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English actor Christian Bale is one of Hollywood’s finest talents. The star is perhaps most famous for his eponymous role in Christopher Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogy, where he played Bruce Wayne, AKA Batman, from 2005 until 2005.
Bale’sother memorable credits include 1987’sEmpire of the Sun, 1995’sPocahontas, 2000’sAmerican Psycho, 2006’sThe Prestige, 2007’s3:10 to Yuma, 2009’sTerminator Salvation, 2019’sFord v Ferrari, and 2022’sThor: Love and Thunder.
However,Batman Begins,The Dark KnightandThe Dark Knight Risesaside, these are his five best movies ranked.
5The Machinist (2004)
The psychological thrillerThe Machinistwas a tragically under-watched movie when it was first released, but it has since obtained cult status – rightly so. Christian Bale plays the eponymous factory worker, Trevor Reznik, who endures paranoia and hallucinations after being unable to sleep for an entire year.
Reznik’s condition also renders him emaciated, andBale’s commitment to the rolesaw him lose 27 kilograms (around 60 lbs), which was about 1/3 of his weight. He survived on a diet of cigarettes and coffee, putting himself at significant risk in the name of art.The Machinistis a dark film with a drab color palette and not one that will put viewers in a good mood, but it’s undeniably brilliant, and Bale is superb.
4Little Women (1994)
Little Womenis the movie on this list in which Christian Bale had the most minor role, but he still played an integral part in making it so good. Based on Louisa May Alcott’s 1868-69 two-volume novel of the same name, this coming-of-age historical drama tells the story of the four March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy – as they live and grow up in post-Civil War America.
The fifth of seven feature film adaptations of the novel, it’s one of the finest. Bale suavely plays Theodore “Laurie” Laurence, the March family’s neighbor andJo March’schildhood best friend who tries to marry her when they become adults.Little Womenis a timeless tale that’s intelligent, heartwarming, and brilliantly acted by its all-star cast.
3Rescue Dawn (2006)
It’s hard to believeRescue Dawnisn’t more well-known because it’s a tremendous film. The epic war drama is based on an adapted screenplay written from Werner Herzog’s 1997 documentary filmLittle Dieter Needs to Fly. It tells the true story of the German-American fighter pilot Dieter Dengler, who was shot down over Laos and captured by villagers sympathetic to the Pathet Lao – otherwise known as the Lao People’s Liberation Army – during the Vietnam War.
Christian Bale plays Dengler and is terrific, completely immersing himself in the complex role.Rescue Dawnis powerful, suspenseful, chilling, and unforgiving in an aesthetically stunning lush jungle setting.Bale himself believes it may be his best work.
2The Fighter (2010)
Biographical sports dramaThe Fightertells the story of American boxer “Irish” Micky Ward and his older half-brother, trainer, and former boxer Dicky Eklund. Christian Bale perfectly plays the quirky and eccentric Eklund, giving an intricately detailed performance that earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor – his only Oscar win from four nominations.
He beatMark Ruffalo,Jeremy Renner, Geoffrey Rush, and John Hawkes to the award.Mark Wahlberg’sperformance as Ward andAmy Adams’performance as his wife, Charlene Fleming, round off a trio of superb acting masterclasses inThe Fighter. This gritty, rousing, thoroughly entertaining movie is among the finest boxing films ever.
1American Hustle (2013)
The best non-Dark Knightmovie Christian Bale has ever starred in is undoubtedlyAmerican Hustle. The black comedy crime movie is inspired by the FBI ABSCAM operation of the late 1970s and early 1980s, which led to the convictions of seven United States Congress members and several other individuals for bribery and corruption. Bale plays Irving Rosenfeld (based on Mel Weinberg), a con artist forced by an FBI agent to orchestrate an elaborate sting operation on corrupt politicians.
As is expected of him, he throws himself into the role. He gives a stunning performance that earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor (American Hustlereceived ten nominations but bizarrely won none). The film’s A-list cast – includingBradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, andJennifer Lawrence– is all in top form, making for a funny, energetic, and exhilarating viewing experience and a fantastic character study.
Kevin Stewart
Articles Published :77
Kevin Stewart is a full-time professional freelance writer and editor with 10 years of experience in the industry. He’s produced more than 2000 pieces of published work on sports and entertainment topics - work that includes listicles, news articles, feature articles, voice-over scripts, quizzes, opinion pieces, and more. He’s worked for the likes of NBC SYFY, Paste Magazine, FourFourTwo, Screen Rant, Digital Spy, CBR, WhatCulture, College Humor, The Richest, SportsKeeda, The Sportsman, and SugarScape. As an editor, he’s managed the work of teams of up to 45 writers. He’s a former business owner who’s educated to degree level and has a BA Hons in Business Management. He loves movies (especially horror, 80s films, and superhero flicks), football (Tottenham Hotspur fan), keeping fit, and travelling the world.
