Christian Bale takes a break from his highly successful blockbusters to veer into more raw, indie territory in his forthcoming film.
Keeping to the same gripping edge that made him into the infamous "Dark Knight," Bale switches it up a bit in the Indie drama, "Out of the Furnace," arriving in theaters on Nov. 27, according to Cinema Blend. A sneak peek of the forthcoming flick shows a gritty Bale that has the ability to haunt moviegoers with his unforgettable on-screen characters.
The actor "aims to capture some of the blue-collar grit that earned him an Oscar for "The Fighter," but with a rough and tumble criminal twist" in this film. Directed by "Crazy Heart's" Scoot Cooper and shot in former steel town of Braddock, Penn., Bale plays Russell Baze, a steelworker forced to fight criminals in order to find his brother, reported USA Today. The Academy Award winner portrays a working-class hero, surrounded by a "blast furnace," in a story packed with themes of "justice, retribution and courage," said Cooper.
While searching for his missing Iraq war veteran brother played by Casey Affleck, Bale confronts a local criminal brought to life by Woody Harrelson. Bale said his perceived heroic character is without the standard staples of incredible powers, and must relay on his own human strength to complete his journey.
"Russell [my character] is not of that personality, nor does he wish to be," Bale said. "But he finds himself having to confront these people in order to do the right thing. He's only got his own fortitude and will power, nothing else."
To get in sync with his character, Bale did some deep method acting. The star immersed himself in the character's steel plant world, wearing only what his character wore and experiencing life on the steel furnace, reported USA. It was a lot of "long hours, intense heat and dangerous work," Bale said of the shooting experience. And he was not the only one who wanted to get a better handle on their character.
The film's other stars including Forest Whitaker, Zoe Saldana, Sam Shepard and William Dafoe found "role models" to learn from while on set. They are wanted to understand and portray the "plight of the citizens of Braddock" in a body of work standing as a testament to those steel workers.