Wednesday, July 2, 2008

homage to bale

Fact: Christian Bale is my favorite actor. With The Dark Knight being released in the USA July 18, I decided I have to give respect where it is due. First, a little eye-candy to start us off:

Sigh. Okay. I will admit that I haven't seen everything he has appeared in. I think he is the best but I am not going overboard to prove that. I will just use a few posts to list the movies I have seen and why I'm convinced he is the best. Did I mention he is Welsh?

We will start with one of the first movies I saw that absolutely blew me away. Not only is the acting phenomonal but the soundtrack was amazing. And since I am terrible at writing a review, I have copied the following from Amazon:


Roundly dismissed as one of Steven Spielberg's least successful efforts, this very underrated film poignantly follows the World War II adventures of young Jim (a brilliant Christian Bale), caught in the throes of the fall of China. What if you once had everything and lost it all in an afternoon? What if you were only 12? Bale's transformation, from pampered British ruling-class child to an imprisoned, desperate, nearly feral boy, is nothing short of stunning. Also stunning are exceptional sets, cinematography, and music (the last courtesy of John Williams) that enhance author J.G. Ballard's and screenwriter Tom Stoppard's depiction of another, less familiar casualty of war.
In a time when competitors were releasing "comedic," derivative coming-of-age films, Empire of the Sun stands out as an epic in the classic David Lean sense--despite confusion or perceived competition with the equally excellent The Last Emperor (also released in 1987, and also a coming-of-age in a similar setting). It is also a remarkable testament to, yes, the human spirit. And despite its disappointing box-office returns, Empire of the Sun helped to further establish Spielberg as more than a commercial director and set the standard, tone, and look for future efforts Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. --N.F. Mendoza
If you have not yet seen this movie, it is a must-see.

3 comments:

Therese said...

this was a great movie. i need to rent it again. i still remember the image of bale walking thru rubble in borrowed shoes.

Rebekah said...

purrrrrrrrrrrr...eye candy for sure. he's a hottie!

meagan said...

Yes, he is pure eye candy. Thank you for putting his picture up. And thank you for the recommendation. I've always wondered what that movie was about and now I will see it. And I would love to see pictures of Ellie and Naomi so please send them to meagananasco@gmail.com.