# The Machinist (boxed spoilers)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-machinist-boxed-spoilers/328438
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [October 29, 2005, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-machinist-boxed-spoilers/328438 "2005-10-29T06:02:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2005, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-machinist-boxed-spoilers/328438/1 "2005-10-29T06:02:59Z")
I just rented and watched the movie today. My God…Was that really Christian Bale playing an emaciated version of himself? It made me nervous just to look at his body in that wretched state. :eek:
Otherwise, I thought the photography was effectively eerie, Jennifer Jason Leigh was good as the only one who gave him any comfort besides the waitress, whom he saw behind the counter and with her kid at the park because he wanted to, not because these things could actually have happened—if I followed the film correctly.
Also, the music was exactly right for the setting and situations, the post-its reminded me a bit of **Memento** , though the twisted memory idea was done differently in this case.
And that was Michael Ironside as the fellow who lost his arm in the machinery, right?
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### Author:  [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-machinist-boxed-spoilers/328438/2 "2005-10-29T16:26:56Z")
I thought Bale gave an excellent performance in this film. Ditto Jennifer Jason Leigh, but I don’t think I’ve seen her give a bad performance. And yes, that was Michael Ironside as Miller who lost his arm.
Was Bale’s body all CGI? I can’t imagine that he dropped down to 120 pounds for this shoot.
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### Author:  [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-machinist-boxed-spoilers/328438/3 "2005-10-29T16:36:43Z")
> [@BMax](#):
>
> I thought Bale gave an excellent performance in this film. Ditto Jennifer Jason Leigh, but I don’t think I’ve seen her give a bad performance. And yes, that was Michael Ironside as Miller who lost his arm.
>
> Was Bale’s body all CGI? I can’t imagine that he dropped down to 120 pounds for this shoot.
I found my own answer on IMDB
> [@](#):
>
> The producers of the film claim that Christian Bale dropped from about 180 pounds in weight down to about 120 pounds in weight to make this film. They also claim that Bale actually wanted to drop down to 100 pounds, but that they would not let him go below 120 out of fear that his health could be in too much danger if he did. His diet consisted of one can of tuna and an apple per day. His 63-pound weight loss is said to be a record for any actor for a movie role. He since gained the weight back for his role in Batman Begins (2005)
That’s really amazing, considering that they did Gollum all CGI and he looked as good as he did. I guess it was cheaper for Bale to lose 60 lbs, but living on a can of tuna and an apple a day for several months…I wonder what he got paid for that film?
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### Author:  [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-machinist-boxed-spoilers/328438/4 "2005-10-29T19:59:30Z")
> [@BMax](#):
>
> I found my own answer on IMDB
> That’s really amazing, considering that they did Gollum all CGI and he looked as good as he did. I guess it was cheaper for Bale to lose 60 lbs, but living on a can of tuna and an apple a day for several months…I wonder what he got paid for that film?
I don’t think anyone could ever pay me enough to drop such a huge percentage of my body weight. Anyhow, I hope he was well compensated. It sure as heck looked real when his spine and clavicle were sticking out.
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2005, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-machinist-boxed-spoilers/328438/5 "2005-10-29T21:07:50Z")
He did lose the weight. He did it because he wanted to do it. I don’t think anyone associated with that movie made the film for the love of money.
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### Author:  [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2005, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-machinist-boxed-spoilers/328438/6 "2005-10-29T21:11:00Z")
What I find amazing is not the weight loss but how much muscle he was able to stack back on for Batman. He was seriously buff in that movie and NONE of it was there from the Machinist!
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### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-machinist-boxed-spoilers/328438/7 "2005-10-29T21:12:26Z")
You can hear an interview with Bale [here](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4979289) where he talks about losing the weight for _The Machinist_ and then having to gain it all back and then some in just a few weeks for his role in _Batman Begins_.
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### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-machinist-boxed-spoilers/328438/8 "2005-10-30T00:26:05Z")
You know **Tuckerfan** , I picture you as Christin Bale in The Machinist.
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### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2005, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-machinist-boxed-spoilers/328438/9 "2005-10-30T07:53:08Z")
> [@Zebra](#):
>
> You know **Tuckerfan** , I picture you as Christin Bale in The Machinist.
Well, I’ve haven’t been that skinny in years, and I’m certainly no where near as good looking as Bale, but there’s some pretty weird parallels, I gotta say.