the emotional gravitas of the ones in the Batman film, and that was with the help of his co-stars.
And, of course, his dance with the clown prince of crime in The Dark Knight is without a doubt the best hero/villain duo in movie history. Even in The Dark Knight Rises, Bruce’s relationship with Talia and Bane have so much depth.
Alternative: The Fighter (2010)
Being his first of several collaborations with director David O. Russell, Bale’s role as Dicky Ecklund in the boxing movie, who is a trainer and drug addict, is what earned the actor his Academy Award. And though the award was for Best Supporting Actor, he was just as much of a lead as Mark Wahlberg.
It was another performance in which Bale lost weight for the role given that the character is based on a real-life person. In the movie, Bale had a whole rhythm to his acting, as he was fidgety, bounced around the scene, and he had a distinctive Boston accent, just like the real Ecklund. And it’s one of Russell’s best movies thanks to Bale.
Bruce Wayne: He Forced Hollywood To Take Superheroes Seriously
If it wasn’t for Batman Begins, audiences may still be getting bat suits with nipples on them, as it was the origins movie that forced Hollywood to look at the source material of superheroes and take it seriously. Christian Bale is partly to thank for that, as he was an Oscar-caliber actor even back then.
And his serious portrayal is a big reason why fans have the Marvel Cinematic Universe and even things like the beloved Netflix series Daredevil.
Alternative: Vice (2018)
Bale had lost weight for roles several times at this point, and he must have lost interest in that, as he instead took a role in which he gained 40 pounds to play former Vice President Dick Cheney. It was also the actor’s second outing with director Adam McKay after The Big Short.
And though the film had a mixed reception, everybody agreed that Bale’s depiction of Cheney, who served under George Bush, was one of the greatest performances of his career and a sight to behold.
