A defense of Christian Bale

[megoscott]

Lots to think about in this piece. Consider the pressure and even physical danger involved in the job they are doing and maybe ask yourself if you are being manipulated once again by a simple-minded media circus.

Citizen Bale is no Kane - Harry Knapp - Open Salon

"While the media salivates over the careless or more likely revengeful leak of an isolated heated moment on the set of Terminator 4 I'm reluctant but nonetheless compelled to share a first hand account of the most underrated gracious actor I've ever worked with."

[Dave Mc]

Glad to see something like this posted. Nothing really excuses poor behavior, but the media likes to latch onto stuff and make it more than it is. We've all thrown fits of some sort now and again without anyone recording it and making it public. Heck, as a TV director I've gone off on more than one occasion. It happens.

I usually try to avoid gossip like this. You only ever really get one side and have no real idea what else was going on.

[Hector]

Agreed on all counts, gentlemen.

[Meule]

Like Dave said, most of the time you only get one side of the story and people quickly make their judgement based on that. Glad to see someone coming to Bale's defense. Like I said in the other threads: we don't know what happened before he got angry, I'm sure there was to it than just that light guy. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time

[thunderbolt]

Hey, he's "the goddamn Batman" after all.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

Good to see.

[huedell]

yeah All that Fame and money...it must be hard on them. ...I just don't know how they do it.

With all respect...take the sarcasm out of your post and that can sum up
this whole issue.

[Werewolf]

Lots of people have high pressure and dangerous jobs, not just actors. People with anger management issues come from all walks of life. We as a culture need to stop excusing negative behavior and do a better job of helping people with those types of behavioral issues as well as protecting their victims.

On sort of a side note, I feel we as a culture are still firmly entrenched in this "boys will be boys" mentality. We are constantly excusing negative behavior (verbal and physical) from boys (and men) which can often lead to serious consequences down the road.

To me this is not about just that one actor, it's a far bigger and more serious issue.

[megoscott]

I don't deny that the issue in general is important or that abusive behavior should be excused.

But for all you know, Bale is in therapy three times a week dealing with anger management issues and this was an unfortunate slip. All you have been presented with is an isolated and out of context moment in time.

He may have to go onto Larry King or Oprah and explain all of this, but I hope he doesn't dignify the spectacle and give the media the pleasure. Everyone gets to feel better about themselves by feeding from a parasitic media that distorts reality and pushes self-righteousness.

[toys2cool]

Hey, he's "the goddamn Batman" after all.

for sure

[MIB41]

As I said in my original thread, this can be something which is common place in the business and someone is just getting back at him. Clearly there's a greater abuse going on here than a verbal lashing. Someone took studio property off site (meaning the audio recording) and distributed it to the public. What Bale did might have been in bad taste but what happened next was illegal. I look at it like this - I would rather be Christian Bale than Michael Phelps when it comes to being "caught" in the act.

[Vortigern99]

Werewolf, it's not "excusing negative behavior" to point out that people make errors of judgement from time to time. You're so busy harping on the "bigger and more serious issue" of anger problems that you're missing the specific context of this case, and the well-accounted-for humanity and compassion of the man under discussion.

In the linked article, written by the producer of Rescue Dawn (about POW prisoners) in which Bale starred, the writer notes: "There is an unmistakable humanity in this man gifted to us full of vulnerability and undeniable honesty...qualities notoriously absent in the dismantling of a celebrity. Also missing from page 6...perspective, context and fairness."

He goes on to describe Bale's professionalism, devotion to his craft, and distinct lack of movie-star selfishness. Bale opted to stay with the crew in a second-rate hotel rather than the finest in Bangkok, and refused to accept an offered assistant or security detail. On location in the hot Thai jungles, director Herzog -- notorious for helming hellishly difficult and intense productions -- declared there would be no on-site trailers for the actors to stay in; while according to the producer "Most actors would have walked right out of the room," Bale accepted this without batting an eye.

The producer writes: "Let me ask you this...how many movie stars would lose 60 pounds, starve and shoot for 50 days in the hot sticky jungle in a hot flight suit and lounge in the dirt? He did."

"On set Bale, who is a self-identified Directors actor, one who trusts and rarely disrupts his directors vision jumped in with both bare feet literally...running through fields of thorns and never complaining for a moment. During lunch while the rest of us were scarfing insane Thai food he was nibbling on watermelon and sipping diet coke."

Does this sound like a man who "needs help" and who is being excused for an "entrenched boys-will-be-boys mentality"?

In a paragraph titled "Perspective" the producer writes: "To be fair movie sets themselves are a hotbed of gossip, egos and combustible creative energy. As a First Assistant Director running the set I've always tried to create a palette free of drama and distraction understanding that it's hard enough for actors to deliver unbridled honesty in front of 150 people let alone blocking out lights, cameras and equipment not inherent in the world they are operating in. In the case of this rant Christian was reacting to his "eyeline" meaning anything fixed or moving in his line of vision that would jolt him from the space his character is in. This is standard set protocol something a professional should never do. Just before the camera rolls on any shot the assistant director will "lock down" the set meaning his production assistants alert the world that "nothing moves". When a breach happens it's usually accidental and usually because a production assistant dropped the ball. So a Director of Photography wandering around checking lights in the middle of the scene it is a big problem. Was Christian's reaction severe...probably, but the guy is a professional he comes prepared and expects those around him to be as well."

This is the context and perspective missing from the naked 3 or 4 minutes of audio we've all heard and found objectionable. The DP on the set of T:S was being unprofessional, foolishly and absent-mindedly ruining the actor's concentration and spoiling incredibly expensive shots, forcing another set-up which takes time and effort and money. He /earned/ Bale's anger, and when he attempted to explain himself Bale only got angrier, because the DP was trying to wiggle out of responsibility rather than owning up to his mistake.

[Werewolf]

Everyone gets to feel better about themselves by feeding from a parasitic media that distorts reality and pushes self-righteousness.

Speaking personally, something like this doesn't make me feel better or self righteous. It actually makes me sad and frustrated.

On one side, like you said, is the "parastic media" and on the other is the group of defenders. None of which helps this type of situation or this deeply rooted problem in our culture. I take no joy from this.

[megoscott]

I get that. But you are in the minority, because everyone is having a lot of fun with it. Which I can't entirely condemn, the remixes and the Colbert Report parody was pretty funny.

Anyway, that's the last I have to say about it. Not my job to defend him.

[huedell]

He may have to go onto Larry King or Oprah and explain all of this, but I hope he doesn't dignify the spectacle and give the media the pleasure. Everyone gets to feel better about themselves by feeding from a parasitic media that distorts reality and pushes self-righteousness.

I agree 100%

And with all respect to all the debaters---you WEREN'T THERE----period.

My desire would be for anybody and everybody to ignore this.

It's not "our" business.