Batman in 2000's: Christian Bale

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN MOVIES

Christian Bale: He's this demonic beast who is capable of incredible destruction who has essentially a good heart (ChuckTheMovieGuy int. 2005)

This Batman is neither a Gothic sociopath which Michael Keaton portrayed, nor is he a depressed superhero that Val Kilmer presented or a next door guy that George Clooney played. It's a different take which brings something never seen onscreen before and also a mix of the previously shown characteristics. One must remember that there's no such thing as a "real" or definitive or "proper" Batman portrayal. Batman had many different faces and interpretations throughout the years, starting out as a dark, killing creature of the night, progressing into constantly smiling campy character ending up being a dark superhero with strong moral code

Jonathan Nolan:  Just like walking into a comic book store and seeing 8 different versions of Batman, it feels very natural to have the same sort of thing with the movies.(BOF 2008)

Bruce Timm: I’ve said it over and over again – Batman as a character is such a strong concept, he’s the kind of character that you can take him in any number of ways and it still feels right (PR 2010)

Bale's version of Batman is definitely the closest to the modern modern age Batman, with only differences being the toning down of some of the comic book abilities in order to make the character more real and less of a "mastered everything" guy.

Bale portrays the Modern Batman, intimidating with anger and force

 

Christopher Nolan: My job is to translate something abstract into something concrete (...) I wanted something serious that doesn’t take itself too seriously (Box Office Mojo 2005)

I wanted to try to do it in a more realistic fashion than anyone had ever tried to a superhero film before (Guardian.co.uk 2005)

David Goyer: It’s definitely a depiction of Batman that…I mean, it’s all filtered through Chris’ vision and he is a very naturalistic director (...) We wanted to show how did this happen and why did he choose everything. And it’s all explained very, very well and in detail. And in making that kind of approach, I think it couldn’t help but appear different because you got a real character, you know? (Rebecca Murray int 2005)

Christopher Nolan: Ive always been a big fan of the character but I am by no means any kind of comic book expert. I felt I needed a writer on the project who really knew the character, really knew the comic world (Making of Batman Begins)

Since this was a conventional approach to the character, not a Gothic/poetic presentation that we have seen in Tim Burton's movies or a Cartoon/Pop version presented in Joel Schumacher's flicks, the character was naturally the main character in the movie and was given origins, explaining the motivation and the path of a young Bruce Wayne to becoming a highly skilled warrior trying to make a difference in Gotham City.

Christian Bale: You had to get to a point where the audience would be drawn in enough to believe that this guy has gone through so much pain and anger, and then we have a really nice backstory about how he creates the Batman (Rebecca Murray int. 2005)
I was never into comic books.  I just happened to come across Frank Miller’s “Batman Year One” and have enjoyed that tone (Collider.com 2008)

Christopher Nolan: I chose Christian to play Batman based on the idea that in trying to create a realistic version of the story you need an actor like Christian who has sufficient intensity. It was very clear to me, from his other performances and from meeting him in person, that Christian has the ability to project that kind of intensity and that’s why I asked him to do the role. (indielondon.co.uk)

In the comic books, young Bruce Wayne decided to become an outlawed crime fighter days after his parents' death and almost instantly started his quest. He used his parents money to travel the world incognito at the age of 10, leaving to Tibet with fake ID and documentations in order to allow him to travel at such young age, to learn different skills from best masters in the world, (all that while studying law and acting goofy and unfocused in the University to avoid suspicions in the future. Bruce trained different things with different masters, body with someone different, mind with someone different, chemistry with someone different, guns with someone different and detective skills with someone different.

His origins and motivation in Batman Begins were altered from the comic book version. None of the above actually takes place and Bruce is shown as a troubled and flawed young man driven by selfish revenge  which he promised his parents, who comes to understand the wrongdoing of his actions and motivations. That gives the character a little more complexity and drama, giving him a character arc very early in the story. Bale's Bruce goes to Princeton and eventually drops out. He then comes back to Gotham with the intention of killing Joe Chill and then Carine Falcone. As Bale said, up to that point, he was a spoiled angry young man with no understanding of real life

Christian Bale: Having such access and such power is something that is quite unimaginable to almost anybody who's just never experienced that in their life. (...) It actually became something that made him feel completely impotent at the end of the day, that he was kind of this little prince, born with a silver spoon and just incapable of ever understanding desperation or need or any of that.(IGN 2005)
You have the younger stages I played him at age 22 as well when he's kind of lost cause and angry young man  (ChuckTheMovieGuy int 2005)

It wasn't until Rachel's rough talk that this angry young "prince" started rethinking things and changing. his way of thinking. Right after Rachel's harsh words he went on to think things over and eventually changed his entire outlook...

Christopher Nolan: Katie also has a maturity beyond her years that comes across in the film and is essential to the idea that Rachel is something of a moral conscience for Bruce. (indielondon.co.uk)

...also realizing that the gun that he was holding was a tool used to take the loved ones from him and he never used or thought of using guns again, a very believable and very good explanation for why he doesn't use firearms later on.

Confused and lost, he decides to leave everything behind and run. He leaves to Asia where he learns how regular, "real" people live, living among the poor and seeing how criminals work and think, eventually ending up in a prison but still without any purpose or meaning in life. Christian Bale describes Bruce in this phase of his life as an "older angry guy in the jail, in Bhutan, and discovering who he is and getting some sense of purpose" (Rebecca Murray int. 2005) , confirming yet again that he didn't have one before. He discovers his purpose thanks to a mysterious visitor who introduces himself as Henri Ducard but is in fact Ra's Al Ghul, who recognizes the confusion and lack of purpose in Bruce and offers him one.

After a long journey to the top of the hill, Bruce realizes wht he truly wants in life, which is  seeking the "means to fight injustice" and is then trained in martial arts by the League of Shadows. He turns against them since he refuses to kill.
It is worth nothing that the trip to the top of the mountain in order to find a mentor is an homage (one of many)  to Batman #431.

It is also worth noting that  1989's "Batman - A Man Who Falls"  was given to Nolan and Goyer by DC as a reference and was reprinted as a tie-in to Batman Begins.

The no killing rule becomes quote important in this version of the story, and both movies center around it. 

Christopher Nolan: The discussion we were having about heroism is something I’ve thought a lot about Batman because, yes, you can make him very dark but you can’t ignore the question of his heroism and his inherent ability. Otherwise, he ceases to be Batman—he becomes a different character, the Punisher, the Crow. The fans can argue about what defines Batman, but the heroism—the positivity of what he’s actually doing—isn’t up for discussion. Again, it’s not just about making him darker—it’s about making him more realistic. (Box Office Mojo 2005)

The no killing rule isn't overdone however. If the villain is too dangerous to be kept alive and taking him in appears to be a futile or impractical effort, he does what's necessary, as he did in the League of Shadows temple and with Ra's Al Ghul in Gotham.

This Batman's primary characteristics are anger, fury and obsession which he's driven by.

Christian Bale: I would always remember about the fact that this is somebody who is fanatical, you know? If you think about the obsession that somebody must have to retain the pain and anger from an incident that happened 20 years previously and is still in the forefront of his mind. You know that’s an incredible obsession. I mean, that’s an unhealthy obsession. So concentrating on the fact that he’s attempting to take his pain and his guilt and his anger and the rage and do something good with it, even though his impulses are that he does just want to rage and break bones and do damage.
I never wanted to appear to be Bruce Wayne in a Batsuit when I was playing the Batman. That he just becomes - that it is an alter ego completely.

I could not wear that suit without making myself feel like some kind of beast. And so I found it just happened really kind of organically and I just went with as much aggression and rage as I could, bordering on appearing like a bad guy when he’s got the suit on. That you should be unsure when you’re faced with him


He could do good things but man, he could just as easily flip over and become like the ultimate villain. (Rebecca Murray int. 2005)

I think certainly Bruce Wayne is obsessive. Hes driven by very negative emotions. He has a great deal of guilt and a great thirst for revenge (Charlie Rose int 2005)

I think Batman is probably more aggressive than anybody I've ever played (via christophernolan.net quotes)

When he gets into the costume, he lets himself go and releases his anger and fury, but still keeps it under control.

How much of Batman's anger is really under control by the end of this film?
Christopher Nolan: Well, I think when it's harnessed, and that is a form of control, that doesn't mean it's not there and it doesn't mean it's suppressed - it's channeled and it's harnessed. And that to me is what keeps him as a character frightening to his opponents and all of us to some extent.


He has this rage inside himself and desire to do something emotionally and extraordinary (IGN 2005)

Christian Bale: There is the batman creature obviously which to me was kinda Bruce Wayne's therapy, hes this demonic beast who is capable of incredible destruction who has essential a good heart and has inherited philanthropy from his father which is making him pull himself back and recognize that he must do good that he cant become a force of destruction, he must have a good altruistic goal at the end of the day (ChuckTheMovieGuy int 2005)

The costume lets him vent but there's no psychosis or real duality here

Christian Bale:  I wouldn’t say he’s schizophrenic or something, like it’s an actual – or multiple personalities where he’s unable to control. He can control it, but it’s intense discipline that he’s learned to be able to function in everyday life (...) Nobody would say it would be a healthy state of mind to be in, but I’m not suggesting that he’s actually got multiple personality disorder or anything like that. (Rebecca Murray int 2005)
His negative emotions can go into that character so that he is able to function in his everyday life.(IGN int 2005)

Since Bruce Wayne, who is a very public figure due to his father's contributions to the city, came back to spotlight just when Batman appeared, he had to put on a facade and act like a dumb, spoiled and irresponsible playboy in front of the public

The real Bruce however, is described by Bale as "genuine". His business side isn't all play thought

Christopher Nolan: I see him as being like Howard Hughes, whom I wrote a script about. There’s a lot of Howard Hughes in Bruce Wayne. The bottom line on Howard Hughes is that you can read as many books that say he was a brilliant businessman as you can that say he didn’t have a clue. At the end of the day, he did extraordinary things with his money in terms of engineering and accomplishments and a self-interested direction. And I see Bruce Wayne as a very smart guy who’s going to use his money in a [similarly] extraordinary way (Box Office Mojo 2005)

Bruce Wayne training all of his life in every category like a supersoldier was great for the comic books and the previous movies, but would not make a very real character in his real life portrayal and wouldn't be so easy to be identified with. Since Bale's Bruce did not go for such training since the early age and instead on South Asian streets after he escaped school and Gotham, he doesn't have some of the abilities that the comic book Batman has. By stripping Batman from some of the abilities and making him more vulnerable psychologically, it makes the character more real and more believable.

This Batman is intelligent of course, but is also someone who still needs a kind of parental guidance.  Rachel is that to an extent, but Alfred is truly a guiding father figure for Bruce who always comforts him and help him take his decisions, and the only person that truly knows him

Christian Bale: And then you have the real Bruce Wayne who really nobody sees except for Alfred (ChuckTheMovieGuy 2005)
He's a good actor. He performs most of the time. The only person who knows who he really is Alfred.(IGN int. 2005)
Alfred has been his surrogate father since the age of 8 (CBS int)

Christopher Nolan: He's really a sort of a father, he takes over being Bruce's father effectively (Charlie Rose int 2005)

Michael Caine: I'm a father who knows how to lay a table with the knives and forks in the right places. I’m Batman’s guardian and I actually am with him (via christophernolan.net quotes)

Also, this version of Batman isn't a technical or chemical genius. He obtains all of his gadgets, costumes and accessories from military weaponry thanks to Lucius Fox who creates new costumes, weapons and adjustments for him, as well as necessary chemicals like the antidote to the fear gas ("I'm meant to understand any of that?").

To make the character more real - if he's perfect in everything that doesn't make him much real. If he still has emotional problems and needs help of other specialist in certain areas, that makes him more real, more human.
Another thing is his detective skills. He certainly has some, but nothing extraordinary or exceptional. His detective side was barely touched up upon in Batman Begins...

IESB: Are you hoping to go into the detective side of Batman?
Christian Bale: You know what, I have no clue what we are going to be doing (IESB 2006)

IESB: I've asked all of them and I want to ask you the same thing, Batman is a detective in the comic books, are we going to see that side of him in the next film? Are you hoping to see the detective side? 
Jonathan Nolan: Wouldn't that be great. That would be fantastic. I would love that, that would be wonderful (IESB 2006)

Christopher Nolan: We’re trying to get in stuff we couldn’t get into the first film, and the detective stuff is definitely one of those aspects. (CBR 2008)

Q: The Dark Knight is one of the best detectives in the comic book world. Are you going to address that side of Batman in your new film?
Christopher Nolan: I can’t really say (via moviesonline.ca 2006)

...and while we see him doing some forensic work in The Dark Knight, he still isn't shown as a deductive , dot-connecting Sherlock Holmes type, but solely relying on the help of his equipment and AI supplied to him by Lucius Fox

However, it was his, not the computer's idea to "Cross-reference the addresses. Look for Parkside, overlooking the parade." 

Fighting crime and corruption isn't all that he wants to do. In the beginning he focuses only on that because he's tryng to make a difference, but he still wants to be with Rachel, lead a life with her

Christopher Nolan: What I was looking for in the character of Rachel was somebody who would be a constant reminder to Bruce Wayne of the life that has been denied him, so I needed somebody with tremendous warmth and great emotional appeal. (indielondon.co.uk)
The feeling of the end of the film is the ending, or postponement, of the relationship with Rachel [the character played by Katie Holmes]—it’s the ending of the Bruce Wayne story and the beginning of Batman—Batman begins. (Box Office Mojo 2005)

That postponment was suppose to last until Batman makes a difference and he did almost instantly. Not all of the reaction was positive thought, and Chris Nolan explains why

Christopher Nolan: Batman is positive, but I believe that, in the first couple of years, he’s going to find an increasingly negative response from society, because the truth is that, when you have a powerful, negative city like Gotham, it didn’t become corrupt by accident, and those entrenched people are going to respond very vigorously. (BO Mojo 2005)

Once thugs and mob was afraid to get out at night and people felt a little safer, Bruce already wanted to drop the cape and lead a normal life

Christian Bale: He's evolved. It is somebody who come to have power and is now dealing with a burden of the responsibility of having that power. He's somebody who's looking for a way out, he doesn't want to keep doing this forever, it's not good for his personal life, what is good for Batman tends to be terrible for Bruce Wayne and so he's looking for an elected official who can wipe out crime and corruption and he sees that in Harvey Dent and so he sees the future of Gotham but also for him more importantly he sees the finish of Batman where he can put it aside and he can get on with his life finally (ChuckTheMovieGuy int. 2008)
In the original he was striving to have the power to make change within Gotham and now he very definitely has that so you have a burden of responsibility of someone who has that power and what he should do with it (CBS 2008)

Christopher Nolan: He has sort of moved on, he is less tortured by his distant past. So we get to torture him all fresh! He’s never entirely free from torture, one might say. He can’t mope. He can’t have a self-indulgent angst. It has to be substantial. We tried to tell a story in the first film whereby he did confront and overcome various aspects of what drives him, of that angst, and left others hanging. So in this film we try to have the way Christian [Bale] plays the character start from that point. He’s not sitting around moping about the fact his parents got killed -- we dealt with that in the first film. But he’s nevertheless a very dark character.(CBR 08)

Bruce wants to hang the cape and have a life with Rachel, until she's brutally taken away from him. Despite that, it's evident that he wanted to put Batman away for good anyway. He was willing to reveal his identity and then at the end he took a blame for Dent's murders, successfully putting Batman in limbo.

Bale's Batman has a very good and trust filled relationship with Commissioner Gordon, whom he remembers from the night when his parents were murdered (That scene was taken from and originated in Sam hamm's original script for the 1989's Batman). While some cops and Mayor's and DA's office may not approve of this cooperation, Batman is given a free hand and an open access to crime scenes and investigations.

Gary Oldman: Batman's really got to be on his game and as smart as Gordon is, he's got to be a little bit, he has to just be a little bit behind, really you see the status. It's almost like the status of the relationship. The hierarchy of the relationship, so I'm doing a bit of catch up in the scene and then to level the status, I get a line that kind of looks like I know what I'm talking about, I'm catching on (IGN 2005)

This Batman moves very much like the modern age and original Bob Kane Batman, as a shadow, appearing on the rooftops, watching over the city

Christopher Nolan: [Christian] talked a lot about having Batman crouching in the shadows, he's constantly sort of crouched on the railings or sides of buildings  very much the way he is in the comics (Making of Batman Begins)

Christian Bale: It should always be almost as if you’re witnessing a very rare and dangerous creature in the jungle or something. Like somebody that you just glimpse momentarily. (Rebecca Murray int 2005)

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