Are you rewatching closely?
Christian Bale is one of the most versatile actors of the past few decades. Whether starring in blockbusters or more underrated efforts, Bale’s rare ability to reinvent himself in every role helps make many of his films easy to return to. The audience doesn’t see Christian Bale, as they might see other recognizable actors; instead, he disappears into his characters so effectively in body and mind.
He also tends to choose a variety of interesting projects, from Christopher Nolan‘s Batman trilogy to Terrence Malick‘s ethereal films to unusual socio-economic satires. An artist of his caliber gets to work with numerous acclaimed directors, which also plays a big role in why his movies are so good. His most enjoyable movies don’t rely too heavily on plot twists or feel too experimental. Instead, Christian Bale’s most rewatchable movies offer plentiful entertainment and have enough nuance to appreciate with each revisit.
10 ‘Public Enemies’ (2009)
Directed by Michael Mann
Iconic director Michael Mann sure does like bank robber stories. Over a dozen years after releasing Heat (itself a remake of Mann’s previous work), Mann came out with what is basically another, thankfully more concise version of it. Set in the Great Depression, Public Enemies shows famous bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) getting pursued by agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) in a chase that holds the viewer’s interest throughout.
Based on Bryan Burrough’s non-fiction book, Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, this movie contains as much action and spectacle as you would hope from a Michael Mann film. It also has good music and solid performances. Bale pulls off a convincing southern accent and brings his intensity to a role that could easily have had little impact in a lesser actor’s hands.
Public Enemies
- Release Date
- July 1, 2009
- Cast
- James Russo , David Wenham , Christian Stolte , Jason Clarke , Johnny Depp , John Judd
- Runtime
- 143 minutes
- Writers
- Ronan Bennett , Michael Mann , Ann Biderman , Bryan Burrough
9 ‘The New World’ (2005)
Directed by Terrence Malick
In some ways, Terrence Malick‘s The New World isn’t the most accurate depiction of the Jamestown colony and Pocahantas’s romantic life. Still, it does more than possibly any other film before or since to convey what it must have been like to explore a fascinating new continent no one knew anything about. It also does more than most films to respectfully depict the customs of Native Americans and show the European arrival from their perspective.
One of the best scenes is when Pocahontas visits Britain, and the spectacularly decorated royalty looks just as bizarre and otherworldly to her as the Native Americans did to the settlers. The suspense, the fear, the awe of being surrounded by the unfamiliar—all these emotions and more come through in what might be cinema’s most poetic depiction of the early 17th century. Christian Bale convincingly plays John Rolfe in this challenging, unconventional, and ethereal yet still approachable movie, an adventure so gorgeously realized that it rewards multiple viewings.
8 ‘Rescue Dawn’ (2006)
Directed by Werner Herzog
Acclaimed director Werner Herzog takes his singular vision into the jungle with this Vietnam War movie. Rescue Dawn has a pretty conventional prisoner-of-war narrative, more evocative in Herzog’s hands than it would be in most others’. Take the bizarre image of a child holding a giant bug on a string just above the protagonist’s head while his captor strokes a butterfly on his hand. Beautiful shots of the forest, including the captive guided across a bridge, convey Herzog’s interest in man versus nature.
There is a compellingly immersive style at play in certain scenes, like when the camera is fixed on a crowd that parts as U.S. fighter pilot Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) is led to a vehicle. Dengler refuses to sign a document that criticizes America’s involvement in Vietnam, and thus the torture begins. Such methods as getting dragged by a cow, hung upside down, and nearly drowned are captured with brutal realism, yet they aren’t violent enough to deter the squeamish viewer. Admittedly challenging yet rewarding, Rescue Dawn is a revealing wartime tale benefitting from one of Bale’s most committed performances, encouraging multiple screenings.
Rescue Dawn
- Release Date
- July 27, 2007
- Cast
- Zach Grenier , Marshall Bell , Christian Bale , Toby Huss , Pat Healy , GQ
- Runtime
- 125 Minutes
- Writers
- Werner Herzog
7 ‘American Hustle’ (2013)
Directed by David O. Russell
Though it’s pretty shallow, David O. Russell‘s 1970s period comedy American Hustle was a hit with the critics and employs a star-studded cast that makes it fun to watch. Christian Bale doesn’t disappoint as con artist Irving Rosenfeld, who works with the FBI to perform what’s known as the ABSCAM operation. Jennifer Lawrence‘s hilarious performance as Irving’s wife in itself is worth a second viewing.
American Hustle was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Actor (Bale), Actress (Amy Adams at her very best), Supporting Actor (Bradly Cooper), and Supporting Actress (Lawrence). No surprises there, and the wonderful soundtrack plays hits, including Elton John‘s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” Paul McCartney and Wings’s “Live and Let Die,” and America’s “Horse with No Name.” Overall, American Hustle is an amusing little comedy that’s breezy enough to pass the time.
American Hustle
- Release Date
- December 3, 2013
- Cast
- Christian Bale , Bradley Cooper , Amy Adams , Jeremy Renner , Jennifer Lawrence , Louis C.K.
- Runtime
- 129 minutes
- Writers
- Eric Warren Singer , David O. Russell
6 ‘American Psycho’ (2000)
Directed by Mary Harron
It only takes a few lines to show the protagonist is a psychopath. Christian Bale plays the hell out of 27-year-old Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, the cult-classic adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s 1991 novel. The opening montage of his daily routine is fantastic, and the narration throughout the movie helps the viewer understand what’s going through this maniac’s head.
Appearance is everything to the pedantic and controlling Patrick Bateman, who doesn’t like to be touched and has terrible outbursts of fury. His only feelings seem to be pride, greed, disgust, and blood lust. This satire is one of the best psychological thrillers of all time, driven by the dehumanizing competition and materialism of Wall Street’s 1980s financial elite. That ongoing battle of the business cards at work is hilarious, adding some needed comedy to what can be a pretty gruesome film. For those with the stomach and appreciation for its pitch-black themes, American Psycho is a great work to revisit.
American Psycho
- Release Date
- April 13, 2000
- Cast
- Christian Bale , Justin Theroux , Josh Lucas , Bill Sage , Chloe Sevigny , Reese Witherspoon
- Runtime
- 102
- Writers
- Bret Easton Ellis , Mary Harron , Guinevere Turner
5 ‘Little Women’ (1994)
Directed by Gillian Armstrong
There have been so many adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s 19th-century classic novel that it’s hard to know which one to watch. Well, rest assured that Gillian Armstrong‘s 1994 version is one of the best. As New York Times critic Janet Maslin wrote, “Ms. Armstrong instantly demonstrates that she has caught the essence of this book’s sweetness and cast her film uncannily well.” Starring an Oscar-nominated Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, Susan Sarandon, Kirsten Dunst, Trini Alvarado, and more, Little Women is packed with lovely performances.
Christian Bale does a wonderful job as Laurie, Jo March’s charming friend and suitor, sharing a lovely and lively chemistry with Winona Ryder.
There are moments of conflict and sadness as the March sisters encounter romance, ambition, and illness, but this coming-of-age drama is mostly light enough in tone to watch again and again. Christian Bale does a wonderful job as Laurie, Jo March’s charming friend and suitor, sharing a lovely and lively chemistry with Winona Ryder. The March family home is so sentimental and heartwarming that it’s sure to evoke lots of childhood nostalgia for any potential viewers in the mood for some old-fashioned comfort.
4 ‘The Fighter’ (2010)
Directed by David O. Russell
The Fighter is one of the best boxing movies ever made. Mark Wahlberg plays the real-life boxer Micky Ward, who is managed by his mother (Melissa Leo in an Oscar-winning performance) and has to struggle with a family that both helps and undermines his career. With the help of his girlfriend (Amy Adams, also Oscar-nominated) and his drug-addicted brother Dicky (Christian Bale), he eventually makes his way to a career-defining welterweight title match.
Bale lost a lot of weight to play Dicky, though not as much as he had for The Machinist, and his physical transformation strengthened his charismatic performance. Deservedly winning the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role, Bale and the rest of the talented cast step up to provide this film with the emotional weight it needs. Inspiring, heartwarming, and boasting enough grit to convey the tenacity required to make it to the top, The Fighter is a classic sports story that packs a real punch, making it a reliable choice to rewatch.
The Fighter
- Release Date
- December 17, 2010
- Cast
- Christian Bale , Mark Wahlberg , Amy Adams , Melissa Leo , Dendrie Taylor , Jack McGee
- Runtime
- 114 minutes
- Writers
- Paul Attanasio , Lewis Colick , Eric Johnson , Scott Silver , Paul Tamasy
3 ‘Batman Begins’ (2005)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
The movie that redefined the superhero genre, Batman Begins launched Bale into the A-list. ChristopherNolan skillfully brought a gritty realism and darker tone to a film franchise that needed a restart. Batman Begins tells the origin story of Batman, seeing Bruce Wayne losing his way and rediscovering himself in the League of Shadows, led by a great Liam Neeson. Bale’s performance as the caped crusader goes a long way as well.
This movie did well enough at the box office to give Nolan the go-ahead to make a sequel that would make a lot more money. Cillian Murphy gives one of the best villain performances as Scarecrow, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine play excellent side characters, and Batman delivers arguably the best closing line in any superhero movie. With great action, dialogue, and performances across the board, Batman Begins proves to be an effortless rewatch.
Batman Begins
- Release Date
- June 15, 2005
- Cast
- Christian Bale , Michael Caine , Liam Neeson , Katie Holmes , Gary Oldman , Cillian Murphy
- Runtime
- 140 minutes
- Writers
- Bob Kane , David S. Goyer , Christopher Nolan
2 ‘The Big Short’ (2015)
Directed by Adam McKay
The Great Recession was something only a handful of people saw coming, and The Big Short is about these men. Economics is complicated for those not well versed in it, and the housing crisis can be a very depressing topic. Yet The Big Short contains enough laughs to make the subject more discernible to the general public. For instance, it regularly breaks the fourth wall—using both main characters and celebrities playing themselves, including Margot Robbie and Selena Gomez, to explain what happened to the housing market.
Like the rest of the cast, Christian Bale is very funny; his unique energy as the brilliant, socially awkward Michael Burry is hard to forget. Based on Michael Lewis’s book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, The Big Short marks a stylistic turning point for director Adam McKay, who would go on to use his shaky-cam and in-your-face aesthetic in subsequent movies. This is easily the most successful of McKay’s efforts and stands as one of the most rewatchable satires in recent years.
The Big Short
- Release Date
- December 23, 2015
- Cast
- Brad Pitt , Melissa Leo , Ryan Gosling , Marisa Tomei , Steve Carell , Christian Bale
- Runtime
- 130 minutes
- Writers
- Adam McKay , Charles Randolph
1 ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan’s legendary sequel to Batman Begins is so phenomenal that the Oscars had to expand the Best Picture category to include ten movies after snubbing it. So much of The Dark Knight holds up over a decade and a half later that it’s likely that no future Batman film will ever top it. The biggest reason for this is Heath Ledger‘s iconic performance as the Joker: the man is hilarious, terrifying, calculating, and thematically resonant, stealing every scene he’s in.
Ledger’s posthumous Oscar was no surprise, but everyone else puts their work in, too. The power of this narrative shows just how well Christopher Nolan’s prosaic style works in a more conventional narrative structure. Whereas The Dark Knight Rises tries to do way too much, The Dark Knight sequel strikes the perfect balance of action, theme, plot, and character development. The ending falls apart when trying to analyze it, but The Dark Knight remains a riveting and mesmerizing experience that invites countless rewatches.
The Dark Knight
- Release Date
- July 18, 2008
- Cast
- Christian Bale , Heath Ledger , Aaron Eckhart , Michael Caine , Maggie Gyllenhaal , Gary Oldman
- Runtime
- 152 minutes
- Writers
- Jonathan Nolan , Christopher Nolan , David S. Goyer , Bob Kane
This article was originally published on collider.com