The Machinist (2004)
- Brad Anderson originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
- The original script for The Machinist was written over a decade before production finally began in 2004.
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
The Machinist is a 2004 Spanish-American psychological thriller directed by Brad Anderson. Christian Bale delivers one of cinema's most physically extreme performances as Trevor Reznik, an industrial machinist who hasn't slept in a year and has wasted away to a skeletal 120 pounds. As Trevor's insomnia-induced psychological deterioration worsens — he is haunted by a mysterious coworker named Ivan that nobody else seems to see, finds cryptic notes on his refrigerator, and causes a devastating accident at the factory — he must determine whether his paranoid delusions have a rational explanation or whether he is losing his mind.
Christian Bale's physical transformation was the most alarming in modern cinema — he lost approximately 63 pounds by surviving on a daily diet of one can of tuna and an apple, reducing his body to a gaunt, emaciated figure that was genuinely disturbing to behold. Brad Anderson's direction created a world of perpetual, sickly fluorescent light and industrial grime that mirrored Trevor's psychological state. The Machinist earned $8 million worldwide on a $5 million budget.
