Preformance- Christian Bale-Thor Love and Thunder

 

Hailey Spencer  

Film Appreciation 

FILM 115-IN1

Professor Trevor 

November 24th, 2025


    Before taking this class, I knew very little about Christian Bale. I was aware he played Batman films like Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, but I wasn't as familiar with him as I am with actors like Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, and Kevin Hart. I recently re-watched the Marvel film Thor: Love and Thunder, a movie I saw in theaters with my dad a few years ago. Despite not enjoying the film and finding it to be the weakest of the Thor movies, there was one character whose performance I thought was fantastic: Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher. His performance made him appear not only as a menacing villain but a sympathetic character who felt betrayed by the very gods he was told would help him in return for his devotion and worship.  

    Bale truly went above and beyond while playing Gorr. He lost a significant amount of weight for the role, shaved his head, and grew out his fingernails to further embrace the character. He also listened to strange and unsettling music to get into Gorr's mindset. One example of Bale's fantastic acting is the opening sequence of the film. As Gorr is carrying his dying daughter through the desert, you can really feel his desperation. His emaciated appearance and the way his face contorts in anguish after his daughter passes away in his arms make this scene especially heartbreaking. The opening sequence is so effective that when his god, Rapu, begins to mock him, the audience completely sympathizes with him. I even recall hearing gasps in the audience at the screening I attended when Rapu insults Gorr and says his only purpose was to suffer for him and the other gods. 

    Another example of Bale's remarkable acting is the scenes where he interacts with the kidnapped Asgardian children. These scenes not only build tension but also make Gorr appear creepy and disturbed, especially when he speaks in a silly voice before ripping the head off the shadow monster, Octy. In fact, Bale's performance was so convincing that some child actors on set would run away and scream whenever he was in costume. Because of this, he often decided to break character in between takes and tried to entertain the kids. This contrast is a testament to his acting abilities, as he can shift from a disturbed and frightening villain to a friendly and humorous entertainer. 

    Lastly, there is the scene where Gorr confronts Valkrie in the Shadow Realm. I consider this scene to be one of, if not the best, in the film, second only to the opening sequence. The way Gorr uses emotional manipulation and points out how the gods have not only failed him but her as well is devastating. Bale's line delivery is unsettling; he speaks with a sort of whispery voice, and his mannerisms are unusual. His acting gives Gorr a sense of depth and makes him an emotionally complex character driven by disappointment and personal tragedy.

    In conclusion, Christian Bale is a fantastic character actor who perfectly portrays Gorr the God Butcher. Bale not only makes Gorr appear disturbed and menacing but also sympathetic, and makes the audience view him as a tragic villain. Bale was very committed to this character, and his performance was incredibly memorable. Despite Thor: Love and Thunder being considered the weakest and worst of the Thor movies, audiences often praised Bale's performance as Gorr and even thought he was underutilized. I may not have known much about Christian Bale until recently, but his performance as Gorr never ceases to amaze me. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance Cinematography Analysis

  Hailey Spencer   Film Appreciation  FILM 115-IN1 Professor Trevor  September 14th, 2025       As someone who enjoys films and TV shows that take place in Korea such as Train to Busan ,  Squid Game and more recently, Kpop Demon Hunters , S ympathy for Mr. Vengeance immediately piqued my interest not long after watching the trailer. The frequent cuts and use of fade ins and fade outs created this sense of terror and unease. After watching  Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance , I noticed it employs various effective cinematography techniques. This film's cinematographer, Kim Byeong-il, who has also worked on films such as Hitchhiker, Untold Scandal , and Addicted,  is known for having a distinct style of cinematography. He is very talented and often uses balanced cuts and wide-shots to create a sense of tension between the characters and their environment.         One example of Byeong-il's effective use of cin...
Read more

The Nightmare Documentary Analysis

Hailey Spencer   Film Appreciation  FILM 115-IN1 Professor Trevor  August 31st, 2025                                                                           Sleep paralysis is a bizarre phenomenon I am incredibly fascinated with. The idea of someone being half awake and asleep at the same time never ceases to amaze or disturb me. I understand the human body is extremely complex, so I'm not surprised it occasionally makes mistakes. Despite being someone who has experienced sleep paralysis before, I cannot imagine what it must be like for those who suffer from it every night. The documentary, The Nightmare follows eight different people who experience sleep paralysis and the emotional toll it often takes on them.         After watching the ...
Read more

Special Effects-Hocus Pocus

   Hailey Spencer   Film Appreciation  FILM 115-IN1 Professor Trevor  October 13th, 2025       One of my favorite Halloween movies to this day is Disney's Hocus Pocus . I will never forget how much I enjoy the Sanderson sisters and their performance by actors Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy. Their scenes are some of my favorites in the film especially when they perform "I Put a Spell on You" to hypnotize and distract the adults at the Halloween party. Despite watching this film numerous times, I didn't know much about the various special effects it utilizes. I was familiar with the use of some effects like computer generated imagery, but I knew little about the process of creating them as well as some of the practical effects. After watching an episode of VFX Geek, reading an article, and watching a behind the scenes video about the making of the film, I learned more about some of the special effects present in the f...
Read more