03 June 2009 (Movie Interview)

Words: Sheena McGinley

OK. Here is the interview you're all interested in. It was the one I was most interested in too - until I typed out the transcript. It would seem myself, the Dutch Dude, the Man from Brussels, Maria from Spain, the Pretty German Girl and Marie "I am from Switzerland" were too dazzled by the sheer physical presence of Bale in a Parisian hotel suite to ask anything largely profound in the time we had with him. As mentioned in the Gossip piece pounded out last week; his tall frame was dressed in jeans and a fitted black shirt. He answered all the questions thrown his way with a slight smile playing on his lips, and a drawling voice which sounded like an American putting on a English accent of suspected southern origin. He also, at times, favoured making eye contact with the ceiling rather than the journalist who initially gibbered a question at him. In a word, evasive.

At the risk of sounding inarticulate, Bale's is a presence which is hard to put into words. It's calming yet jarring in equal measures. He has an extremely relaxed and charming exterior, but there's an underlying intensity there which we're all wary of - for, some might say, obvious reasons. As soon as he strode into the hotel room, the six of us started giggling our initial hellos. The Dutch Dude to the left of me decided to take over the proceedings and dispensed with each journalist's introduction. He was, however, swiftly put back in his box by the Man from Brussels. This is what followed:

S: "OK, thanks very much - hellooooo, I'm Sheena and I'm from Ireland."

Christian Bale, leaning over to pour some water: "Hi Sheena... you'd never guess."

S: "Yeah, I know *tosses red mane*. I brought the weather with me too" (as soon as he walked into the room, the rain started hurling down. No exaggeration)

DD:  "Probably becaush of the accent, you can tell I'm from Holland........ "

When it's Maria from Barcelona's turn to announce where she's from, Bale blurts out: "You know I spent a bit of time running around in your sewers! Which was interesting... I bet you haven't, have you?" Maria attempts to answer (presumably in the negative), but the Dutch Dude is too busy barking: "What a lovely connection - 'I LOVE YOUR SHEWERS!'" Bale's ignoring him: "How long have you lived there? I bet you've never ran around in the sewers."

Maria nods in the negative, and ventures: "How long were you shooting (The Machinist) in Barcelona?"

Bale: "Meeeeeh, we were there for a couple of months."

Maria then asks how the shooting was in general - especially with the language barrier - which is comical considering the Dutch Dude is shouting over her: "IT WASH GREAT, ESHPECIALLY IN DEH SHEWERS!"

Bale, ignoring the barrage of noise coming from his left, says: "You know, it was pretty damn good when we were there, you know - I have a memory that picks things up quickly and forgets them quickly. So when I'm in a place, I get it, and I think it's just in the nature of the job that I do - everyday you're learning something very different and then - BANG - it's not important the next day. But do you know what I find helps when learning a language? Drinkin'. Once you start drinking the wine, that's when you start speaking some good Spanish. "

Maria, for some reason, offers him a glass of wine despite there not being any in the immediate vicinity. Bale declines, saying: "Well, you know, I'm just on the, eh *points at water*. You know, it's morning". The Pretty German Girl speaks for the second time in the space of two hours, and says: "Maybe if you have a glass then you could switch between all our languages!" To which Bale responds: "Maybe just in my own head".  The same place where Maria from Barcelona's imaginary wine apparently was. At this point, I started feeling embarrassed. What was happening to us? OK, we were all evidently craving the initial soft lull of alcohol to quell our (clearly in some cases caffeine exacerbated) jitters, but there was a job to be done and the six of us (three of which were "just back from Cannes") were falling apart. Thankfully, the Man from Brussels kicked off the interview with something resembling a question:

Man from Brussells: "Maybe a superficial question but how did you establish John Connor's voice?"

Bale looks at the ceiling for, no joke, a good 20 seconds. A soft "sssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhh" coming from slightly upturned lips.

MfB: "Um. You know, how it sounds?"

Bale: "uuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhh"

It all gets a bit much for me so I interject with a largely unhelpful: "It's not as high as Edward Furlong's?"

Bale: "Well, you know, he's kind of grown up a little bit since then, hasn't he? Uh, sometimes we'd do some scenes... some battle situations and we'd be shouting out orders and things like that, so the next day it'd be kind've like *growls* 'UUUUUUGGHH.' Half the time it was unavoidable. I've just after getting over a cold over the last few days and I kind've got this *growls again* voice, kind've down here all the time. Um, you know, I just couldn't help. Uuuuh, but eh, uh, but it just kind've came to be something I associated with him - he has to fight metal friggin opponents the whole time. He has to be a figure, although he's not learned the leadership that he has been prophetised to. OK, without going into it too much - it's a Terminator movie let's not forget, we're just meant to enjoy it - but he's a man that knows the damn future, he's the saviour of mankind... Aw man, what a burden that is. His damn initials are JC! How does he end up in this situation. And so, um, it just sort of came through that, really..."

S: "Speaking of initials, were you ever tempted to call McG Joseph, or simply exclaim 'alright McGinty!'"

Bale: "I often said to him, what's with this McG business. You've got a great name, Joseph McGinty, what's the problem you know? But seemingly he's always been called McG (by his parents. It was to decipher between him, his uncle Joseph McGinty, and his grandfather Joseph McGinty). He's up for the fight - man, I wouldn't, but he wants to. And he's a brave man 'cause it does him no favours. But I kind of respect someone who goes 'I don't care what you think. This is my name and I will bloody succeed with it or without it and I ain't changing it.' Hey, and all the best to him with it."

DD: "How easy or difficult is it to take on the role of a hero who already has a history, like what you did with Batman."

Bale: "Well, they're different kind've movies. I see terminator as a more straight up, gutteral role and a roller coaster ride of a movie than the Batman movies that Chris Nolan did. But the difference with the Batman movies is that we were starting from fresh. We respectfully ignored any and all movies which came before. With this we're not, you know. We are continuing with a definite preference for (films) one and two - with the definite feeling that three didn't quite manage what the other two did. So there was a revival needed. The primary challenge was for McG. It's in the entirety of the movie that is the main challenge."

DD: "But you have to want to do it..."

Bale: "Yeah, which I didn't want to do *holds head in hands* - I had NO interest for quite some time. And I appreciate his earnestness, enthusiasim and love of the mythology, and desire to do something very different to what has been done before. And to have that leap of faith taken on him to do that. And I've had people take that leap of faith on me and really appreciated that. And it just came around when he started saying 'I think we've gotta start from scratch again, with the script' And that's when I perked up and said 'well, now you're talking, what have you got?' (um, something that's been through several hands already?). The the writer's strike came along, but at least we were still talking about stuff which sounded good to me and at that point I said OK, I'll take that leap of faith. I also had enough people who thought they were taking me out of it, who actually ended up talking me into it. The more people who were saying 'You don't wanna do that, don't give that guy a chance, don't give MCG a chance' and all that. And then there were the worse culprits, who were trying to compliment me saying by saying 'You're too good for it Christian' - and I'd be like 'Well I'm friggin' doing it in that case', because I love these kinds of movies as well. When they're done well... I've got an eclectic taste in movies. And I'm an actor who's found himself being asked to do these bigger sort of movies - I've got no real intention of doing any more than what I've done... But eh, yeah, it gives me more choice. I've always had eclectic taste with movies. The instantaneous movies that I go for - like The Machinist, Rescue Dawn, American Psycho - things like that - BANG - I know, no doubt about it, I wanna make that. But I also want to keep a little open minded about trying something new and giving it a shot - especially when people saying you're doomed to failure. Right, let's try and prove them wrong."

S: "These franchises seem to be hugely publicised as well, did you ever take into account the effect it might have on your personal life?"

Bale: "Not really *looks pained* I didn't really take that into account. I kind of wonder what the hell I'm doing here - movies like this, it's all the marketing - I mean, who cares about listening to me talk about it - I don't. I dunno, I've just been convinced by various directors down the way..."

DD, barking again: "HAH! THAT ITSH A GOOD THING TO DO?!"

Bale: "Well, that it's helpful for them. But I always feel like I'm shooting myself in the foot. But then people would go, 'Ugh, well he's not supporting the movie if he doesn't do the interviews' and yeah, I'm a sucker. I kind've get too loyal and I go 'Ok, alright, I'll do it' but, uuuuuh... Hey look, it's an intrusion I'm not comfy with, but you know what? It's not like it's the most difficult thing in the world to deal with, people have much bigger problems than that. I'm certainly not going to sit and complain about it, but what I will say is, I've had a talent all my life of staying under the radar (*whispers* not all your life). You know, I turn up to people's houses and half the time they go, literally only two weeks back, this keeps happening to me - I turn up at the gates and whoever goes 'Oh, shit, sorry Christian, I thought you were the gardener' (instant mental montage of Christian as an oiled up lawns man wielding a hoe). So I certainly don't live it up, or flaunt it, or anything like that. Because I know this crap goes very quickly, and what I love it acting. That's what I'll always come back to and hopefully that will put me back under the radar and these tabloids and crap won't give... uh, have any interest in me."

DD: "It's interesting that you seem to find a lot of energy through parts that ask for some sort of physical attachment - like Rescue Dawn and thosh kind've thingsh."

Bale: "Those were things that I felt were completely necessary. I'm prepping on something now where a fair amount of physical ability (this is when I find myself entranced by that bicep straining under his black shirt) is necessary. I don't mean to do it in such a way that it becomes any sort of gimmick. But sometimes it helps you to get into a different head space, when you do alter yourself a little bit. If you just feel like yourself it's trickier to make that switch. Sometimes a few things can help with the transformation."

DD: "But also, in this film and Batman films, there's also a physicality - and that helps you to find the energy that you need with your character?"

Bale: "Yeah it does. It's real necessary with those two films, certainly with the Batman one. It's a different take than what the previous Batman movies had; he becomes this kind of - the rage is fueled within this beast of a character that he's created, rather than a guy just standing around in a bat suit.  And with John Connor, equally, I saw him as this kind've Achilles character who's in a permanent war situation. He knows he's destined to become the leader of the resistance. He knows his life is just going to be one long fight do. You know, hey - he's not someone who gets to lie in very often."

Maria from Barcelona, directly quoting something McG said in our earlier interview, chimes in with: "Most people say you are the greatest actor of your generation..."

Bale: "Yeah, but come on, how many actors do you sit down with, and you look at their thing and it says *reads off imaginary notes off palm, muttering* 'the most talented actor of his generation' - I MEAN, how many of us can BE the most talented actors of our generation? It doesn't really mean anything."

Maria starts gesticulating wildly towards her earlier notes from McG...

Bale: "It don't mean anything because I've read it about so many other guys as well - 'Oh they are as well - well who is, then?!' It all depends on who you're talking to and I'd say a lot of them would say I'm one of the worst actors of my generation (as it turns out, my beautician thinks exactly that. Then again, she loves The Spice Girls). It just depends on your taste, dunnit?"

DD: "It's interesting that you started your film career in a Stephen Spielberg movie (Empire of The Sun) and then living up to it in a way, it must be very satisfying."

Bale: "Uuuuuuuuuuuggghh, well I'll leave that to you to decide if I'm living up to it or not, you know. He's certainly been wonderful in keeping in touch and seeing what I do. It's a nice thing to see he still has that connection."

DD: "Kind've a parental figure..."

Bale: "You know, he's responsible."

S: "What was it like working with Michael Mann on Public Enemies?"

Bale: "Aaaawww man, the best, the best. We originally started talking to each other about making another movie, and then Public Enemies came up and he asked me to do that. I LOVE the way he works, he's so thorough. Man, the guy's obsessive, and I LOVE being obsessive - and when I actually find someone who's more obsessed than me? Like I did with him? I think Holy CRAP, he's beaten me on the obsession! What's going on?! It's just amazing, his degree of immersion, it's everything that I like in movie making. And obviously his particular style. I love working with other directors too - like Terry Malick, Todd Haynes, Brad Anderson, Werner Herzog - and other people too (McG?), but for me it's all about the immersion and each of them have that. Michael has this investigative mind that thinks NOTHING is minor, and I just love that. I find him to be one of the finest film makers around. I like the man himself. And it would be a great shame if I don't find something to work on with him again."

He stares and my notes start dancing in front of me. But none of that matters as his publicist has come into the room. The Man from Brussels squints in an irritated manner and starts asking another question, but Christian is already on his feet, raising his hands "Hold up - thank you very much guys!" And he's gone in a flash. The Man from Brussels starts giving out, excitedly repeating "Fourteen minutes?!" Perhaps he would've stuck around a bit longer - like his cast mates (all of which largely ignored their publicists for at least five minutes, until the questions had dried up) - if we as a group had something more exciting to ask him. Then again, it being the final interview of the morning, perhaps Christian was simply in a rush to snatch a few moments with the wife and child before the slew of afternoon interviews began. He's a man who knows the important things in life... and talking to six strangers about a visually pleasing film, which aims to centre on the human heart - yet somehow has little - probably doesn't score too high on the scale of importance. 

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR McG // READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD // READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH MOON BLOODGOOD // READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH ANTON YELCHIN

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