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Damage Control: Terminator Assistant Director Sticks up for Christian Bale

Posted on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 by Peter Sciretta

You didn’t expect Christian Bale to issue a statement after his tirade against DP Shane Hurlbut got leaked onto the interwebs yesterday, did you? Terminator Salvation assistant director and associate producer Bruce Franklin has now gone on record with E! Online with a proper explanation for what happened - Bale’s outburst was okay because it was the most emotional scene in the movie

And anyone in Hollywood knows, if you’re an actor who gets distracted during an intense scene, you have every right to go on a verbal tirade for up to three and a half minutes (the amount of time specified in the DGA and SAG rules). Oh wait, i just made that up. Becoming distracted during an intense scene doesn’t give you the right to humiliate a professional on the job in front of the entire crew including his own below the line team of employees? Well apparently Franklin thinks the art of acting allows for such possibilities.

“If you are working in a very intense scene and someone takes you out of your groove…but was the most emotional scene in the movie. And for him to get stopped in the middle of it. He is very intensely involved in his character. He didn’t walk around like that all day long. It was just a moment and it passed. This was my second movie with Christian and it has always been a good experience with him. He is so dedicated to the craft. I think someone is begging to make some noise about this but I don’t think it’s fair. The art of acting is not paint by numbers, it’s an art form.”

You know, without audio tape of Bale screaming, this story immediately becomes a lot less interesting. I think this will probably be the last time it’s mentioned on /Film. I really don’t care if Christian Bale is an asshole or not, that’s for Perez Hilton to sort out. It would be great if Bale acted like a professional and things like this didn’t happen, but I just care that he produces some good movies (which he usually does) and that no one is physically harmed in the process (which has been the case so far).

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  • damage control
  • MCA
    Bale overreacted, Hurlbut should have know better. They are both at fault.
    Moving on...
  • I completely agree.
  • Case closed. 8)
  • Both are at fault? Kind of like saying a slap should be responded with a gunshot to the face! lol
  • Bob
    ... eh... Sometimes.
  • Lucas
    agreed. A DP with almost 20 credits to his name should know better than to walk on the set at all during filming, you never know what the camera might pick up. you ask the director to cut the take if you can't just adjust and shoot it again. And given that little detail, plus apparently it wasn't a first offense for Shane and the intensity of what was being filmed, it's not a shock that someone might give him a tongue lashing. and maybe the humiliation of having it in front of witnesses will make it sink in. but no matter what, it doesn't excuse anyone releasing that clip. that's just beyond rude and tasteless. perhaps even more than the rant itself.
  • Splendor
    Christian is that you??? Because I can't think of anyone else who would post a comment saying the release of the clip is more offensive than the verbal tirade itself. That is just insane!!!
  • David
    yeah dude it is , simply because he was trying to concentrate and to show or expose anybody at a bad point in their life; a snapshot is extremely rude. its papparazzi-like.

    plus almost everybody lets off a bit of steam especially when they are frustrated, to have that define you as a person is damaging esp as an actor since its his/her job to convince you he's somebody else. so i totally buy bale's explanation that half of that was his character john connor or how he was portraying him.
  • cogezek
    Question:

    Is it a bad idea to accept leads in anticipated franchise reboot anticipated franchise so you can keep making money? Even if you're "breaking ground" in the way TDK did, I mean, at what personal cost does it come? All that stress and pressure takes a toll and I mean, wow. I'd feel bad after laying some dude out like that for being off base. He should issue a public apology or something. McG was ssssuch a bitch. Guess you can't disagree with Christian Bale when he's about to walk off your set, though. McG has a lot to deal with, I guess. Nolan would have punched him in da mouf.
  • Yeah right. Mr. Nolan would have probably clapped in his hands (In a manner of: Let's do this) and said: "Okay, we need a new Batman!"
  • What I'm about to say is pure speculation....but notice that the DP, McG and Bruce (first AD) were totally calm during the whole outburst...which I found strange. Either they were all scared shitless of Batman OR they were giving Bale a pass. Supposedly, this audio is from July 2008...the same time of TDK opening and the same time Bale was being charged for assaulting (verbally) his mother and sister. Maybe the crew reacted so calmly coz they were fully aware that Bale was going threw all this legal crap and they were witnessing him SNAP! Either way, this guy is obviously a total hothead and legally what he did on set is considered assault.
  • Phoenix
    I am not so sure on the tirade being considered an assault, especially as we have no video to go along with the audio.
    Read the following for clarification.
    http://www.slate.com/id/2210528/
    According to this, the tirade would easily be an example of receiving emotional distress.
  • Charli
    well it probably wasn't as entertaining to release the clip of Bale coming on set the next day and apologizing for his tone in his comments. Or the office conversation between Bale, the DP and McG where the record was set straight on the DP keeping his butt off the set during takes (as all crew are supposed to do so they aren't accidentally caught on camera) and Bale being told to watch his tone and let the cussing be done by McG etc.
  • brian
    he took it a little over board but he has every right to be as pissed as he was.
  • Donald
    IAWTC. He can do no wrong. In fact, when I heard he had hit his mom and sister I was like "well they probably deserved it".
  • He didn't hit them. Get your facts straight.
  • Donald
    Oh I know, I was just joking.
  • Ugh. -,-
  • it's an overblown issue...slow news days will do that...lol
  • [A]
    at least we stopped reading about how much /film loves MEMOIRS OF A SLUMDOG
  • yeah I think the bigger story is how the 100$ million dollar grossing movie (Slumgdog)...only paid their child actors 1,000-3,000$....the kids are still living in poverty...another example of child exploitation in the third world
  • Zinc
    What was Boyle supposed to do, give $100,000 to some kid in the slums? What do you think would happen to it? No, what he did was smart. He pays for all of their education and put a large trust fund available to them when they're finish with school.
  • i think the issue is that they were important parts of the success of the film...that grossed 100 million and only cost 15 million to make...they can spend the extra money to set up a trust...but I have yet to read anything like that being done by Boyle or the studio...a majority of children work at very young ages for their families supporting them....thats why it's important to make sure if you're hiring child actors in India to pay them as adults...also it was one than one "kid" that was under paid
  • Brian
    They had no idea the film would make so much money. Most actors get payed a straight amount and get nothing from the backend. Were they supposed to re-neg a contract after the movie came out and re-destribute the profits? That's not the way it works.
  • this is a film blog, not a gossip site. Can we please go back talking about MOVIES, not celebrities.
  • Stark1299
    A follow-up was necessary. Besides, if you read the blog post Peter wrote

    "You know, without audio tape of Bale screaming, this story immediately becomes a lot less interesting. I think this will probably be the last time it’s mentioned on /Film. I really don’t care if Christian Bale is an asshole or not, that’s for Perez Hilton to sort out. It would be great if Bale acted like a professional and things like this didn’t happen, but I just care that he produces some good movies (which he usually does) and that no one is physically harmed in the process (which has been the case so far)."
  • I suppose.
  • I don't find this gossip really, since it's on set, and "moderately" in character. It's like all the pictures posted on set, only this time, the picture is an audio clip, and in character, he's just being Christian Bale.

    Doesn't seem like gossip to me. It's something I'll carry into the movie, looking for that scene and knowing that Shane got bitched at for ruining that scene. I wonder if the argument will be on the DVD extras.
  • Dave
    The DP shoulda known better. The easiest way to get fired is not having proper set etiquette, regardless of your position on the crew. Actors act like that most of the time, it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.
  • Danny
    DPs adjust lighting mid-take all the time. This is nothing unusual. And if Bale was distracted by it, he should've acted professional and talked to the DP after the take. In no circumstance is it acceptable to threaten someone with physical violence.
  • JayJay
    Adjusting the light mid-take during a pivotal scene. Cmon, He prolly knew that Christian Bale is an intense actor. He deserved everything he got, and he prolly deserved the ass whoppin he would have got from Bale.
  • Dave
    No they don't, not mid take. That is too damn late for adjustments. When the camera is rolling he should've been holding his breath and not moving a muscle for fear of fucking up the audio.
  • The moment passed for everyone except the dude who took the assault. He'll probably need a few more moments and a change of clothes. =D Anyway yeah, I guess the story is over. =/
  • You do not mess up Batman's scene
  • If this looks bad for anyone i think it's McG. Apparently this was quite the outburst but from what Bale says this isn't the first time this happened. How much control does he have of that set?
  • Dave
    McG isn't the one that keeps order on the set, that's up to the Assistant Director that made the apology. McG just has to worry about getting a good performance from Bale, so he'll kiss his ass in any manner that will achieve that.
  • Spot on Dave, the 1st AD is the go-to man for all things related to being on set for the duration of the production.
  • Cory
    if this was an indie film and not a big A list star, this would not be an issue
  • If this was an indie film and not a big A list star, the actor wouldn't be hired again. :P
  • AHHAAhaa yep, I would just love to see someone try to fire Bale.. "You wanna fire me! Dont you know who I am! IM BATMAN!". I really feel so bad for that DP, it reminds me back when I was in high school where a teacher would yell at you in front of the whole class for no good reason, and that was only in front of 30 people and not 200. Seriously though were people not expecting to hear the producers etc. to stick up for Bale? We all knew we would be reading a statement like this.
  • the hick
    hahah ya good luck firing Christian Bale, It seemed to me in that situation that Bale could have fired McG if he liked haha
  • Anti-Septic
    Yea, that was awesome! Being the hot headed type myself, I can understand where he is coming from. I am sure this gentlemen enacted this same behavior on a daily basis and when Christian is at his most stressed trying to channel everything he has into this scene, the dude just crosses the line one too many times!

    What this tirade tells me is Christian Bale believes in this project and is giving it heart and sole! I will await this movie with enthusiasm now!
  • DocHop
    Ehh, it's kinda messed up but Bale is a method actor after all, so if it was a really emotional scene he put himself into it 100%...

    Still no excuse though...
  • Brian Rodden
    Bale is just a badass. If you fuck with the bull, you'll get the horns. That's right I said it.
  • hey, at least bale didn't wish cancer on the DP and use both racist and homophobic epithets to make his point.
  • Very good point! :)
  • It was probably an intense scene and Bale has to stay in character. Sounds like the DP picked the wrong scene to be unprofessional and ruin, and got what was coming to him. That's like watching a UFC fighter having an intense fight and then walking up to give him a purple nurple. What the hell do you think is going to happen?
  • Intense scene...ah must have been the part where Bale proposes to the Terminator.
  • Hahahaha!
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