It will be no exciting news to the fans of the Hollywood actor Christian Bale that he is one of the most versatile actors in the English film industry so far. With an illustrious career spanning several decades, he has successfully been able to deliver an enchanting performance, enchanting enough to keep his audience and fans glueing their eyes to the screen forever, in several of his movies. He is known to be engrossed in his character that he is executing so much so that in one interview he claimed that it becomes difficult for him to mentally switch back to his normal and personal life even after the shooting of any film gets over. No wonder that if such is the dedication of an actor, then he would be keeping us shouting and whistling for him for so many years now. From his iconic performances in the trilogy of the ‘Batman’ series to his transformative portrayal of characters in several of his movies such as ‘The American Psycho’ and ‘The Prestige’, this ‘Dark Knight’ of the English film industry has never failed to inspire awe us and surprise us with the execution of his roles and take the film to great heights on his effort. Going by his performance in several of his movies and the collection it could make at the box office, we have attempted here to list down the top five famous movies of this versatile actor of Hollywood, though in actuality it becomes extremely difficult to attempt to categorize his movies as top five as all of his movies seem to fit into that category.

Early Life and Childhood of Christian Bale

Actor Christian Charles Philip Bale is a British actor who was born on the 30^th of January 1974 in the town of Haverford West in the district of Pembroke Shire in Wales to English-speaking parents. His father David Bale was an entrepreneur and a social activist while his mother was associated with a circus company. After a temporary stint in the town of Oxford Shire and Portugal, he and his family finally settled in the English city of Bournemouth. Having claimed that the frequent travelling by his family had been a necessity rather than his choice, he said that this shifting of home too frequently had a major influence upon him in selecting the career of his choice. After his parents separated, he settled down in the American tinsel town of Los Angeles with his father and sister. Seeing his sister performing in several plays, he started to participate in the school dramas and finally debuted as a side character opposite Rowan Atkinson in a movie called ‘The Nerd, without undergoing any formal training in the field of acting.

The Top Five Ranked Movies of the Actor

1. The ‘Dark Knight Trilogy’ (2008 to 2012)

After a short stint in the movie industry, where he did not yet come face to face with much commercial success except for a few of his movies at that time, he was finally called in for the role of ‘Bruce Wayne’, who is just another ordinary person but with the superpower to turn himself to the saviour of the fictional town of Gotham, ‘Batman’. This trilogy lasted from the years 2008 to 2012, which witnessed the extreme growth of the actor that brought him huge commercial success. His portrayal of the superhero ‘Batman’ in the movie that is titled ‘The Dark Knight’ which was directed by Christopher Nolan, remains today one of the most defining performances of him so far among his other commercial films. In the 2008 film ‘The Dark Knight’, he portrayed the character with a very gritty and realistic approach, which redefined the genre of superhero films and popularized the character of ‘Batman’ among the audience, particularly the younger audience. To uphold the character Bruce Wayne’s inner conflicts and traumas, he made his playing of the role more pronounced, nuanced and the character more a person next door than ever before. His physical transformation for the role as well as mental synchronization to execute it perfectly has got him the heartfelt appreciation of the audience. The movie grossed a decent sum of $535 million in the States and $4371.1 all over the world. It became a hugely profitable release with its filming budget being just $185 million.

 

2. The ‘American Psycho (2000)

Apart from his stellar performance in the trilogy of the ‘Batman’ series, Christian Bale has enchanted the audience with his thrilling as well as chilling portrayal of the character of Patrick Bateman, a serial killer, who is also an investment banker with horrifying tendencies. The actor’s dedication to his role was proved with his impeccable entry into the skin of the character, proving his stature as an artist. The swiftness and agility with, which he oscillated between the madness and charm of his character had left his audience thrilled and horrified at the same time. Though the movie was disappointed at the box-office collections with just $ 34 million over a $ 7 million budget, it received several positive reviews praising Christian Bale’s performance and developed a cult following of it. However, the movie was banned in the States due to its too much graphic violence, misogynist and sadist outlook and approach.

 

3.  ‘The Prestige’ (2006) 

‘The Prestige’ by Christopher Nolan, which was directed by him in the year 2004, is yet another star on Christian Bale’s badge. It is an enchanting thriller that tries to explore the rivalries between two famous magicians that are played by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman. A captivating performance has been delivered by the actor that displays his vulnerability, determination and a sense of ruthlessness. The fight between loyalty and ambition has left an indelible impression on our minds. His ability to submerge in the character has successfully added an extra layer of intrigue to this already enthralling movie. This movie grossed something over $109 million and was made on a budget of $ 40 million.

 

4. The Machinist (2004)

The ‘The Machinist’ is a 2004 American psychological thriller that was directed by Brad Anderson and written by Scott Kosar. Christian Bale plays the titular role here depicting an image of a machinist, who is struggling with paranoia and delusion after having struggled with insomnia over one year. Bale received huge appreciation for a wonderful depiction of the character by losing more than 28 kilograms for this character. He was well-received by critics for his performance. The movie grossed more than $8.2 million over a making budget of $ 5 million. As it kept on gaining popularity, it started forming a cult around it.

 

5. Terminator Salvation (2009)

The ‘Terminator Salvation’ is a 2009 military science fiction drama that was directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol and written by John Brancato and Michael Ferns. It was the fourth instalment of the ‘Terminator’ franchise, where Bale played the role of John Connor. John Connor would plan an attack on the base of ‘Skynet’, where he would install chips in prisoners for an experiment to convert them to ‘Terminators’. This botched experiment leads to the creation of a ‘Terminator’ called Marcus. As usual, this role has got enough appreciation from the audience for his honesty towards his role even if it meant that he would break his hand while shooting for the film. The film successfully crossed a smashing $ 20 throughout the world.

His films are filled with extensive filmography and outstanding performances, so it will not be too much to say that he is now counted as one of the most versatile actors in the film industry. The talent and honesty of Bale towards his roles have added a glowing lustre to his ever-spanning career. The list is evidence of the artistic versatility that he captivates his audience with.