Christian Bale Talks Terminator

At the press junket for "Terminator Salvation," Christian Bale spoke to Latino Review and other journalists about his time on the film.
Here are some of the highlights.

Can you talk about the choice of getting involved with another huge franchise property? What made you want to be a part of it?

Bale: I didn't go straight into it. I did 'Public Enemies' in between. I felt like the franchise was done. So when I first got sent it I didn't have any interest in it. Then I sort of got a creeping idea that there really was something good that could be told here and if that was going to happen then absolutely I wanted to be on for it. I like mixing it up, doing 'Dark Knight' and 'Batman Begins' and doing 'The Machinist' and 'Public Enemies' and then doing 'Terminator'. I enjoy that mix.

Can you talk about the physicality in this role and in 'Batman'? How does it affect your life when you're doing roles that are so physically intensive?

Bale: It wasn't so intense on this one. Not nearly as intense as it was on 'Batman', but probably more intense for Sam because he's someone who actually could have a fist fight with a Terminator. As a human being you're not having any fisticuff sessions with a Terminator. You get to that point and you're probably just dead. So for me it was mainly just weapons handling and the preparation for that. We had a great advisor who I spent a lot of time with, but the physical challenge wasn't nearly as tough as I thought it was going to be.

How did you collaborate with McG for this role on the set?

Bale: Well, initially, collaboration was just me saying no, that I didn't want to do the movie. Then it was, 'Why?' Then it was, 'Well, I don't see it.' You've really got to come back. When people look at the franchise mythology and think that it's over you have to come back with something that really knocks people out and I just didn’t feel like it was there. But that was not just me. It was everybody that felt that. I really couldn't see that it wouldn't be able to get there. It just seemed crazy to me that that wouldn't be possible. So I took a leap of faith because it was the writer's strike and everything. I said, 'Lets just have a few points that we want to get across in another script and have that written and then fine. Lets go after that.' The word collaboration, of course a movie is a collaboration but a director has to have their own point of view. That is a director's job. He creates the point of view and he must have a strong point of view. He has to. He can't wishy-washy in any way. He creates the rhythm of the piece. So you can't have too many chiefs otherwise the whole thing is going to be a... Obviously, he's very open to ideas, but I like it when I'm hearing great ideas and I'm just adding onto that and making something extra.

I wanna say that I also like Bale in "American Psycho."
Are you excited for "Terminator Salvation" which comes out this Friday?
More news to come! Catch ya' later!