Christian Bale gets all Gotham on 'Terminator' cinematographer

Oh my.

Have you heard the scorching on-the-set rant by Christian Bale, who was clearly furious at Shane Hurlbut, the director of photography for "Terminator Salvation"? Clearly, somebody in the film's audio department decided that the famously severe actor's tantrum should be heard by the world ... which is why it landed at TMZ. The incident was reported months ago but the audio has finally made it out to the internet.

And ... wow, he was mad.

You can hear it right here but, please, don't go there if you are offended by coarse language or if you are a big fan of Bale and don't want your affections shaken.

Why the vicious tantrum? Essentially, Hurlbut (who worked with "Terminator Salvation" director McG on "We Are Marshall") walked across Bale's sight-line during a scene. That's a huge no-no and anybody with Hurlbut's two decades of experience on movie sets is well aware of that.

"If you do it one more time I ain't walking on this set if you're still hired!" Bale barks at Hurlbut at one point during the three-minute snippet (the besieged cinematographer can't be heard well during the barrage -- clearly the audio is all from a microphone that is on or near Bale).

I'm not sure anyone in Hollywood will be surprised by the eruption, except perhaps by its duration. Bale is known as a serious actor and a serious guy (did you see what he did to himself for "The Machinist"?) and his temper has been an issue before, at least if you believe his mother and sister and their account of his behavior last year. (I've never met the guy; I have talked to him on the phone but it was a brief interview and not very revealing, but I'm a big fan of his work, especially in "Harsh Times," "The Prestige" and "3:10 to Yuma.")

There's a lot of pressure in making a major blockbuster and any project as dark and intense as "Salvation" can take the cast into some pretty edgy places. Still, it's hard to listen to this rant and think of the guy as a healthy, mature adult. The bottom line? Bale certainly won't win any friends in the industry by savagely insulting a professional in front of a crowd. But, sadly, it's just as certain that as long as Bale remains the famous face on all the movie posters, people will put up with the abuse.

-- Geoff Boucher

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Credit: Christian Bale at People's Choice Awards, photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Comments

[Dan]

"Serious"? You're kidding right? This loser is like 35 years old and he's acting like a spoiled 13 year old.

I haven't laughed so hard since I saw the Tom Cruise Scientology video.

You'd like to think that Hollywood would see him as the unprofessional, unstable cry baby he is, but we all know that won't happen.

[Robert]

What a horses ass

[Unperfekt]

How ridiculous. How much does Bale get paid compared to the DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY? And Bale has the gall to bring up being "professional"?

I hope some DP or exec rips him a new one because Christian Bale is completely out of line with something like that. I'm glad this tape has come out and we can see who he really is, behind the scenes.

Hope someone can put Bale in his place.

[Roger Hanna]

Wow. No serious person could listen to this tantrum and not want to kick this jerk in the balls. Um, he's supposed to be ACTING, right? So if he was...I guess the term I'm looking for is "professional," he'd pretend to not notice someone moving in front of him? This is something actual actors do all the time on stage. Someone coughs, or a cell phone goes off, or whatever...they play through it.

The most remarkable thing isn't that he was pissed off. I'm sure he was distracted. But since the process of making a movie is to spend weeks and weeks to act out something that is watched in a few minutes, you'd think--after he couldn't manage to concentrate because he recognized someone where he was looking--that he'd have the good grace to apologize for making a mistake and move on.

Even a brief insult would have been understandable! But to spew such venom, when nearly everyone (including his target) is earning so much less for so much more professional work, really makes me hope someone will throw a pie in this clown's face.

I guess any press is good press for a lucky fool like Bale. I'm fed up with him. I think I can manage to not see his ridiculous film (I mean, really...I know there's a market for the Terminator francise, but if you're not having fun doing it, then you're just a greedy S.O.B. to take the part).

I hope Hurlbut can get some kind of bonus in his next contract, maybe they swap salaries for a week the next time this "serious actor" (er, remember, this is a Terminator sequel!) goes nuts?

[John]

What a douchebag.

All that money to be in a movie about killer robots, and he can't buy a sense of humor and/or some chill pills?

Good grief.

I won't be seeing that movie.

[Sam]

First of all, I work in the film industry and these types of confrontations do happen. What shocks me is the unprofessionalism of the crew. I work as an sound editor for film and outbursts like this should NEVER be recorded let alone released to the public. Christian Bale has every right to be angry. It's improper etiquette on set to move around behind camera when it is rolling. It's just not done. It ruins a take and costs more money. Should Bale have gone off on his tantrum as long as he did? No. Was he right to be angry? yes. Should he be angry over the release of this? Most definitely. The sound technician that let this slip should be fired.

[Tara Leigh Parks]

you know...i have an awful temper when pushed and i know that sometimes you have to defend yourself, even physically. very understandable. but who gets mad over an accident? it is not like Bale snapped and then apologized---he keeps going because he thinks he is THE MAN. his rant is self-serving and sounds like acting class 101. someone should kick his a** a few times. this is all that is---he works out a lot and everyone tells him how tough he is, but if someone who knew how to fight came along, he would learn pretty quick what to make a big deal about. he is a wimp, used to picking on meek men and women, or people who need their jobs. let him spend a day in the South Bronx or go down south and see if he could talk that smack.

and actors who confuse their characters' behavior with their own are called nutjobs. acting is not therapy; often, actors use it to excuse bad behavior. actors are not the characters they play---that approach takes all the art away from what is meant to be a wonderful form of expression; of building a character and working with others to tell a story. i do not understand why so many people fail to understand this.

i used to think he was hot, but real tough guys know how to handle.

[Brittany]

Holy crap! You mean Christian Bale is a human who gets frustrated?! No way!

[thomas]

I think this little article pretty much gets it right. It's not peculiar to the movie industry, however, this behavior. Maladjusted people in many fields thrive on the social domination aspect of their work. I've certainly seen people who aren't movie stars indulge themselves in this sort of rage. Whether the other person is in the wrong or not, to gratify yourself at the somebody else's expense like this is, well, unprofessional.

[chia]

He demands that director McG rebuke the DP, then he barks orders like he's the director! "Let's go again!"

[rob]

Only one person gets to yell on set and that's the DIRECTOR. Not because they're prima donnas or cry babies, but because it's their job. A spoiled brat like Bale needs to learn to shut up. If he has a problem, take it to the people in charge. All these idiot male superstars are the same: Russel Crowe, Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise, and this 6 year-old.

[Mark McIntyre]

Are you sure it wasn't a tape of former Governor Blagojevich?

[p]

If you go on Cinematical site you'll see there ARE very valid reasons for DPs to be on the set, further DPs never get yelled at for being a presence. Tweaking the lighting is what they're paid to do and if it's not right, they'll get blamed for that even worse. I'm a huge fan of CB's work btw so this is disturbing.

Scroll down for a post from 'A Camera Operator.'

http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/02/listen-christian-bale-goes-american-psycho-on-poor-cinematograp/3#comments

[Used to have more respect for Christian bale]

Bale's tirade is indefensible. Unless the DP was getting in his face and had done it repeatedly, there is no reason to treat any human like this. And, yes, he's big money right now and something like this will not ruin his career, but crew people stick together. There's a reason why this audio got out. It was no accident, and while someone else might lose a job over it, you can bet it would happen again if he got caught treating another crew member like this. I don't care how stressful the situation is, you should never talk to anyone like that, and if you do, you only talk to a peer like that. You don't talk like that to a guy who cant' say anything back because he knows HE will never work again in the industry while Bale will just go on being an a**.

[Pm]

I was looking forward to T4. Loved Dark Knight. I don't think I want to see this assholes work anymore. When I was watching the Dark Knight and thought Maggie G. was so emotional, guess she was, but not for the reason we all thought. It had nothing to do with the script. She could probably pick up on the real danger at hand and was scared out of her wits that this (lets just say jerk) might erupt.
Screw it. Scrap whatever you shot. Get someone else for T4, unless you plan to kill him off during the opening credits.

[let'sbepros]

Maybe he went on too long, but he was in the right. And in the middle of a super expensive movie that is under pressure to perform, being an idiot crew member can have dire consequences, financially.

and it's clear that the crew member leaked this to TMZ for revenge. So if you're making a movie, you know who will sell out your production when you're making a movie.

[Brent Burk]

I still love Bale, he's just very intense.

[Dave]

This ruined my opinion of Bale forever. He comes across as a complete a--hole.

[Dave]

This ruined my opinion of Bale forever. He comes across as a complete a--hole.

[Former Fan]

The hours are invariably long and grueling on set, especially for the DP. His call time is dark thirty. He's there setting up while the actors are still enjoying their beauty sleep, and he'll be there long after they wrap for the day. So, forgive him for not being utterly engrossed in your performance at all times, Mr. Bale. He's busy setting up for the next shot. Okay, he made a mistake. Heaven forbid, he walked into your eyeline. That does not give you the right to chew the guy a new one and humiliate him before the entire crew. THAT is not particularly professional either. What a pathetic, narcissistic, egomaniacal diva-boy you are, Bale. Get over yourself. It's not the Christian Bale show. You're no artist. You're a high-paid parrot. The writers, the directors, the DP's, these are the real artists in film making. These people, especially the DP, they make you look good, pal. Show the man, in fact, show all the real working people on set some respect.

[BaleIsAJackass]

Unbelievable. I listened to it, and it was extremely uncomfortable. I agree that the duration of his rant was a big red flag. The guy obviously has issues with anger management and verbal abuse. He may have been upset, but to continue ranting and cursing for at least three full minutes nonstop is unprofessional. I wouldn't doubt there are people who won't work with him after they hear this.

I am sure he had a valid point about the guy walking in front of him, or wherever the guy wasn't supposed to walk. Apparently the guy was a professional in the field for 20 years who should know better. But that doesn't excuse Bale's three-minute tirade at this guy.

I have a few choice coarse words of my own for Mr. Bale. Mr. Bale, you can go F*** yourself.

[Victoria]

I don't care whether the DP messed up his sight line. You still don't talk to another human being like that. When the director tried to interject and be peacemaker, Bale went wild. There was a petulance and rage in his voice that was not just embarrassing but disturbing.

If Bale had been working say as a doctor in a hospital or in an office, he would have been fired.

He is becoming a monster of Hollywood's making.

I will never watch Christian Bale with the same appreciation.

[Victoria]

I don't care whether the DP messed up his sight line. You still don't talk to another human being like that. When the director tried to interject and be peacemaker, Bale went wild. There was a petulance and rage in his voice that was not just embarrassing but disturbing.

If Bale had been working say as a doctor in a hospital or in an office, he would have been fired.

He is becoming a monster of Hollywood's making.

I will never watch Christian Bale with the same appreciation.

[jody]

Good thing somebody writes his scripts. His language skills are severly limited

[Jacan Pigouv]

A stunt to ramp up Bale's notoriety in advance of his Terminator role.