Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman will forever remain a definitive guide in making superhero movies. Christian Bale, who was Nolan’s Caped Crusader, already had an impressive list of performances by that time. Despite his commitment as an actor, Bale was once politely told off by the Interstellar director when he tried to suggest some changes during the editing phase of The Dark Knight.
Bale also revealed that Nolan was a very private director who had a distinct vision of creativity. Nolan earned himself a name in the industry for his unique style of filmmaking. With his reputation, it is understandable that the director would not readily incorporate any external suggestions into his work.
Christopher Nolan Showed Christian Bale Who Was The Real Boss On Set
Besides Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight also featured Heath Ledger as the Joker. Unfortunately, Ledger passed away during the post-production stage of the film. During a promotional interview for the film with GQ, Bale was asked about the impact of Ledger’s death on the film and its crew. The Machinist actor responded that he was saddened and angered by the news, as he had lost the chance for a blossoming friendship with the Brokeback Mountain actor.
Bale even predicted at the time that the industry would acknowledge Ledger’s Joker eventually, which indeed proved true. When asked if Ledger’s death would bring about any changes to the film, the Thor: Love and Thunder actor stated that changing anything would be disrespectful to Ledger’s memory. However, he also shared that the decision was not up to him. The American Psycho actor explained that Nolan would never let him inside the editing suite and even politely rebuffed his one attempt to suggest a change. Bale shared with GQ:
“Listen, it’s not up to me – that’s Chris’ job – but I personally don’t believe in that anyway. I believe you should respect somebody’s work – don’t change it. That is his art – if you want to call it that. And it would be disrespectful to go and deal with what was captured on film in a different way than had Heath been alive. But, as I say, that is out of my hands. Chris is a very private director and there’s certainly no way he’d be letting me into the editing suite. I tried once, I got a very polite, ‘F*** off.’”
When it comes to filmmaking, Nolan has his own preferences, including an elliptical editing style, handheld camera work, real locations, and practical effects. His style of filmmaking is reflected in his movies, with the latest example being Oppenheimer, a biopic that grossed over $900 million at the box office.
Christopher Nolan’s Serious Take On Batman Was Initially Mocked
Before Nolan’s Batman films, earlier films and characters had often been portrayed with a comical touch. However, when Nolan took the helm, he crafted the subject so close to real life. Bale revealed that a comical villain like the Joker brought out the dark and twisted aspects of human nature. Initially, Nolan’s realistic approach was mocked, with critics suggesting, “What? Take Batman seriously? Are you kidding?”.
The Prestige actor shared that Ledger was on board with Nolan and Bale’s philosophy of realism and gave his best to the character in the film. While Bale clarified that he couldn’t speak for Ledger, he shared that he would often reflect on his role, saying, “OK, maybe I went a little bit too far, committed a little bit too much of myself.” However, the Vice actor had no regrets about his dedication to the role.
While Heath Ledger’s casting was widely criticized, he turned his role into one of the most iconic movie characters in cinematic history. The Dark Knight trilogy went on to gross nearly $5 billion at the global box office. All films in the series are now available for streaming on Max.
