How Batman Actor Christian Bale Found Himself In A Real Life Car Chase

Life imitated art for "Batman" star Christian Bale in 2011 when he tried to visit an imprisoned activist. Bale, who was in China filming "The Flowers of War" at the time, learned the story and plight of Chen Guangcheng — a blind, self-taught lawyer who advocated for Chinese citizens against the government's strict family planning regimen – and decided that he could support him by visiting the place where Guangcheng was being held under house arrest on charges of property damage and traffic disruption.

"What I really wanted to do was to meet the man, shake his hand, and say what an inspiration he is," Bale told CNN. "I'm not brave [by] doing this. The local people who are standing up to the authorities, who are visiting [Guangcheng] and his family and getting beaten or detained, I want to support them."

Except things didn't play out as Bale hoped. After an eight-hour drive with reporters and a translator to where Guangcheng was being held, a hoard of plainclothes policemen at an impromptu checkpoint prevented Bale from going any further. Not only were Bale and his troupe denied access to the activist, but they were also physically assaulted by an incursion of guards in military-style gear, who joined the fray late in a pair of gray mini-vans.

Bale and his team successfully retreated to the safety of their vehicle, but the encounter wasn't over as they were pursued by one of the gray mini-vans. For the better part of an hour, Bale's company was trapped in a high-speed chase. Eventually, they left their tail behind on the country roads. Their vehicle, as well as some of their camera equipment, suffered damage, but everyone was safe.

Common coverage of the altercation leaned heavily on viewers' interest in Christian Bale's career as a catalyst for engagement. Sites like International Business Times asked its readers to compare the theatricality of CNN's on-the-scene footage with Bale to the trailer for "The Dark Knight Rises," his third and possibly best "Batman" film, which had yet to be released in theaters when the events in China occurred. Although the media's preferred slant might have strayed from the topic at hand, it nonetheless turned American eyes toward Chen Guangcheng's story, a result that Bale told CNN he wanted. 

In 2012, the following year, Guangcheng fled house arrest for sanctuary at the Embassy of the United States in Beijing and, after lengthy negotiations between the two governments, he procured U.S. visas for his entire family so that they might immigrate to America. Later that same year, Bale had the honor of presenting Guangcheng with the titular prize at the annual Human Rights First Award dinner in New York City. The moment must have been deeply impactful for both individuals because several photographers chronicled a tearful hug they shared. That isn't the only happy news as Guangcheng and his family have lived in the U.S. ever since, and, in 2021, he earned his American citizenship.