Rescue Dawn

The Dark Knight.

That’s the reason I saw Rescue Dawn. I wanted to know more about Christian Bale and his acting skills. And they’re pretty good! He gains and loses weight like crazy for his roles (see The Machinist) and his persona is completely different in every movie I’ve seen him in.

So what’s the big deal about Christian Bale’s Batman? Is he the reason this re-visioned franchise is so great? Could it have been just as good with a Michael Keaton or George Cloony version of the Dark Knight?

I ask myself the same question in regards to Daniel Craig in Casino Royale. Arguably the best of the 007 films, yet how does the Bond compare? Could the charm of Sean Connery have worked in the balls to the walls reboot? Or was Daniel Craig’s lack of charm what put that movie over the top?

I have come to the conclusion that the actor’s influence in the awesomeness of the movie is pretty insignificant when you look at everyone else that’s involved. First of all, the writer(s). They initially set the tone for the character, determining if he or she should be a badass or sweetheart, stone cold or sir jokes-a-lot. From there, it’s somebody makes a choice as to which actor could best play that character, taking into consideration looks and charisma.

Batman needed to be brooding, kick your teeth in hardcore, and a playboy at the drop of a hat. Christian Bale can do this. In Rescue Dawn, he showed the same kind of acting range. You see his character at the top of his game, cracking jokes with his friends, confident, stubborn. And then he starts to break. Being kept in a prison camp for most of the movie, his physical appearance changes and it seems like he’s given up, but a slight smile lets you know that the person inside is still there.

The Dark Knight did the opposite. You always see Bale brooding and angry while he’s Batman, then you see him at the party for Harvey Dent where he’s happy, and honest. One flash of a look and you can see that he was always Batman.

That’s just what Bale brings to any character he plays. And, he probably would have sucked in a Batman and Robin film because you didn’t need that in his character. To be good in that movie, you just need to be Chris O’Donnell.

Americans give way too much credit to the actors. They’re just doing what they’re told and saying what they’re told to say. Good actors are ones who stay as true to their character as they can. And when their character matches up with their own personality (or acting skills), you have a masterpiece.