Assignments

Actor Paper - The Fighter - Christian Bale

- (I) = Italicize
- Needs cover page

Daniel Contreras
Introduction to Theater
Professor Josten
Actor Reaction Paper
17 November 2011

In the film, directed by David O. Russell, "The Fighter" Christian Bale stars alongside Mark Walhberg. This film is based on the true story of professional boxers Micky Ward and Dick Eklund. Bale was not initially selected to play Dick Eklund; in fact, Brad Pitt and Mat Damon where the previous choices. Both Pitt and Damon had to drop from the production due to conflicting schedules. Walhberg, a key player in the making of "The Fighter," met Bale while they each were dropping off their own daughters at the same elementary school. He thought Bale would be a great fit for the part. Bale had previously met with director Russell back in 1999 for the casting of the movie "Three Kings." Unfortunately, Bale lost the part to Spike Jonze who was a close friend to Russell. On the other hand, Walhberg did feature in "Three Kings," so "The Fighter" is not the first collaboration between Walhberg and Russell.

Apparently Bale did make it onto the team this time; however he had quite a lot in store for him. Bale was assigned to play a welterweight boxer obviously something he was not. In order to better feel like Eklund Bale decided to shed some weight---30 pounds to be exact. He had literally transformed from a Batman physique to a slender drug addict. Surprisingly this was not the first time Bale changed his weight for a movie role. In the 2004 film titled "The Machinist" Bale stars as an insomniac who's mental health is slowly deteriorating. Bale really puts himself in the position of the character whether it be by technical approach or empathy. Supposedly, Bale starved himself to get his weight down in order to become a legitimate welterweight. In contrast to this physically straining transformation, Bale actually got the opportunity to meet and get to know the real Dick Eklund in the city of Lowell, Massachusetts. Bale and Eklund became good friends after spending two extensive weeks visiting local bars, some of the crack houses Eklund has been in, and the local police and while to stories about Eklund's past. This time together allowed Bale did not want to imitate, but to know the character's dialect, body language, and mannerisms. Reportedly, Bale talked with the accent throughout the production mostly to remain with the character and not lose it; according to him, it was tough at first but then he gradually slipped in. To receive the welterweight body he wanted, Bale exercised every day for two hours by running and practiced his boxing style in the ring.

Bale does not look too much like Eklund; although, Bale's character behaves exactly like Eklund---on point. The actor explained in an interview that he and Eklund have similar attitudes. When asked about getting into a role of a drug addict Bale responded that he has experienced those dark stages of life; moreover, this could allow him to recollect an emotional memory to utilized in his part of the movie. One dark and fairly recent dilemma in Bale's life reveals that he does share empathy for his character in "The Fighter." Eklund's family is dependent on his income from a very early age; additionally, he was to some degree forced into working. Bale began acting very young as well, providing his parents with money to help them out while working full-time. Nowadays, Bale does not keep in contact with his mother and sister whom live in the United Kingdom. Like Eklund, Bale seems to be trying avoid his money-seeking parent (Lampert). Before "The Fighter," Bale had a meltdown on the set of the "Terminator Salvation" and during a family meeting with his mother and sister which resulted in his arrest. Bale played the role superbly, as coincidental these circumstances are.

Works Cited
Lampert, Nicole. "Christian Bale: The Fighter Is Hollywood's Golden Boy but Still Feuding with Family." Http://www.dailymail.co.uk. DailyMail.co.uk, 4 Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. .

Labels: Drama

"The Fighter" (2010)

Labels: Drama

The King's Speech paper

- (I) = Italicize
- Needs cover page

Daniel Contreras
Introduction to Theater
Professor Josten
Reaction/reflection paper
18 October 2011

In director Tom Hooper's film titled The King's Speech(I) there are various themes that are present; however, the one theme that stood out to me was clear: life is much more difficult when one struggles with any type of disability. The director emphasizes the people's dismay by showing the expressions on the faces of Bertie's (famously known as King George VI) wife, his father (King George V), and the archbishop. The camera focus carefully on the actors often depicting a mixture of pity and disappointment; for example, when the Duke of York attempts to publicly speak at the stadium in the beginning of the movie you can feel the tension as if you were in the exact same stadium with the rest of the people. In that scene, the camera angles on the shots of the Duke of York are so compact that it creates a figurative feeling of of gradual suffocation. In fact, the eerie music slowly creeps in and grasps a hold of the situation ridding it of its comfort. In the film, there is another scene where Bertie is arriving by car in a neighborhood filled with posters and flyers that read "God save our king" or "god save the king" revealing the pity and worries the people had toward their new king. A good portion of the film takes place in speech therapist Lionel Logue's office where Bertie and Lionel discuss and disagree on various topics. It goes to show how much more strain is put on people with disabilities since normal people aren't obligated to see a specialist weekly or daily. The setting in Lionel's therapy room feels cold and unpleasant with its fog stained windows and oddly patterned wallpaper reinforcing that this is not a place one would like to be. Life with a disability affects not only Bertie but also everyone around him. Bertie can't even tell a bedtime story to his two younger daughters without stammering in every sentence. While his wife's true intentions of marrying him are uncertain, she does make an effort to stand by his side and looks for someone to help him recover from his impediment. I think the director chose a solid cast for this movie. Colin Firth is a talented actor who previous won

Labels: Drama