The Love and Escape of Films

Christian Bale and Scott Cooper join the show to talk about their latest collaboration, The Pale Blue Eye. Set at West Point in 1830, the film follows world-weary detective Augustus Landor (played by Christian Bale) who is hired to discreetly investigate the gruesome murder of a cadet. Impeded by the cadets’ code of silence, Landor enlists one of their own to help unravel the case — a young man the world would later come to know as Edgar Allan Poe.

Bale and Cooper give their unique perspectives on what drew them to the original source material, describe the process of casting Harry Melling (who plays Edward Allen Poe), and provide perspective on the essential role that music plays in the film.

They also give insight into what makes their creative dynamic click, explain the shorthand they've developed over the years, and share a few small wins that have brightened their lives recently.