This last Sunday while Marion Cotillard thanked the angels of the city and Daniel Day-Lewis didn’t surprise anyone, one particular revered actor from overseas didn’t nab an Oscar, let alone a nomination.
This year alone, he starred in three critically-acclaimed dramas, as a U.S. Army pilot during the Vietnam War, as a good old-fashioned cowboy rancher, and as one of six versions of one of the most important and influential men in music history. However, this is just the most recent case in years of overlooking from the academy that prides itself on rewarding only the best.
He made his acting debut at the ripe age of 13 in “Empire of the Sun,” directed by none other than Steven Spielberg, and was even named one of the top eight most powerful cult figures by “Entertainment Weekly.”
If you haven’t guessed it yet, the man I am referring to is Christian Bale.
Unfortunately, while he may be known to many as the man behind the Batman mask, rather than for his truly great film roles as Patrick Bateman in “American Psycho” or Trevor Reznik in “The Machinist,” Bale is in the thick of his film career without a major award, let alone an Oscar nomination, to show for it.
Winning, or even getting nominated for, an Oscar is hardly the only thing an actor should look to for justification and validation in his field. But Bale has been overlooked so many times that the chances increase every year that he may never be recognized for not only those standout performances, but for his truly interesting body of work as a whole.
Bale has never been one to shy away from a controversial or complex character, and even in his more commercial films, such as “Batman Begins” and “The Prestige,” his characters continually go above and beyond their one-dimensional potential. In the former film, especially, Bale’s portrayal of Batman/Bruce Wayne, combined with the directing talents of Christopher Nolan, reinvigorated an old franchise many believed to be dead.
Besides historical pieces, indie films and action films, Bale has even won over literary fans in his early days as Laurie in a film adaptation of the novel “Little Women.” He can even be heard showing off his vocal talents in Disney’s 1992 box office bomb, “Newsies.”
Speaking of bombs, Bale is no stranger to flops and missteps, just like any other hardworking actor. Next to his roles in “American Psycho” and “Laurel Canyon” lay the Matthew McConaughey-starring action film about dragons taking over the world and his turn as Walter Wade Jr., a politically and morally corrupt son of a real estate tycoon in the unintentionally laughable “Shaft.”
With only five nominations per year, there are obviously many talented actors in Hollywood who must be ignored. But after his brilliant, career-defining role in 2000’s “American Psycho” was overlooked by the Academy for a Best Actor nomination, I’m starting to think Bale’s sometimes extremely understated (yet still powerful) performances and eclectic choices in roles are what is really hurting him.
The Academy has always been known for leaning towards the more obvious, flashy roles when nomination season rolls around, and Bale and his long resume hardly fit this mold.
While his three performances this year, especially and unfortunately “Rescue Dawn,” may have been passed up, Bale ““ like always ““ has a crop of upcoming projects that make me believe the spell can be broken sooner rather than later.
Besides gearing up again as Batman in this summer’s “The Dark Knight,” Bale will star alongside Johnny Depp in award-winning director Michael Mann’s “Public Enemies.” Also in pre-production is the story of Pablo Escobar, with this Sunday’s top contender for best supporting actor, Javier Bardem of “No Country for Old Men.” Bale will star as the drug pin in “Killing Pablo.”
It may be easier for academy voting members to turn to the sickly family members (“Away From Her”), cold-blooded killers (“No Country for Old Men) and tragic singers (“La Vie En Rose”) for their crop of potential Oscar winners once again, but overlooking the more understated and unique roles year after year is a serious misstep, especially when the ignored doubles as a dark knight.
If you also know all the words to the songs of “Newsies,” e-mail Stanhope your best karaoke rendition at kstanhope@media.ucla.edu.