Christian Bale is renowned for his versatility and has been cast in many films depicting the personalities and stories of real-life figures. Bale has shown dedication to the authenticity of his portrayals, often undergoing significant physical transformations for roles. He has also been known to maintain performative accents during interviews to sustain the immersive quality of his performances.
Bale began acting while still a child and has been involved in projects influenced by real-life figures and events throughout his career. In 1992, Bale starred in Newsies, a film influenced by the 1899 newsboys’ strike in New York City. Bale has played many fictitious characters that have a real-life basis, including his role in American Hustle portraying Irving Rosenfeld, a character inspired by real con artist Melvin Weinberg; his part in Little Women (1994), an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, where he plays Laurie, a character inspired by two people from Alcott’s life; and his portrayal of Jack in I’m Not There, a character that represents one of six configurations of Bob Dylan’s public persona.
Bale has worked with a host of notable directors, including Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, and Christopher Nolan. Many of Bale’s roles as a leading actor have portrayed the psychological depth of characters. Prince of Jutland, later titled Royal Deceit, sees Bale as Amled (often written Amleth), a figure from Norse legend and the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Bale’s portrayals also include biblical figures, playing Jesus of Nazareth in Mary, Mother of Jesus, a film made for television, and more recently, Bale played Moses in the cinematic epic, Exodus: Gods and Kings. Of course, films offer a certain degree of artistic license, even in historical and biographical adaptations, but here is a closer look at Bale’s direct portrayals of real-life figures in cinema.
Jim Graham In Empire Of The Sun
Empire of the Sun, directed by Steven Spielberg, is a film about a young British boy in Shanghai and his survival through the Japanese occupation of the Chinese city. The film is based on the novel of the same name by James Graham Ballard (stylized J. G. Ballard). Ballard’s novel is autobiographical but does take creative license in its plot, most notably in Jim’s separation from his parents prior to, and during, his time in an internment camp. Nevertheless, the topic of the novel – and indeed Spielberg’s film – is based on Ballard’s childhood exposure to war that is often acknowledged as informing his work in dystopian and post-apocalyptic genres.
Christian Bale’s performance as Jim received notable critical praise, with Empire of the Sun generally considered as his breakthrough role. The film set Bale up for an illustrious career, and its historical context is something he would return to in 2011’s The Flowers of War. For the latter film, Bale plays the part of an American mortician during the Nanjing Massacre. The Chinese production is based on Geling Yan’s novella, 13 Flowers of Nanjing, inspired by Minnie Vautrin’s diary.
John Rolfe In The New World
The New World depicts the founding of Jamestown, Virginia as an English colony. Bale portrays John Rolfe, an English settler who married Pocahontas (born Amonute and also known as Matoaka) of the Powhatan people. The film, directed by Terrence Malick, focuses on Pocahontas’ exposure to a different culture in Rolfe’s England.
Notably, Bale was also involved in the production of the animated musical, Pocahontas. He voices Thomas, a friend of John Smith’s, in the Walt Disney Pictures film. Pocahontas was financially successful and received two Academy Awards, but it was criticized for historical inaccuracies and indecent handling of the topic of race.
Dieter Dengler In Rescue Dawn
Bale stars as Dieter Dengler in Rescue Dawn, a film written and directed by Werner Herzog. Dengler was a pilot and was also the subject of a documentary film written and directed by Herzog, Little Dieter Needs to Fly. Rescue Dawn tells the story of how Dengler was shot down during the Vietnam War, while on a classified mission that involved the bombing of Laos. Dengler survives the crash but is held as a prisoner of war. Escape is considered a rather futile concept considering the magnitude of the jungle that surrounds the prison camp, but Dengler is a character prepared to fight extensively for his survival.
Melvin Purvis In Public Enemies
The true story of Public Enemies sees Bale as Melvin Purvis, the FBI agent in pursuit of gangster John Dillinger, portrayed by Johnny Depp. Dillinger is the central character of the film, and there is a degree of moral ambiguity in his criminality. He makes his trade as a robber, an occupation he is upfront about, but his targets are commonly banks. Nevertheless, Dillinger is a high-profile criminal by the letter of the law, and Purvis is tasked by J. Edgar Hoover to take him down. Public Enemies is not entirely historically accurate, but the premise of its plot is true, and both Dillinger and Purvis were real-life figures.
Dicky Eklund In The Fighter
The Fighter stars Mark Wahlberg as Micky Ward, a professional boxer fighting to escape the shadow of his brother, Dicky Eklund, who is played by Bale. Dicky was considerably successful as a pugilist but now lives a troubled life while acting as Micky’s trainer. The biographical sports drama centers on the pair’s fraternal relationship, among topics of ambition and addiction. Bale’s portrayal of Dicky won him the award for Best Supporting Actor at the 83rd Academy Awards.
Michael Burry In The Big Short
Telling the story of how a small group of investors uncovered faults in the US mortgage market and therein anticipated the financial crisis of 2007-2008, The Big Short features an ensemble cast. Bale received another Academy Award nomination for his role as Michael Burry. Burry founded the hedge fund Scion Capital, and The Big Short depicts his realization of the faults in the composition of mortgages and his subsequent decision to bet against the housing market. Performances from Bale and Steve Carell elevate the film, directed and co-written by Adam McKay, that uses the black comedy genre in its exploration of the theme of corruption.
Dick Cheney In Vice
Bale starred as Dick Cheney in Vice, another project directed and written by Adam Mckay. Dick Cheney is a politician who served as vice president of the United States under the leadership of George W. Bush. Vice charts Cheney’s colossal accumulation of power through insider knowledge. The film sees Bale undergo one of his signature physical transformations, gaining a considerable amount of weight for the role. While this collaboration between Adam McKay and Bale did not receive as much critical acclaim as The Big Short, Bale did receive another nomination for an Academy Award, this time for a leading role.
Ken Miles In Ford v Ferrari
Ford v Ferrari (also known by the title Le Mans ’66) is a biographical drama, directed by James Mangold, and starring Christian Bale alongside Matt Damon. Bale portrays Ken Miles, an excellent but abrasive racing driver who is advocated by Damon’s Carroll Shelby. Shelby’s racing days are behind him, but he is a prominent car designer who lands a deal to help propel Ford’s racing division into a competitive force. Bale’s portrayal illuminates both Miles’ tenacious obsession with racing and his at times coarse personality.
