Christian Bale‘s talent could almost be considered biblical. In fact, Christian Bale could almost be seen as a cinematic deity. Over time he’s become known as one of the best actors around. Whether it’s slimming himself down or bloating himself up, he’s not above completely transforming in the name of his art. It’s confused us and, often, it’s scared us, but it’s always floored us.
He’s played one of the best movie villains ever known in American Psycho. He’s starred as the Caped Crusader in some of the best superhero movies. He’s also stepped into the shoes of real-life figures in some of the best movies based on a true story, like Vice and Ford v Ferrari.
But one of his biggest roles ever was in a movie that you’ve probably never seen. It wasn’t a big role because it was a big blockbuster movie, or heading a famous franchise. It was a big role because he played none other than Jesus Christ.
Many actors have played the Son of God before, so Bale isn’t exactly a pioneer in this regard. Willem Dafoe, John Hurt, and Joaquin Phoenix have all put on that white robe before, but Bale might be the only one that starred in one of the worst movies ever made about Christ.
Bale played J.C in the 1999 made-for-television film Mary, Mother of Jesus. It tells the story of Jesus through the eyes of his mother, Mary. In another life, the telling of Jesus’ life starring Christian Bale might have made for one of the best drama movies ever seen. But we’re living this life, and this one resulted in a baffling mess. (It’s not just us — the movie currently sits at 47% on Rotten Tomatoes.)
If you want to know everything you could ever want to know about this movie, just check out the DVD cover below:
Photoshop Hell, amiright? There are a few things you should also know to paint a picture of just how strange this project was. For one thing, Madonna was originally lined up to play Mary, but dropped out a few weeks before rehearsals began. The creative symbolism that would have come from this casting would have been *chef’s kiss*, but we’ll live without.
On top of this, Christian Bale only appears 40 some minutes into the movie, despite being the main star power. One might have assumed that a role in a movie of this non-caliber would take place earlier on in an actor’s career, when they’ll take what they can get. But at this point, Bale had already starred in Empire of the Sun, Newsies, and Little Women. It was only a year later that he would star in one the best thriller movies, American Psycho. Go figure.
Get lost in some of the best war movies and best fantasy movies to see some of the best Gods and Monsters in cinema. You can also find out if Christian Bale is in The Flash, and check out all the Batman actors ranked. You can also get to know all the great new movies to come with the Killers of the Flower Moon release date and Dune 2 release date.
What’s more, you can check out all the best movies and see how many Bale appears in. If that’s not enough, we’ve also got a list of all the best directors.