Christian Bale or Edward Norton - Who's the better actor?

[HARRISON_3]

I prefer Bale, but I've been kinda disappointed in how career panned out. He has a lot of nothing roles that are below him, like Batman and John Connor. But juicy roles don't exactly grow on trees in Hollywood nowadays tbf.

Clearly you've never seen The Meg.

 

[Fungoose]

Norton is so underrated/under appreciated......

also Bale gets soOoOoOOooO much credit for his weight change for roles. I could literally do it just as well as he did, if I was a millionaire with access to the best doctors and roids. Its honorable that hes willing to do it to better his work, but people act like its superhuman to lose a lot of weight and then gain a lot of weight/muscle back


if I had to pick the better actor, I'd have to go with Bale. but its not a blow out.

It’s not just weight loss/gain, but an ability to transform himself completely for different roles. When I found out he plays Dick Cheney in the new movie Vice I was shocked. I would have never guessed that was him from the clips I’ve seen. It’s fucking uncanny how well he mastered Cheney’s mannerisms and voice.

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

Norton is so underrated/under appreciated......

also Bale gets soOoOoOOooO much credit for his weight change for roles. I could literally do it just as well as he did, if I was a millionaire with access to the best doctors and roids. Its honorable that hes willing to do it to better his work, but people act like its superhuman to lose a lot of weight and then gain a lot of weight/muscle back


if I had to pick the better actor, I'd have to go with Bale. but its not a blow out.

i actually think the weight shit overshadows his incredible performances in those movies.

 

[KnightTemplar]

Ed nortons hulk would have taken thanos arm home.

Hulk will need a Full Training Camp for the rematch

 

[revoltub]

i actually think the weight shit overshadows his incredible performances in those movies.

That's what I'm saying. I haven't even seen machinist. If people think his weight loss/gains are why he is regarded they are sadly mistaken.

Dude at his best is one of the best ever.

 

[Ice That Jaw]

Is Norton relegated to straight to video pictures? I have to pick Bale solely on the fact that I literally can't remember the last Norton film I've seen. It could have been the 25th hour,

 

[Ice That Jaw]

It’s not just weight loss/gain, but an ability to transform himself completely for different roles. When I found out he plays Dick Cheney in the new movie Vice I was shocked. I would have never guessed that was him from the clips I’ve seen. It’s fucking uncanny how well he mastered Cheney’s mannerisms and voice.

Did he master the upper lip wincing too?

 

[minute bull]

 

[Robocok]

Ill give this to norton simply because of fight club

Fight Club is such a good movie but after that Norton lost his edge. Watched him in some weed movie a few years ago and he was boring.

 

[irish_thug]

Norton

Hulk smash puny Batman.

 

[moreorless87]

Is Norton relegated to straight to video pictures? I have to pick Bale solely on the fact that I literally can't remember the last Norton film I've seen. It could have been the 25th hour,

The dispute with Marvel I'd say either ment he was blacklisted for big blockbusters or simply doesn't want to do them anymore. Some actors just end up sticking with a franchise and not doing much else like Downey Jnr but others like say Johansson or Bale I think clearly benefit from them in terms of getting meatier roles elsewhere more easily due to their name recognition being higher.

Norton has been in a few Wes Anderson films this decade and of course Birdman plus he has his directing(also staring) debut coming out next year with Motherless Brooklyn that sounds interesting.

 

[TidWell]

They are both good, Bale is a method actor who likes transforming into characters, Norton doesn't go to that extreme but he is great as well

When Norton first burst on the scene this guy was the hottest young actor in the game, he was considered the best American actor at the time because of his performances in Primal Fear and American history x.

Im still angry at him for pulling out of Avengers, I loved his version of the Hulk and was looking forward to sequels.

Right now to me the most dynamic is James McAvoy, he deserved an Oscar for Split, he gave an acting masterclass in character range there.

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

Fight Club
American History X
25th hour

vs

The Machinist
Equilibrium
American psycho
The fighter

I believe Bale is slightly better as an actor, and he sacrificed more for his role.
He has more good quality movies, although Norton has 3 of the best...

‘The Prestige’ For Bale and ‘Primal Fear’ (the film that made Norton) are being overlooked in this post..

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

Bale is also awesome in ‘American Hustle’ but it’s the ladies (Lawrence and Amy Adams) that steal the show in that film..

 

[JackWhite]

Bale was masterful in Hostiles too. Really underrated performance of his, IMO.

 

[moreorless87]

They are both good, Bale is a method actor who likes transforming into characters, Norton doesn't go to that extreme but he is great as well

When Norton first burst on the scene this guy was the hottest young actor in the game, he was considered the best American actor at the time because of his performances in Primal Fear and American history x.

Im still angry at him for pulling out of Avengers, I loved his version of the Hulk and was looking forward to sequels.

Right now to me the most dynamic is James McAvoy, he deserved an Oscar for Split, he gave an acting masterclass in character range there.

Really I would say this is a classic "character vs theatrical" actor showdown. Bale is more in the mold of someone like Oldman, Norton is more in the mold of someone like De Niro.

 

[faustian]

If you want an accurate list of movies Bale was phenomenal in just copy/paste his career filmography from IMDB

 

[Midnighter]

Really I would say this is a classic "character vs theatrical" actor showdown. Bale is more in the mold of someone like Oldman, Norton is more in the mold of someone like De Niro.

Please elaborate on this.

 

[moreorless87]

Please elaborate on this.

Well Bale tends to be viewed as impressive because he can play characters with a variety of different personalties/mannerisms, Norton tends to play similar kinds of characters but is praised more for the performance.

 

[faustian]

Well Bale tends to be viewed as impressive because he can play characters with a variety of different personalties/mannerisms, Norton tends to play similar kinds of characters but is praised more for the performance.

But Bale literally invents characters. I read American Psycho before I saw the movie and Bale created a Patrick Bateman that simply wasn't there (in the book)

Yes Bale regurgitated the lines that were fed to him but it was all on him to absorb the concept and manifest the human embodiment of a Patrick Bateman and he absolutely nailed it. There is an idea of Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction. Bale brought that idea to life

I agree that Norton is more like a DeNiro or Tom Cruise in that he basically plays a version of himself within the parameters of the role he's given. I enjoy it, and there's a definite value to giving people what they expect when they go to see a movie because a certain actor is in it. $ wise it's probably a greater value to production companies than the chameleon method actor who tends to either create cinematic history or fall on his face with little in between

But if we're talking in terms of acting as a form of art, the unique creativity coupled with on-screen delivery of a Bale or DDL or Ledger is more impressive to me than the consistent entertainment and $ value of a DeNiro or Norton or Cruise