Interview with "Batman Begins" Star Christian Bale

Christian Bale on Handling the Pressure of Playing Batman: “You know, I really didn’t view it as being pressure because we were coming at it from a completely different angle. It wasn’t reinvention and it was a recognition that the last ones just really had been not satisfactory at all. So I just had a genuine belief that this was what like [something] true Batman fans would be enjoying and wanting to see. And more importantly than that to me, this is what I had seen in the graphic novels. And you know ultimately you gotta just go with what it is you want to see in it and stop trying to think about pleasing everybody. Because, of course, not everyone’s gonna love the way that I portray Batman in this or what Chris [Nolan] has done with the movie. But we like it, you know, and so the test will be if we get asked back to do it again.”

Seeking Inspiration from Frank Miller’s Books: “Yeah, those and the art work, like I said, of Alex Ross. I really love that. I mean DC sent me just a box full of graphic novels which I had in the trailer all the time with me. But the two that I like particularly were ‘Dark Victory’ and ‘The Long Halloween’ - really fantastic imagery and the severity of Batman and everything. I would kind of imitate those positions, adopt it, practice it.”

The Ongoing Fascination with the Character of Batman: “I think it’s modern day mythology. That’s really what it is. These are gods, these are modern day gods. It’s what we wish we could be. It’s kind of our ideals of what we could be and particularly with Batman, you know, he’s fascinating because we really could be him. All right, you’d have to inherit a lot of money (laughing), but if you manage that, then, you know, the idea is that it is possible to actually be this one, this particular super hero. And to me I always loved Greek mythology as a kid and that was what really intrigued me when I first started reading the graphic novels in 2000 again. I hadn’t realized that that’s essentially what the super heroes are. I just never made that connection, that it’s modern day mythology and particularly American mythology.”

Did Bale Approach This as Multiple Characters? “Yeah, I mean, I did kind of view the Batman as being the absolute sincere, raging character that is within him, you know? But they were really three characters because you’ve then got the Bruce Wayne façade. The Bruce Wayne that is used to throw people off to make people think he’s such a wastrel and such a waste of space, and this drunken billionaire guy that he could never possibly be Batman. But then the younger Bruce Wayne, you know, as well, the one leaving college and wanting to make good on his promise to his parents and get vengeance for their deaths. And I find each of his incarnations to be very interesting. And then again the older angry guy in the jail, in Bhutan, and discovering who he is and getting some sense of purpose. So I actually, I would put it as like four different characters or something in there.”

Working with the Cast of “Batman Begins: “Well first of all, I took the confidence that I was making a good choice because the fact that we were getting this caliber of actor being interested in making it only kind of supported the fact that well, hey, we’re on to something, this is good. And you know what you get from working with good actors is that they make you better. It’s just always the same thing.”

Asked how working with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman and the rest of the cast made him better, Bale responded, “It’s just a feeling, you know? It’s a feeling you have, that things should just flow. When things are working well there shouldn’t be a whole lot of effort. And when you’re working with the likes of Morgan Freedman, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman, you know, and Cillian Murphy and Liam Neeson there’s so many good actors in this, you just found, ‘Man, that just worked.’ It’s just like a rhythm that you feel. That’s all I can say. I can’t really describe to you verbally what it is but you just feel that this is working. And with guys like that around, you know, you kinda just can’t miss.”

Christian Bale on the Finished Film: Bale's signed on to three "Batman" movies and said he'll be doing them if people like this one. “I’m really happy with it. I think Chris did a fantastic job with it. I think it’s gonna be the first movie that really pleases the hard core graphic novel fans of ‘Batman,’ but also it’s something the people not familiar with can go along and just enjoy because it’s good filmmaking. You know, it’s a good story.”

Would Bale Work with Director Christopher Nolan on a Project Other Than a “Batman” Movie?: “Oh yeah, very much. I mean I don’t know from Chris’ point of view if I’ll forever be Batman for him but absolutely. I think he’s a fantastic filmmaker and I’d be very interested to work with him on something else.”