A Christian Bale audition tape featured in the comprehensive The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector’s Edition attempts to explain one of the most divisive character decision in the entire Dark Knight trilogy. Why the fuck does Batman speak like he’s a drunk Eastern European grizzly bear who just learned English? Two reasons according to writer/directer Christopher Nolan. 1) So no one could place Bruce Wayne as Batman and, 2) So that his voice would fit his appearance, suspected sex offender.
“Christian’s voice was a big part of the impression he made in the test,” Nolan says.
You can watch snippets of the audition tape below in which Bale’s The Fighter co-star Amy Adams helps read the Rachel Dawes part that would eventually go to Katie Holmes and later to Maggie Gyllenhaal.
