20 Most Intense Movie Performances Of All Time

5. Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) - The Fighter

Alongside Mark Wahlberg and Melissa Leo, Christian Bale made it a triumverate of great lead performances in The Fighter (two of which picked up Oscars), but it's definitely Bale's Dicky Eklund who stands out.

Another of Bale's famed method transformations (for which he shed a terrifying amount of weight between Batman movies), Eklund is a portrait of energy and addiction. He's a compulsive, enigmatic influence on his brother's life and career, and while he's definitely a tragic figure, he's extroverted and self-destructive enough for the blame to fall mostly on himself.

This immersive, passionate performance was built on extensive research, including Bale's notes on Eklund's mannerisms and his manner of speech from recorded conversations. His director, David O. Russell put the success and the power of the performance down to Bale learning the "whole rhythm [and] music" to Dicky and to sticking in character, which must have taken its toll on him.