The Dark Knight Rises Christian Bale

[Travesty]

 

[shauner111]

Begins is on AMC right now like Batman '89 and Dark Knight a few weeks ago.

Bale's Batman voice is pretty much pitch perfect as I watch it. He never goes over the top and gets the right tone. For the interpretation, I'd say it's on par with Keaton and Conroy for what it is. The scenes with Gordon and Dawes are particularly well done, it's like Bale was channeling those two (Conroy and Keaton) but with his own twist, even right down to the whispers.

Whoever was in charge of the obnoxious change in the later two made a serious mistake. I just don't get it. It doesn't sound like he's in control, it sounds like he can't breathe and is struggling to express himself. I find it hard to believe that Bale would just go in that direction on his own based on his great screen test and performance in Begins. Makes no sense to me. The fact that they didn't take the criticisms it received and made it even worse and over the top in TDKR is just baffling.

As for Bane, initially I was with everyone else with the first two screenings of TDKR, I couldn't understand a damn word he was saying and was getting frustrated by it like I was with the prologue. When Nolan came out and said it "doesn't really matter what he says" infuriated me. At the time, even Gordon was mumbling like the "shackles" speech when he was sitting down in front of the TV. I remember on my second viewing I was all ears at that exact scene just to hear it and it still came out like gibberish.

Then people translated Bane with the Magnus Rex script and it was all understandable, even that nonsense during the first fight with Batmab an the pit scene. Now when I see those scenes, I know what he's saying but the voice just irritates the hell out of me. There's his speech outside Blackgate that is particularly cringeworthy. He sounds like and old, elderly chap struggling to tell everyone that his diaper needs changed through and oxygen mask. "To my shame, build a lie around this fallen idol", please just ****.

His voice was much better in Rises. Much clearer in certain scenes, which was never really the case in TDK. We all said it during the era of TDKR trailers, that it sounded somewhere between Begins and Knight and that's what it was. Growlier than Begins, clearer than Dark Knight. Some scenes he spoke normally under the cowl like in BB. Other times he sounded just like the previous movie.

I dont understand how people can't understand Bane. The original prologue? Sure, but even that was exaggerated. The final product was crystal clear for me, even when they didnt do ADR with Hardy, i could still understand it. The blackgate speech was one of two or three big scenes in the film where they did ADR. I still love the original prologue voice over the new one but i love em' both. And i wish we would hear the original voice during the blackgate speech because it would be less "charismatic" than the one we have. And Milost when you say he sounds like an older man struggling, well, that was the point of the voice and the character. He stuggles to breathe, he has an accent because of where he's from, and he speaks like a wise older man. I dig the whole thing, love the voice.

His speech in front of the prison has me feeling entertained when he makes the hand gestures with the voice (like Ledger has me laughing because of how entertaining he is) then at certain points when they start the montage i get shivers during that speech. It goes back and forth from being this showman kinda thing to being pretty dark because of what he's talking about.

Like the batvoice, it's not everybodys cup of tea. It's an acquired taste. Even Ledger's voice and pitch was a risk. Actors trying to do something different. Luckily for me the batvoice and banevoice met my tastes just fine.

Ive always supported the "voice" decisions that Ledger, Bale and Hardy made. Hardys voice is one of my favorite things in the entire trilogy actually. I have a blast imitating that voice because i love it. It's both hilarious and frightening during some scenes. A great balance. I think the ADR stuff is what makes it funny and easy to make fun of though. Id love to hear the entire movie with ALL of Tom's original takes. Whether people understand it or not, who cares. One of the things i heard someone say back in 2011 was "I didnt understand a few lines but i didnt care because it just sounded frightening, mechanical.."

 

[milost]

I don't think it's appropriate for Bane and Batman to sound "funny", I shouldn't be laughing at them at any point, or see so many parodies mocking how bad they sound.

Ledger's Joker? There's ZERO criticism towards his performance and rightfully so. He never sounded obnoxious, he was always crystal clear and he's arguably the best character and performance in the three films. He's not even in it for that long and he manages to be a stand out from the whole thing. I don't think a single soul has criticized his voice or attitude, he was perfect. Was his performance a risk? Maybe, but it paid off and got him high praise, even won him an Oscar. Can't say the same thing about Bane or Batman who sound and act like sluggish, mumbling mental defectives holding their noses shut. Ledger could go from silly and fun to serious and frightening from scene to scene. Bane is just monotonous and boring.

I'll give you the Water boy gestures Bane makes during the speech, I'll admit that it was amusing. The eyes the lies, it was fun. One scene though? Ehhh, Bane shouldn't make me lol. He's fun to make fun of, sure, but I don't think that's what Nolan had in mind. Mocking him was fun, the memes, parodies, "ovvv cawse" bird call, the gifs and "friend zone" antics were entertaining in 2012. But now? I see a missed opportunity for the villain in terms of his on film career. A villain we probably won't see again.

 

[shauner111]

Bane doesn't sound funny to me in the movie, but it's funny to imitate his voice and exaggerate the pitch while saying different ****.

I know people who cant stand Bale's voice and others who love it, even when they imitate it. Just because it's easy to imitate doesn't mean it's bad. It's like Darth Vader. He's still one of the greatest and threatening villains of all time. You might even laugh at the breath and everything. It's not so black and white.

Ive heard some people online say they didnt care for the lick lipping, etc with Heath...yeah i know..it's crazy. But i feel the same if somebody online says Bane's voice sucks. I enjoy it just as much as Ledger's to be honest.

I disagree with what you just said about Bane being monotonous and boring. I find he's quite the opposite. To each his own!

I thought the voice and everything Tom did made Bane better. I didnt want to see some tough guy with a straight ahead boring tough guy voice. Or sounding like an exaggerated Latino voice. Id rather an eastern european Connery type with a strong hint of Darth Vader! It was a cool mix of influences, when put together sounds like its own thing.

 

[milost]

How is it like Vader? The only time Vader was criticized was the prequels (Anakin bastardization) and "noooooooooooooo"!

Vader is an older, wiser villain, a strongmen and even the inspiration for Bane. But he doesn't sound like a PoS. You'd be hard pressed to find someone criticize the iconic breathing or the strong vocal performance by James Earle Jones. That voice synthesizer was fantastic and a staple of the character. Comparing Bane to him is insulting to good ole' Darth who is probably the ultimate villain.

Now I know your example of imitating the voice, but people that impersonate it (or Lecter, Nicholson, Ledger, Terminator, Robocop, Daniel Day Lewis etc.) aren't mocking it. With Bane it seems more like mocking, like "haha man this is so bad it's good". There's a difference between impersonating and mocking. A better comparison for Bane would be Jeff Goldblum or Adam Sandler parodies. It's iconic because it's infamous, just like the Bale whereizdatriigerz Bat voice.

As for the point of Joker/Ledger and his tongue wagging, okay? But how about the voice, how about audibility, or the demeanor and swagger. Ledger Joker was never criticized by the public like freakin' Bane. Just look at the prologue receptions. How many people were like "damn Nolan, change that bank heist performance by Ledger". When people first heard Ledger's voice in the teaser they were all excited and pumped saying it sounded like Beetlejuice? Bane's first voice hitting the sound waves in Pittsburgh? "That can't be real, Hardy is just messing around. No way would Nolan make him sound like an old Sean Connery/Humongous love child".

 

[shauner111]

For real though, i actually haven't heard people "make fun of" Bane's voice, only imitate it. Anything i see online or for real, when it comes to mimicking Bane's voice, just has to do with people enjoying the voice. Im sure there are people who hate it, but i just haven't seen it myself.

Personally though? I dont think anything has to be changed just so 100 percent or 90 percent of people can enjoy it more. I hate that. Even if the majority hated Bane's voice (which i dont believe to be true. Id like to see a poll)..i still dont think it should have been changed. You do what you do, if they like it then that's good enough. You cant please everybody.

It doesnt matter what people think. People will love and hate everything. You hated it. I loved it. Let's just agree to disagree.

As for Bale's voice..well..it IS the topic right? So by all means let's keep on discussing with others.

 

[Travesty]

Bane doesn't sound funny to me in the movie,

Does Bane sound funny to me?

 

[the last son]

The worst part about Bale was the hair. Too much slick back and grease. I prefer a little choppy and uncombed hair. He had his American psycho hair going on. Thought it looked pretty bad.

 

[BatmanBeyond]

The worst part about Bale was the hair. Too much slick back and grease. I prefer a little choppy and uncombed hair. He had his American psycho hair going on. Thought it looked pretty bad.

I thought Bale's look was great for this version of Bruce Wayne. In animation, at least, I think that Wayne is too often portrayed with short hair, which oftentimes makes him too similar to Superman.

 

[James H]

Bale just got an Oscar nomination for Best Actor

 

[BatLobster]

Funny story about me and Bane's voice.

I was an extra an Heinz Field. We did take after take of running around panicked after the detonation, only to be stopped by the mercenaries flooding each section. Finally we were directed to land in a position and look confused/terrified by the bad guy, someone we've never seen before. My buddy and I are all pumped cause we know that means Bane is coming out. We're then told, "We know this is really exciting but please DO NOT cheer and DO NOT smile because that can ruin a take."

So we do the take again, land in our spots and out walks Hardy's Bane with that now famous swagger. I'm geeking out so hard but trying to keep myself composed and "in character". Then he speaks for the first time, which we weren't expecting. My buddy and I look at each other and we're both thinking the same thing: he sounds exactly like a Mad Scientist character in a short film we made in college. I start cracking up right then and there. From then on I had to wear one of the yellow bandanas around my mouth for each take because I didn't trust myself not to keep cracking up. Then they did started doing takes where they executed Pavel without telling us, which was pretty badass...it got more of a real reaction out of everyone. Unrelated but cool.

Anyway, after the shoot my buddy and I were discussing Bane's "Mad Scientist" voice and how everyone on the internet was going to freak out when it leaks. The more we talked about it, the more it grew on us because we realized it was better not to have Bane sound like you might expect- a brute, a savage, beast of a man, etc. Left of center was probably a good thing and meant that they had an interpretation of the character. We agreed to wait and see.

Fast forward to the prologue and I LOVED the voice. I did miss a few lines the first time I saw it, but it didn't bother me (honestly there are lines in EVERY Nolan movie that I miss...it's an inevitable casualty of fast editing and a sound effects/score heavy mix). But I loved the tone of the voice. It sounded different when he was speaking directly to someone he was targeting vs. orating to a crowd, which made sense. When I saw the movie I was pretty gutted that they changed the prologue voice. It actually took me out of the movie. Thankfully by the time we got to the "Why are you here?" scene I was back on board and I haven't looked back since.

Also, congrats to Bale on his nomination! Though I do kind of hope Leo wins it this year since Bale's already go an Oscar on his shelf. But still, I thought Bale was tremendous in American Hustle.

 

[shauner111]

McConaughey or Chiwetel Ejiofor will be winning the oscar. The academy genuinely can't stand Dicaprio. And Bale was FANTASTIC in American Hustle but he doesn't really have a chance of winning.

Cool story BatLobster. Im still a little annoyed that they changed the prologue. Honestly i love the voice NOW in both versions, but it took me a long time. The "crashing this plane" line was the only one they kept from the original. I still think the opening "Or Perhaps he's wondering.." and "Of course" should not have been changed. If they could have mixed the 2 it would be perfect. There's a lot of lines like "the fire rises!" and "no-one cared who i was until i put on the mask" etc that were an improvement once they did the theatrical version.

The worst part about Bale was the hair. Too much slick back and grease. I prefer a little choppy and uncombed hair. He had his American psycho hair going on. Thought it looked pretty bad.

Love that hair. We're gonna nitpick about hair now? Hahaha Jesus.

I thought Bale's look was great for this version of Bruce Wayne. In animation, at least, I think that Wayne is too often portrayed with short hair, which oftentimes makes him too similar to Superman.

Exactly. Especially in animation, he looks exactly like Superman.

 

[The Joker]

The worst part about Bale was the hair. Too much slick back and grease. I prefer a little choppy and uncombed hair. He had his American psycho hair going on. Thought it looked pretty bad.

That is a new level of nit picking. His hair was fine. Too much grease?

The only time his hair looked proper greasy was in the scene in Begins where he fights phony Ra's:

 

[Two-Face]

I don't really care but if it has to be said: I think Bale's hair in TDK Trilogy was fine.

I don't like Affleck's hair

 

[JackWhite]

Bale had a bit of the Bateman hairstyle in Rises actually, considering it was a little longer. But that worked with the whole "recluse/out of touch" characterization they were going for. Begins and Knight his hair was fine.

 

[milost]

Yeah, Bruce Wayne's hair in TDKR did look like Bateman's. Last Son was right about it looking slicked back with grease and an overall nasty look.

I don't see how that's a deal breaker for the character though. I don't think I ever sat there looking at Bruce Wayne's hair. Then again, I'm no hair designer.

 

[Two-Face]

Bale awesome in the role I'm gonna miss him as Bruce/Batman not been in Batman V Superman though.