Is Christian Bale a Real Movie Star?

Sorry, James. "Gen X," of which I am not a part, is looking for cerebral actors, actors that have more going on than giant egos and large pecs. Schwarzeneggar's best film, Predator, only worked because he has so few lines. Have you seen "American Psycho" or "Harsh Times" or "3:10 to Yuma" or "Rescue Dawn??" Bale is the real deal. He may never be a successful politician, but he is wiping the floor with some of today's and yesterday's top actors.

Actors having the swagger of a Bruce Willis or a George Clooney are fun and interesting -- and occasionally give really great performances. They have their place, but so do the intellectuals.

You Christian Bale groupies are pathetic.
Thanks for the excellent article. Christian Bale is now a celebrity, not a true "movie star," in the traditional sense, because there is nothing interesting about him other then his buzz cut. He completely ruined Terminator Salvation by making dull looking facial expressions and yelling all his lines. He even made me miss Arnold's acting...wow.
Everyone seems to think he's a great actor just because he gains and looses weight for different roles, and pulls off an American accent. That is not what makes a great actor. And it's too bad Gen X filmmakers are loosing track of what's most compelling in action films...a heroic lead with individualistic charm and charisma.

Bale is excellent, and the individual who wrote this is just hating on him, for lack of a better term. l'd point this writer to the 2002 film 'Equilibrium'. lt flew under the radar because of it's Brave New World brand of political/religious/social commentary. Bale was brilliant in a physically and emotionally demanding role of a man who slowly emerges from a drug-induced stupor to come face-to-face with the horrible things he's done. There's enuf gun-and-sword play in it on the way to his redemption to satisfy any action junkie, as well.

I agree that this article is flawed and pointless.

I have a simple question about Christian's on set rant: Who profited by the release of the audio clip?

The clip was released *months* after the fact. The actual timing was summer 2008 (August, I believe), only a month after the incident with his mother and sister. Instead of ragging on him and spewing hate, perhaps people should consider what might have been going on in his life in that period.

But the question remains: Who profited by the release of that audio clip?

To answer the question of the article: Christian Bale is not a movie star, he is an actor. Movie stars are glam and fodder for tabloids. Christian is a professional actor who avoids the drama as much as possible and keeps his private life to himself. The two incidents of 2008 are curious and unfortunate.

GAPEACH... The rumors are that Hulbert was an irritant on set. It has been said that the crew AND the director was fed up with him - as were the actors apparently. And Bale ripping into him was a service to the crew -- an absolute reflection of how they were all feeling. Filmmakers who worked with Hulbert in the past have publicly stated that although Shane was a "nice guy," he's got a real problem, a disruptive problem, with hyperactivity, and poor focus on sets -- often intruding upon scenes while the camera is rolling. It has been said Shane interrupted at least 3 of Bale's takes before the actor finally lost his mind about it. If people analyze what Bale is actually saying in the rant, it's quite understandable. "I've never had an DP behave this way before." Bale himself has come close, in recent interviews, to telling the full story, but he can't bring himself to. He's only mentioned that he's surprised the "full story" hasn't come out but said it's not his place to discuss it.

I've worked in production for 14 years and I've never ever ever seen a DP screw up a take. It just doesn't happen. And for people to keep harping on Bale this way... disgusting. I'm sick watching all the interviews he's given for T.S. and how much they focus on his temper. I feel for the guy. He's an extraordinary talent, and this nonsense has to end.

GAPEACH... The rumors are that Hulbert was an irritant on set. It has been said that the crew AND the director was fed up with him - as were the actors apparently. And Bale ripping into him was a service to the crew -- an absolute reflection of how they were all feeling. Filmmakers who worked with Hulbert in the past have publicly stated that although Shane was a "nice guy," he's got a real problem, a disruptive problem, with hyperactivity, and poor focus on sets -- often intruding upon scenes while the camera is rolling. It has been said Shane interrupted at least 3 of Bale's takes before the actor finally lost his mind about it. If people analyze what Bale is actually saying in the rant, it's quite understandable. "I've never had an DP behave this way before." Bale himself has come close, in recent interviews, to telling the full story, but he can't bring himself to. He's only mentioned that he's surprised the "full story" hasn't come out but said it's not his place to discuss it.

I've worked in production for 14 years and I've never ever ever seen a DP screw up a take. It just doesn't happen. And for people to keep harping on Bale this way... disgusting. I'm sick watching all the interviews he's given for T.S. and how much they focus on his temper. I feel for the guy. He's an extraordinary talent, and this nonsense has to end.

you sir are a dumb ass. your article is pointless.

I agree about the stupidity of this article. The writer certainly has no grip on reality.

Most of all I am so thrilled about the amount of support for Christian Bale. Lately it's been hard to not find a lot of comments from bitter folks who dislike him just because of his outburst.

What a lot of folks (except the ones commenting on this article) fail to realize is that for his entire career - 20 plus years - there has been no scandal, no drug arrests, no DUI's, no fights in clubs, NOTHING until his greedy mother and sister showed up for his Dark Knight premiere in London and then (the same month) he got upset at someone who did something he shouldn't have. It apparently wasn't the first time and I think Bale was totally justified. The DP has remained silent on the subject - which mystifies me.

I also think Bale is the best actor of his generation (and maybe others). He just wants to act and live a normal life. I hope he's able to do this.

You're a fool, & you've clearly never made a movie in your entire life. (Or a good one, anyway.)

You should be fired for this. This artcile has no merit and I feel like you're simply trying to take this stance to drum up publicity for yourself. You clearly have no value as a journalist or editorial writer.

Shame on you Mr.
Christian Bale is a GREAT ACTOR not a hollwoodish movie star.
You insult Bale and youreself.

Oh my! This is just one more of the negative sides of the internet and the gossip culture we have nowadays, any idiot like this Thomson can pose as "reporter" and write crap like this.

Bale NEVER wanted to be a movie star, and AMEN to that! I hope he never changes because:

Movie star = someone playing himself / herself over and over again

Bale is the best actor of his generation and one of the best actors around now, if not THE best. He completely immerses himself in the roles he does. We see a different person in each movie he makes and the fact that he doesn't seek to be the lead is also a good proof that he sees himself as an actor, not a movie star. He chooses his role based in the nature of the character, not the screen time. No movie star can do what he does, with the perfection he does.

It is you Thomson who shows a big determination to be famous writing some stupid and offensive "article". You clearly want to be a reporter but fails miserably.

mr. thomson:

criticizing someone for not being what they never wanted to be makes as much sense as george clooney as batman. it would be like me criticizing you for not being a baker. "but i never wanted to be a baker," you protest. yes, exactly . . .

at least bale is man enough to own up to his mistakes, not make any excuses, and apologize unreservedly for behaving like an ass. you, i'm guessing, probably will not man up and admit to being a douchebag.

i mean, i could be wrong. but i'm probably not.

There is NO POINT to this article, no point whatsoever, other than to say: "look at me, I write for 'The Wrap' and i'm being an asshole to Christian Bale."

You must feel very proud today Desson Thomson. Ooh, Christian Bale yelled at the DP, let's crucify him forever. The thing I hate about people like Desson is their outright holier-than-thou attitude and hypocricy.

I think anyone who essentially disqualifies 25 years in the buisness, that Christian has, because of a bad THREE MINUTES doesn't deserve to be considered a journalist.

If he isn't a star, then why does that picture make him look like a young Charlton Heston? Christian is a great actor. 'Nuff said...

Having had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Bale (who is Welsh, not Australian or English), I can attest that he is indeed NOT a star. He has no entourage and none of the trappings of today's so-called "stars". What Mr. Bale has is talent. He has proven his abilities in numerous films and has been a working actor for over twenty years. His first major film role is arguably one of the best performances ever delivered by a child actor ("Empire of the Sun"). He's pretty much done it all from Shakespeare ("Henry V") to various period pieces ("Little Women", "Velvet Goldmine", "The New World") to blockbusters (the Batman films). A movie star is someone whose personality shines through in each role they play (like Julia Roberts). A true actor gets lost within the role and astounds an audience. Take the movie "The Prestige" -- that had a movie star -- Hugh Jackman -- playing opposite Bale. Jackman acquitted himself in the film, but I recall Bale's performance more. He had a dust-up on the set -- he was recorded while in character and the recording was released to make him look bad. I'm sure he's not the first actor to lose his temper on a set; someone happened to record it and leaked it (anonymously) to the press. One has to question that person's motives. In summary, I would take 100 actors who possess Christian Bale's talent over one over-rated "movie star" any day.

Hey Freddie, FYI -- "Harsh Times" DID get a proper theatrical release. MGM put it out. It was not a direct-to-DVD release.

There is not point to you writing this article at all except to base your opinion of Christian Bale on an incident with the DP of T4.

This only thing this article proves is that you have no creditability in telling us which actors are stars.

mr the journalist,are you under drug? zac effron wants to be famous! tom cruise wants to be famous! hugh jackman wants to be famous! but Bale is an actor! you need to see his movies because he enough did low -budget movies to say he's a real great actor! i don't care if he's likeable ,only i want good movies! ea

This Bale is as real as it gets in Hollywood. The Australians are taking over Hollywood

A pointless article that serves mainly to indulge its author - come on, TW, surely you can do better and if you can't then you will be off my morning radar in very short order.

In response to your criticism, I offer Bale's performance in David Ayer's direct to DVD release of "Harsh Times". Were it not for being connected with Bauer Martinez, this movie would have surely shown a terrific, multifaceted performance by Bale to a much larger audience. David Ayer does a great job of laying the groundwork for the world that Bale's character exists in. We understand why he is the way he is and in the end that he only seeks an exit from a world he no longer feels a connection to and can no longer stand to be a part of. The power of Ayer's rooting the story, in what will come to pass as the experiences of many of our returning soldiers, is completely missed by this movie not getting a proper theatrical release. Christian Bale is for real.

Freddie Fillers
aka El Pistolero
Gunslinger Studios

I have to disagree with this column. Bale is probably the only actor working in Hollywood who can play an unabashedly heroic role without the smarmy ironic smirk, laughable implausibility, or gag inducing posturing of most of the other "leading men."

Plus he's managed to avoid most of the tabloid attention that other so-called "stars" seem to revel in. And when he does end up in the tabloids, it's usually in reaction to the provocative behaviour of others. From everything I've seen about him, he just wants to do his job, and be left alone.

I have no problem with that, he does good work, and let's leave it at that.

This article is "Bale-bashing" and nothing more; There is no finer actor at work today in my opinion.

I agree with the other comments, this is one of the worst articles I've read recently.
It's the movies that have changed -- becoming bigger and showier and arguably far more visually engrossing, such that the 'star' is a less important piece of the effect and has less of an impact. Maybe watching Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart in the 40s was close to a spiritual experience -- take one of those viewers out of time and sit them down in front of a Star Wars, Transformers or even Terminator Salvation, and b-movie plots aside it'd probably produce a level of sheer awe that would have them saying "The Force is strong in this one" instead of "Here's looking at you, Bogart." The biggest stars are forced to take the biggest projects which these days are by definition the ones which see special effects and kinetic grandeur show up their own performance. Do you forget that even Clooney seemed a dismal fool dressed in black batman latex? To me Bale's star power is exactly his ability to hold his own onscreen with killer robots, huge explosions and clown-costumed pyschos. I'd love to see Clark Gable try that, seriously. He'd smirk with that 'star glint-of-the-eye' then the Joker would slam a pencil through it within 3 seconds.
Bale is at the peak of his commercial appeal which these days is almost inverse to one's ability to take 'real acting' roles. Nevertheless, did you actually watch Rescue Dawn or American Psycho? Yes there's some desperation behind Bale's eyes, but it's what allows him to make those characters electrifying. Seriously man you're amateur. Bale is a Modern Movie Star. Keep your old ones if you want.

Great responses to this ridiculous commentary. Seriously?? Doesn't have the magic of Brando?? Do you not know Brando's insanity on sets is the stuff of legend??? Did you miss the story that Brando was such a prima donna during "On The Waterfront" that he couldn't be bothered to stick around for Steiger's close ups in the famous "I coulda been somebody" scene? Steiger had to act with the script supervisor because Brando wanted to go home. Bale is a MASTER of his craft, and yes, he does seem to expect near perfection from those with whom he shares the stage, both cast and crew, but he is, if nothing else, a true professional with an out-of-this-world gift. And I guarantee you, any actor that's worked with him would praise him to the high heavens. Because he doesn't have some "sparkle" in his eye that turns you on, he is unworthy of the craft... of the fame... of the adoration?? Is that what worshiping Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, two vapid sticks of cotton candy, does to people?? We toss aside brilliant work because someone doesn't "sparkle?" You have no f***ing idea what you're talking about. You should be blogging about Lady GaGa and Zac Efron, and stick to watching movies with Ben Stiller and grinning monkeys. If you don't get Bale, you're in the wrong business, sweetie.

"I’d like to think if Clark Gable or Greta Garbo returned from the grave and saw that overcrowded tree house, they’d keep on walking."

I'd like to think if Clark Gable returned from the grave, he'd have the sense to realize he was NOT nearly as talented as today's best actors, including Bale. He had a certain amount of depth but not breadth. Bale has both a depth and a breadth that leaves Gable's acting ability in the dust.

Poor Mr. Thomson demonstrates with this piece that he can't think his way out of a paper bag.

Do critics not understand the difference between not POSSESSING "star quality" and not WANTING to project "star quality" into every single role? Or are their brains so addled with vacuous nostalgia and tabloid gossip they can't grasp the obvious? At some point, every actor has to decide if they want to be an old-fashioned movie star, or if they want to be VERSATILE and express their full RANGE. The two are - I won't say mutually exclusive - but pretty damn close to being so. Bale has obviously opted for the latter (versatility), which NECESSARILY comes at the expense of "star quality" in the shallow sense Thomson implies.

There's very little difference between one Bogart character and another, or one Marilyn Monroe character and another, or for that matter, one Jack Nicholson character or another. That's precisely because they WERE stars, and were limited by the star personas they or their directors constructed around them.

The answer to Thomson's question is "no" - Bale is not a "real" movie star, and thank God for that. Thankfully, this outdated, shallow remnant of the studio system seems to be losing ground. People don't expect Helen Mirren or Gary Oldman or Philip Seymour Hoffman to be "likeable" or "charming" in this way. That's not a failing, it's because they're not attempting, and have no desire to do, what the preposterously overrated "golden age" stars did. A "star persona" is not just a box office boon, it's also a straitjacket.

Another term for a "real movie star" is "an actor who is typecast."

Damn...take your "celeb" frustrations out on Robert Pattinson and Zac Efron.

Christian Bale, Johnny Depp, Robert Downey Jr, Clive Owen, Matt Damon, Ewan McGregor - they are this generations stars. And I have yet to see any of them boast their twitter accounts...

This is the lamest commentary on an actor I've read in a long time. Shame on you, Mr Thomson. I thought you were a real critic. It turns out you're in love with the TMZ/gossip nation as the rest of them. Way to use his illegally leaked rant against him. Are you trying to tell me those movie stars that you revere from the Golden Age of Hollywood never threw a hissy fit on set? Are you for real? I was willing to check out this site, but I'm disappointed in this attack on a very fine actor who never asked to be seen as a movie star or even a celebrity. Christian Bale is actor who have been giving excellent performances since he was a child in Empire of the Sun. I used to respect you as a critic, but no more.

This is a joke right? Of all the actors in the movie making business this guy, on more than one occasion, has said he wants nothing to do with being famous and just wants to act. When he was 13 he came very close to chucking it all in because he'd had it with all the extra crap that came after he made Empire of the Sun. He loved acting, not sitting in room saying the same thing over and over. I agree that we don't have any actors to date that have that god like quality but that's because we've stripped away all their mystery as actors. I'm mean how cool can you be when there's a camera guy outside your house at 6:00 in the morning snapping shots of you taking the trash out to the curb. We hold these actors up on pedestals and then get mad when they act like humans forgetting that's all they are, human. He's a great actor, he comes in does his job and then wants nothing more than to go home and be with his wife and kid. And why not? Doesn't he deserve that right as a person ? As long as he makes good movies than job is done in my opinion.

OMG... I've read a lot of really stupid articles in the past monts, but this has got to be the worst.... WTF! Christian Bale a movie star (In the celebrity manner, I suppose you mean) who just wants to be famous? Hmmmm....or not! Geez... I don't even know why I'm commenting on this bullocks... take a deeper look into stuff before writing an article, please!