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Christian Bale is the Dark Knight
Bale on playing Pablo Escobar and returning to Batman.
by
Jul 14, 2008
Jul 14, 2008
Christian Bale is the man. That's just the only way I can describe it. He's such a pro he can come into an interview and give you everything you need, but totally on his terms. He won't answer anything he doesn't want to, but he won't leave you hanging. The Dark Knight clearly doesn't need our help, so he's kind of doing us a favor anyway. But don't worry, we'll be there to support The Machinist 2 or whatever crazy thing he does next.
Christian Bale: We haven't filmed Killing Pablo, but Public Enemies, yes I've finished.
Crave Online: So what do you find interesting about law enforcers?
Christian Bale: It's not particularly a law enforcer against criminals. It's first of all just a great story and then with the character of Melvin Purvis in Public Enemies, he was a fascinating character. You could make a couple of movies just about his life. It's working with Michael Mann who is one of the most thorough and wonderful researchers and just has such nuance and I think is just such a fine filmmaker. So it's that. It's that more than an attraction to law enforcement.
Crave Online: What were the dimensions in The Dark Knight that attracted you back to Batman?
Christian Bale: Well, I knew that Chris had proven his ideas in Batman Begins, so I feel as though he was given more freedom to make exactly the movie that he wished to make for The Dark Knight. He can correct me on that if I'm wrong but that was my feeling. I know that with Chris, this is our third time we've worked together, that he's not going to bother making another movie if he doesn't feel like he can improve upon the first one. I went to his house, I sat and read the script and felt like he had really nailed just kind of exploding all of the clichés of genre movies. That this was no longer an action movie. This was no longer a superhero movie. This was a movie that can stand shoulder to shoulder with any genre of movie. Of course, we have the resources and the ability to have the spectacle of the stunts and the explosions and all the excitement of that, but not have the compromise of great storytelling. These special effects and explosions, they don't mean crap if they're not in the context of a really great, substantial drama.
Crave Online: What sides of the character are left for you to want to play, assuming you do want to play him again?
Christian Bale: I do definitely. Again, that's Chris Nolan's decision. I finished this movie and I want to see what is going to happen next. He is the ultimate hero and he deserves all the credit and he's getting absolutely none whatsoever. But hey, that's Chris Nolan's decision.
Crave Online: It's so intense already, do you imagine it could ever get to a level that Batman would be R rated?
Christian Bale: I was misunderstood a number of times after Batman Begins when I'd mentioned about the possibility of making an R rated Batman. A number of people came to me and said, "Well, you wanna put sex scenes into Batman?" I said, "No, no, no, that's not at all what I was talking about." What I was meaning is if you look at the more recent graphic novels, there is such a darkness to it and such an internal human conflict and such questioning of the shadow side and the good motivation and good versus evil and the violence and his capability and propensity for violence, that it could very easily become an R rated movie. The reinvention here, I think Chris has proved that films like this shouldn’t be looked down on, that popcorn movies can be something with real substance and heart in them. I think he’s changed the game for good.
Crave Online: Was the preparation different this time out, mentally and physically?
Christian Bale: Physically, I was coming from a place of less weakness this time round, we also went with in keeping the suit. It was a leaner suit, so I wanted to be a little leaner myself. It’s like the differences in the military. You get these big beefy fellas in the regular military and then when you get to the special forces, they’re leaner, wiry, and that’s what I was going for. Mentally, there are more mind-games being played in this movie. Chris really laid everything out for me. The character has evolved, matured and was trying to shrug off Batman, and he’s confronted with the Joker, who’s trying to make him question his ethics, but naturally, while Begins is purely about Batman, now we have a more complete supporting cast.
Crave Online: Did you have time to explore the city?
Christian Bale: We had time to get lost but I tend to find, myself and my wife, we go get lost in cities and I think that's the best way to discover them. It's a very interesting city. There are so many different layers to that city. I wasn't there for that long but yeah. It wasn't what I'd expected.
Crave Online: Did you try some authentic Chinese food?
Christian Bale: Absolutely I did, yeah. But I had done that back in 1987 in Shanghai and discovered at the age of 13 that the Chinese food in China is very different from the Chinese food in London, as I was trying to attack a full headed fish with a chopstick.
Crave Online: What were your impressions of Heath Ledger?
Christian Bale: His total commitment, his immersion is a wonderful thing to watch. He portrayed the Joker in a way that will be remembered for years, and I enjoyed the fact that he seemed to get the same pleasure out of acting as I do. It’s a ridiculous job, but the more seriously you take it, the better it is. Remove the make-up and he became wonderful company.
Crave Online: Do you see Batman as a hero or vigilante?
Christian Bale: A little of both. He’s only needed because the system’s failed. You want to believe that citizens will stand up and fight for justice, in a position where the system’s failed. Bruce Wayne wants to create a foundation where the system can succeed and you can get elected officials like Harvey Dent who have integrity, then you don’t need Batman. He becomes obsolete and that’s what Bruce Wayne is looking for. But he’s a multifaceted character. That’s what I enjoy about this portrayal. He’s not a one-dimensional hero. The Dark Knight sums him up very well. Usually it’s a white knight in shining armor that shows up. He’s pure of heart. But this guy has a desire to do good, an altruism born for his parents, but he also has a great deal of violence, anger and a lust for revenge, very negative emotions that he has to keep in check all the time. So there’s always that question mark. Is he going to cross the line? He looks demonic, not like a knight, and for superhero he’s very conflicted. He really is not a superhero. He has no super powers.
Christian Bale: Hold on one second. I don’t give a damn about insurance. They were going to make sure I wasn’t able to get anywhere near it for insurance purposes. That’s their thing. [Stuntman] Jean-Pierre [Goy] and I arranged a day where I was going to be able to go up and down on the runway and test the whole thing out and finally be able to fall off it and blah blah blah. He is so in demand though that he literally flew in, spent two hours roaring up and down on the Bat-Pod, jumped back on the plane, headed back to France, did an exhibition, flew back, did another two hours on set, and was meant to spend a few hours with me just riding up and down on the Bat-Pod but somebody else needed him back in France for popping wheelies and endos and doing all these incredible things he does. I never got a chance to train on it with him so its embarrassing to admit that I never was in control of the Bat-Pod. There’s still time.
Crave Online: Is the buzz cut for Terminator?
Christian Bale: Yeah.
Crave Online: How are things on the set?
Christian Bale: Good, good. They're a number of weeks in. I'm just a week and a half in.
Crave Online: What attracted you to another big franchise?
Christian Bale: Well, initially actually that was not an attraction. I felt that I wasn't sure where it could go to. I went back, I reviewed, before I gave an answer, I went back and reviewed the other movies. I felt like okay, unlike Batman Begins, this would be something where we would be respecting the previous mythology. Certainly of one and two, not so much number three, but certainly you would be recognizing that mythology, unlike Batman Begins where we were saying that this is the beginning right here. What I view in it and what has ultimately made me make the choice to make it is that I see the same potential for reinvention and for breathing new life into the mythology. That's what I view our responsibility as filmmakers to be. It's pointless if we don't succeed in doing that.
Crave Online: But it's the iconic role, John Connor. Why did you want to play him?
Christian Bale: Because I was asked. With Batman Begins, it was a reinvention, an origin story. Chris Nolan reinvigorated the mythology of Batman and to me that’s the same task with Terminator. Obviously we’re not doing an origin story, but I see this as a chance to reinvigorate that mythology.
Crave Online: With two blockbuster franchises now, is there any going back ?Y
Christian Bale: That’s true, but I’ve never given a damn about the financing behind the movie. Its all about: is this something that I want to be involved in? I get just as much satisfaction from making a movie that the director finances himself from re-mortgaging his house and it takes him 20 days, as I do from making the Batman movies. I think the great problem tends to be when people do big so-called blockbuster movies like this, and then they feel like it's beneath them to go and do smaller movies. Believe me, nothing’s beneath me. I don’t consider that in the slightest. I’m very interested in making all kinds of genres. Equally I’m going to go and find a script at some point that will be a tiny little piece that probably hardly anyone except form myself and five others are probably going to want to go and see and I’ll still get the same kick out of doing that.
Crave Online: You're also played Pablo Escobar and Melvin Purvis - -
Christian Bale: We haven't filmed Killing Pablo, but Public Enemies, yes I've finished.
Crave Online: So what do you find interesting about law enforcers?
Christian Bale: It's not particularly a law enforcer against criminals. It's first of all just a great story and then with the character of Melvin Purvis in Public Enemies, he was a fascinating character. You could make a couple of movies just about his life. It's working with Michael Mann who is one of the most thorough and wonderful researchers and just has such nuance and I think is just such a fine filmmaker. So it's that. It's that more than an attraction to law enforcement.
Crave Online: What were the dimensions in The Dark Knight that attracted you back to Batman?
Christian Bale: Well, I knew that Chris had proven his ideas in Batman Begins, so I feel as though he was given more freedom to make exactly the movie that he wished to make for The Dark Knight. He can correct me on that if I'm wrong but that was my feeling. I know that with Chris, this is our third time we've worked together, that he's not going to bother making another movie if he doesn't feel like he can improve upon the first one. I went to his house, I sat and read the script and felt like he had really nailed just kind of exploding all of the clichés of genre movies. That this was no longer an action movie. This was no longer a superhero movie. This was a movie that can stand shoulder to shoulder with any genre of movie. Of course, we have the resources and the ability to have the spectacle of the stunts and the explosions and all the excitement of that, but not have the compromise of great storytelling. These special effects and explosions, they don't mean crap if they're not in the context of a really great, substantial drama.
Crave Online: What sides of the character are left for you to want to play, assuming you do want to play him again?
Christian Bale: I do definitely. Again, that's Chris Nolan's decision. I finished this movie and I want to see what is going to happen next. He is the ultimate hero and he deserves all the credit and he's getting absolutely none whatsoever. But hey, that's Chris Nolan's decision.
Crave Online: It's so intense already, do you imagine it could ever get to a level that Batman would be R rated?
Christian Bale: I was misunderstood a number of times after Batman Begins when I'd mentioned about the possibility of making an R rated Batman. A number of people came to me and said, "Well, you wanna put sex scenes into Batman?" I said, "No, no, no, that's not at all what I was talking about." What I was meaning is if you look at the more recent graphic novels, there is such a darkness to it and such an internal human conflict and such questioning of the shadow side and the good motivation and good versus evil and the violence and his capability and propensity for violence, that it could very easily become an R rated movie. The reinvention here, I think Chris has proved that films like this shouldn’t be looked down on, that popcorn movies can be something with real substance and heart in them. I think he’s changed the game for good.
Crave Online: Was the preparation different this time out, mentally and physically?
Christian Bale: Physically, I was coming from a place of less weakness this time round, we also went with in keeping the suit. It was a leaner suit, so I wanted to be a little leaner myself. It’s like the differences in the military. You get these big beefy fellas in the regular military and then when you get to the special forces, they’re leaner, wiry, and that’s what I was going for. Mentally, there are more mind-games being played in this movie. Chris really laid everything out for me. The character has evolved, matured and was trying to shrug off Batman, and he’s confronted with the Joker, who’s trying to make him question his ethics, but naturally, while Begins is purely about Batman, now we have a more complete supporting cast.
Crave Online: How much did you actually shoot in Hong Kong?
Christian Bale: We did the scene with Morgan Freeman but I also went up the IFC tower. So I did the highest tower in Chicago, then we went and did the highest tower in Hong Kong and stood there. That was all for real. I was dab handed by the time I got to Hong Kong. I was just strolling around. Yes, we did do those scenes, a few scenes there.
Crave Online: Did you have time to explore the city?
Christian Bale: We had time to get lost but I tend to find, myself and my wife, we go get lost in cities and I think that's the best way to discover them. It's a very interesting city. There are so many different layers to that city. I wasn't there for that long but yeah. It wasn't what I'd expected.
Crave Online: Did you try some authentic Chinese food?
Christian Bale: Absolutely I did, yeah. But I had done that back in 1987 in Shanghai and discovered at the age of 13 that the Chinese food in China is very different from the Chinese food in London, as I was trying to attack a full headed fish with a chopstick.
Crave Online: What were your impressions of Heath Ledger?
Christian Bale: His total commitment, his immersion is a wonderful thing to watch. He portrayed the Joker in a way that will be remembered for years, and I enjoyed the fact that he seemed to get the same pleasure out of acting as I do. It’s a ridiculous job, but the more seriously you take it, the better it is. Remove the make-up and he became wonderful company.
Crave Online: Do you see Batman as a hero or vigilante?
Christian Bale: A little of both. He’s only needed because the system’s failed. You want to believe that citizens will stand up and fight for justice, in a position where the system’s failed. Bruce Wayne wants to create a foundation where the system can succeed and you can get elected officials like Harvey Dent who have integrity, then you don’t need Batman. He becomes obsolete and that’s what Bruce Wayne is looking for. But he’s a multifaceted character. That’s what I enjoy about this portrayal. He’s not a one-dimensional hero. The Dark Knight sums him up very well. Usually it’s a white knight in shining armor that shows up. He’s pure of heart. But this guy has a desire to do good, an altruism born for his parents, but he also has a great deal of violence, anger and a lust for revenge, very negative emotions that he has to keep in check all the time. So there’s always that question mark. Is he going to cross the line? He looks demonic, not like a knight, and for superhero he’s very conflicted. He really is not a superhero. He has no super powers.
Crave Online: In your personal life, what do you believe in?
Christian Bale: You know, I really don’t have much interest in talking about myself or what I believe in. I think as an actor it's important not to do that too much and it avoids any difficult questions as well, very conveniently.
Crave Online: How about the gadgets and toys? What are your favorite gadgets?
Christian Bale: I’m terrible with gadgets. I try to get rid of absolutely everything and any of this kind of stuff ends up owning me. I touch it and it breaks. I’m completely behind in terms of the 21st century. I left school without ever touching a computer. I do like motorbikes thought. That’s the one thing. I tend, again, to break them but I do enjoy them up until I break them.
Crave Online: What’s your favorite motorbike?
Christian Bale: I love dirt bikes because you can just crash them and they just keep going but I just recently got the MV Augusta F4 which you see me ride in the movie.
Christian Bale: I’m terrible with gadgets. I try to get rid of absolutely everything and any of this kind of stuff ends up owning me. I touch it and it breaks. I’m completely behind in terms of the 21st century. I left school without ever touching a computer. I do like motorbikes thought. That’s the one thing. I tend, again, to break them but I do enjoy them up until I break them.
Crave Online: What’s your favorite motorbike?
Christian Bale: I love dirt bikes because you can just crash them and they just keep going but I just recently got the MV Augusta F4 which you see me ride in the movie.
Crave Online: Are you accident prone?
Christian Bale: I just feel like I really haven’t pushed myself hard enough if I don’t have an accident.
Crave Online: How hard is that to accomplish?
Christian Bale: Its not very hard with my skill.
Crave Online: Would insurance let you ride the Bat Pod?
Christian Bale: Hold on one second. I don’t give a damn about insurance. They were going to make sure I wasn’t able to get anywhere near it for insurance purposes. That’s their thing. [Stuntman] Jean-Pierre [Goy] and I arranged a day where I was going to be able to go up and down on the runway and test the whole thing out and finally be able to fall off it and blah blah blah. He is so in demand though that he literally flew in, spent two hours roaring up and down on the Bat-Pod, jumped back on the plane, headed back to France, did an exhibition, flew back, did another two hours on set, and was meant to spend a few hours with me just riding up and down on the Bat-Pod but somebody else needed him back in France for popping wheelies and endos and doing all these incredible things he does. I never got a chance to train on it with him so its embarrassing to admit that I never was in control of the Bat-Pod. There’s still time.
Crave Online: Is the buzz cut for Terminator?
Christian Bale: Yeah.
Crave Online: How are things on the set?
Christian Bale: Good, good. They're a number of weeks in. I'm just a week and a half in.
Crave Online: What attracted you to another big franchise?
Christian Bale: Well, initially actually that was not an attraction. I felt that I wasn't sure where it could go to. I went back, I reviewed, before I gave an answer, I went back and reviewed the other movies. I felt like okay, unlike Batman Begins, this would be something where we would be respecting the previous mythology. Certainly of one and two, not so much number three, but certainly you would be recognizing that mythology, unlike Batman Begins where we were saying that this is the beginning right here. What I view in it and what has ultimately made me make the choice to make it is that I see the same potential for reinvention and for breathing new life into the mythology. That's what I view our responsibility as filmmakers to be. It's pointless if we don't succeed in doing that.
Crave Online: But it's the iconic role, John Connor. Why did you want to play him?
Christian Bale: Because I was asked. With Batman Begins, it was a reinvention, an origin story. Chris Nolan reinvigorated the mythology of Batman and to me that’s the same task with Terminator. Obviously we’re not doing an origin story, but I see this as a chance to reinvigorate that mythology.
Crave Online: With two blockbuster franchises now, is there any going back ?Y
Christian Bale: That’s true, but I’ve never given a damn about the financing behind the movie. Its all about: is this something that I want to be involved in? I get just as much satisfaction from making a movie that the director finances himself from re-mortgaging his house and it takes him 20 days, as I do from making the Batman movies. I think the great problem tends to be when people do big so-called blockbuster movies like this, and then they feel like it's beneath them to go and do smaller movies. Believe me, nothing’s beneath me. I don’t consider that in the slightest. I’m very interested in making all kinds of genres. Equally I’m going to go and find a script at some point that will be a tiny little piece that probably hardly anyone except form myself and five others are probably going to want to go and see and I’ll still get the same kick out of doing that.
Not in any way associated with Crave Entertainment, Inc.
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