Bale Backed Up By ‘Terminator’ Assistant Director

Posted by Paige MacGregor (paige@filmschoolrejects.com) on February 4, 2009

When you think about Christian Bale, sunshine and little fluffy bunnies don’t exactly come to mind. Bale’s cinematic track record, including American Psycho, Shaft, The Machinist, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight (among many, many others), is characterized by intense displays of emotion—from psychotic rages to dramatic confrontations. That’s why Bale’s little temper tantrum on the set of Terminator: Salvation didn’t come as a huge surprise for some of us. After all, the guy did supposedly snub McG when the director first offered him the Terminator script… is it such a leap to believe that he can be a bit of an asshole on the set?

Well now the film’s assistant director and associate producer, Bruce Franklin, has taken a public position on Bale’s little scene, saying that the actor was simply having a bad day. According to Franklin, Bale was under a lot of pressure because of the intensity of his Dark Knight promotion schedule, and as he told TMZ, “Christian is a method actor and was completely immersed in his scene … his reaction was from the heat of the moment.”

As we know now, director of photography Shane Hurlbut made the mistake of walking across Bale’s line of sight during filming, inciting the incident. Although the F-bomb fest lasted for more than 3 minutes and was capture on video, Franklin maintains that Bale was just very involved in his character. “He didn’t walk around like that all day long,” said Franklin, “It was just a moment and it passed.”

Franklin, who also worked with Bale in 2000 on John Singleton’s Shaft, added that “It has always been a good experience with [Christian]. He is so dedicated to the craft. I think someone is begging to make some noise about this but I don’t think it’s fair. The art of acting is not paint by numbers, it’s an art form.”

Either way, Christian Bale’s rendition of The Batman has made him “The Man” in nearly everyone’s book and it seems like it’s going to take more than a swear-laden on-set fit to change that. What we really want to know: how does Shane Hurlbut feel about this? And why didn’t he opt to change his last name? Hurlbut… that’s almost a reason to go off on him in and of itself.

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obensonreport

There's a pecking order on every set. It doesn't sound like McG had control of his set, which obviously reflects negatively on him. If the DP was indeed being a distraction, then McG should have been aware of it, and pulled the DP aside and had a chat with him - especially considering that this was the second time he did it, according to Bale's rant anyway.

But that aside, McG should have done much more to assert himself, instead of allowing Bale to continue on for as long as he did. That kind of behavior could be very disruptive on any set.

Obviously, Bale is the STAR (caps intended). But, again, if the director had full control of his set, this kind of shit wouldn't happen. Imagine if this was a veteran director behind the camera; I know disagreements occur on sets all the time, but, I doubt that this particular scene happens on a Soderbergh set; or a Clint Eastwood set; or a Coen Brothers set; or a Scorcese set; or a Spielberg set; etc, etc, etc...

So, I blame McG for the entire thing.

CaptainReg0981

I think McG must've been shitting in his pants and didn't want to be in the line of fire if I must say. And yes, it is like what you said "...which obviously reflects negatively on him..." Christian Bale is a good actor and take his parts into a further dramatics and I do not blame the guy.

doli

I completely agree! The director should have been screaming as well... it costs a lot to roll film...

Trystan

If it was a method actor thing, well... how come he spoke in his native accent?
I say bullshit.
But I love the guy, whatever.

JayJayCAW

I new this was gonna happen LMAO, I even posted that it would in the "No ‘Salvation’ For Those Who Distract Christian Bale" :D

CaptainReg0981

LOL!

Tenika

Honestly I'm not bothered about him blowing up at the DP. I can understand that being distracting and messing up his flow or whatever. What's disturbing is that it lasted for almost 5 minutes and NO ONE could get him to calm down!! But I too love the guy so I think I'll just do everything I can to stay out of his eyesight even if he's not filming lol.

CaptainReg0981

I heard the DP use to do the same way on other movies he worked with. I think people who worked with Christian would know better how the actor works his roles.

Eric

I don't blame Bale totally. Sure, he acted pretty unprofessionally by going off like that for so long, but from what it sounds like in that clip the DP didn't do it just once. He was steadily annoying Bale and I can't blame him,, I"m the same way. I can take annoyance for only so long before I lose it and freak out.

And it wasn't just walking into his eyesight. Bale said the DP was standing basically right outside the scene and his movements and actions were distracting. Pretty unprofessional on both their parts. The DP should know his way aaround a set a little better as well.

nomar

2 words anger management

Bale Backed Up By ‘Terminator’ Assistant Director

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