By Cary Ashby, Norwalk Reflector, April 27, 2006
Thanks a lot to Cary for sending me this article for the site. It was published in April 2006 before Christian won the MTV Movie Awards.
RICHMOND, Va. — MTV isn't alone in admiring Christian Bale's role as the
Dark Knight in the Christopher Nolan 2005 film "Batman Begins."
Bale received an MTV Movie Awards nomination this month for Best Hero.
Actress Terry Gau, who filmed four scenes in "The New World" which also starred Bale, enjoyed the Welsh actor's portrayal of the American icon, the special effects and Nolan's camera work.
"I thought (Bale) made a fine Bruce Wayne," Gau said. "From what I've gathered from the Batman stories, there is a certain brooding quality to Bruce Wayne — one that stems from his parents' murder(s). Christian Bale portrayed that quality well, as well as being able to channel that anger/grief into the hero named Batman."
The Richmond, Va. actress appreciated seeing Bale as Bruce Wayne struggling with becoming the Dark Knight.
"(It) was a nice change from the flat hero who always does the right thing without considering why," Gau said.
Huron County residents might recognize Gau in a national Norwalk Furniture commercial that ran for about 18 months starting about February 2004. She played a mother selecting fabric for a sofa.
Gau met Bale, whom she described as professional but introverted, while being fitted for a wig for her role as a gossiping woman in "The New World."
Gau's deleted scenes were expected to be part of the DVD, released Jan. 20, she said. However, the film's entry on Amazon.com shows the only DVD "extras" are subtitles, audio tracks and a 60-minute documentary.
"Honestly, the only other movie I've seen Christian Bale in was 'Little Women,' so I am woefully behind on all that is Christian Bale," Gau said.
However, she admires Bale's versatility in portraying a variety of characters: From John Rolfe in "The New World" and Laurie in "Little Women" (both of whom "are pining for a woman who doesn't return their affection," she said) to the title roles in "Batman Begins" and "American Psycho."
"What is significant is that he was able to find the nuances of the different characters so that he inhabited completely different men," Gau said. "That says to me that he is very versatile and not afraid to explore the darker areas of the human experience in his craft."
Bale's versatility also is reflected in his vocal performance in "Batman Begins." As Bruce Wayne, he speaks in a clearly American accent with no trace of a regional dialect. Bale's Batman unleashes a guttural whisper, as if the Dark Knight is a caged beast on the verge of releasing his fury on criminals.
"When I met him he spoke in a Welsh accent, but I never saw him change over to (an) English standard accent," Gau said.
She believes some actors and actresses can learn to "pass" for someone from a different country by studying various vowel sounds and the distinct cadence.
"But there are folks who can naturally deliver the lines in the accent of the character because they can think in that accent. Having a voice coach only enhances their abilities. And so I think that (Bale) definitely works at it, but he also has a natural talent for it. It isn't just a knack," Gau said.
Coincidinces abound in two of Bale's 2005 movies, "Batman Begins" and "The New World." Both films were nominated for Oscars in cinematography, but lost to "Memoirs of a Geisha."
Cillian Murphy competed with Bale for the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Although Nolan chose Bale, the director cast Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow — a role that netted Murphy an MTV Movie Awards nomination for Best Villain.
Read the original article here