An insightful and talkative interview with Christian Bale regarding Metal Gear Solid

[karamazov80]

I can't stand the mannerisms of Sawyer. In fact, I'm pretty sick of most Lost actors at this point, apart from Locke. Big "please no" vote for me. I also couldn't take Hayter seriously. Snake has to look imposing and tough, and a voice and stubble ain't enough to convey that, IMO. An unknown would probably be best, in my opinion, though I can see Ray Stevenson as doing a decent job.

 

[Murderofcrows71]

And my money says that Hideo Will stick with David Hayter, since he seems to love the guy as much as he does.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5224E3GYC3M

no matter what, If solid snake has a Voice other than David Hayter,, then it's not Solid snake.

Besides, i think snake was kinda modeled after him as well.

Actually Hideo and Hayter both modeled the Metal Gear Solid Snake after Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken from the Escape from NY and LA movies. Hayter has come out as stated this fact in many interviews. Even stole the eye patch and the voice and I believe in one of the games Sold Snakes last name is given as Plissken.

 

[Sexual Predator]

I'm not keen on a MGS movie, but since it's already in the works I want Sam Elliott as Revolver Ocelot.

 

[Cap'n Cook]

Actually Hideo and Hayter both modeled the Metal Gear Solid Snake after Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken from the Escape from NY and LA movies. Hayter has come out as stated this fact in many interviews. Even stole the eye patch and the voice and I believe in one of the games Sold Snakes last name is given as Plissken.

Yeh, you're bang right. In MGS2 when SS is 'incognito', his alternate name is Iroquois Pliskin.

 

[lerath666]

it's there, but i see more of the Pliskin character in the Design of the costume, and personality, rather than the looks, but to each his own.

 

[Solidus]

it's there, but i see more of the Pliskin character in the Design of the costume, and personality, rather than the looks, but to each his own.

Well, I don't see much of Snake Plissken in Solid Snake - in fact, it's best to not even compare the two. Plissken was an overly serious, ill-tempered, socially-detached loner in the "Escape" movies, as if he were suffering from some sort of anal angst. Solid Snake on the other hand, had a very light-hearted (almost geeky) sense of humor at times, and his clever wit helped him to attract some memorable friends.

It's true that Plissken's eye-patch and mullet are reminiscent of Big Boss, and his voice does sound similar to both Snakes (Big Boss and Solid Snake). But, besides those two similarities, there is hardly any sort of parallel between Plissken and the Snakes.

If I may also add, Plissken's (or Kurt Russell's) facial structure has no sort fo resemblance to Snake's in my opinion.

 

[laudanum09]

well either way, snake from mgs is modeled on snake from escape. take that as you will, whether its just an aesthetic thing or maybe some elements of personality, but there's no arguing that snake plissken is the main inspiration for mgs's solid snake

 

[Solidus]

well either way, snake from mgs is modeled on snake from escape. take that as you will, whether its just an aesthetic thing or maybe some elements of personality, but there's no arguing that snake plissken is the main inspiration for mgs's solid snake

I've just argued against that exact point. Also, I'll add this: Solid Snake's original design in Metal Gear was based upon the actor Michael Biehn from Terminator, and not Kurt Russell.

 

[plasmid303]

Snakes design owes thanks to whatever film Kojima was into during development time.

MG: Michael Biehn
MG2: Mel Gibson
MGS: Designed by artist Yoji Shinkawa. Arguably based on Plissken, but it isn't until....
MGS2 that it's actually made obvious that Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken was an influence
MGS3: Plissken again
MGS4: Lee Van Cleef

 

[laudanum09]

I've just argued against that exact point. Also, I'll add this: Solid Snake's original design in Metal Gear was based upon the actor Michael Biehn from Terminator, and not Kurt Russell.

GT: You came up with some pretty unique names for your characters in Metal Gear such as your hero, Solid Snake. Where'd you get these names?

HK: From Escape From New York.

GT: Oh, Snake Plisskin, the Kurt Russell character.
-gamers today


Q: In the game there are Solid Snake and Liquid Snake. What does the "Snake" term refer to?

A: Yeah, Snake is inspired by Snake Plisken. You know the movie by John Carpenter, Escape from New York? I like the film. I kind of drew from that character, because he's in the espionage business. It is Solid Snake rather than Smooth Snake.
-Transcription from interview in Millenium Metal Gear Solid Official Handbook

edit: no doubt its not a carbon copy, the character infused elements from others, but i mean, the man says it himself, 'inspired by...'

so i don't disagree he's not a mishmash of a lot of other inspiration including original ideas, but one of those inspirations, one of the key ones, was from Russell's character in the Escape movie.

 

[mattman6886]

Josh Holloway for Snake, Jon Voight for Revolver Ocelot (I mean look at him in Heat and tell me that's not the same guy?!)

 

[laudanum09]

Josh Holloway for Snake, Jon Voight for Revolver Ocelot (I mean look at him in Heat and tell me that's not the same guy?!)

WOW, jon voight from heat! lol. Yeah....I'm feeling that casting choice...I dunno about Holloway, haven't seen much of his stuff. I'm not feeling his looks, not rugged enough, but from what people have been saying he might be good for the part.

How about umm...I forget the guy's name but he played Boris in Goldeneye. What about him for Octagon? Or maybe James Spader?

I would personally like to hear Bale in the part, but people will no doubt be sick of the raspy voice stuff after that because he'll definitely use it if he gets a chance.

Vinnie Jones for Vulcan Raven?
Cillian Murphy (a bit short maybe) for psycho mantis? Maybe Tom Noonan instead.

this is fun.

 

[GrandPatron]

THANK YOU!I always thought Josh Holloway would be the best choice for Snake,his looks,his voice.Perfect Snake IMO.Good that you are with me on this one

No problem, yeah me too ever since he grew out his beard and longish hair I thought he would be the perfect choice. All he needs is the mullet and to dye his hair a darker brown.

I also found this video on youtube of Sawyer with Snakes voice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAs7H6EWyHE

 

[lerath666]

bbringing the topic back on topic, just wondering, am I the only one who thinks Bale is talking out of his ass in the interview?

 

[KBA]

Snakes design owes thanks to whatever film Kojima was into during development time.

MG: Michael Biehn
MG2: Mel Gibson
MGS: Designed by artist Yoji Shinkawa. Arguably based on Plissken, but it isn't until....
MGS2 that it's actually made obvious that Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken was an influence
MGS3: Plissken again
MGS4: Lee Van Cleef

I thought Liquid Ocelot was based on Lee Van Cleef. Makes more sense anyway.

If you draw the line back, and look at what Snake Plissken was based on - Eastwood's man with no name and dirty harry, I still think the best/impossible choice for Snake would be a young clint eastwood.

 

[plasmid303]

Ocelot's early design is also based on Lee Van Cleef. Both Old Snake and Ocelot are old dudes with mustaches, the similarities stem from the same actor.

Actually, I'd like to correct something in my previous post (quoted in KBA's post above). A big influence on Solid Snake's design early in the development of the first MGS was actor Christopher Walken.

 

[KBA]

Ocelot's early design is also based on Lee Van Cleef. Both Old Snake and Ocelot are old dudes with mustaches, the similarities stem from the same actor.

With Ocelot looking like this, it is plain as day how much Cleef's actual features birthed Ocelot's looks in 4. You don't get that with snake whatsoever. Even his mustache is style completely different. So unless there was a certain character Cleef portrayed in his day, the only thing Snake got was a distant resembling mustache.

 

[plasmid303]

I'm not refuting it, and your argument actually has some credence because Van Cleef starred in Escape from New York opposite Kurt Russel,but as with previous MGS games, the in-game characters usually aren't exact virtual facsimiles of the actor they are based on. Solid Snake's design in MGS2 and 3 is known to have been based on Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken but it isn't as if SolidSnake resembles Russell exactly.

I see some Cleef in Old Snake. It's like Kojima and crew took the general appearance and applied bits and parts of it to Ocelot and Snake. If it wasn't Cleef that inspired the design of Old Snake, then we don't have anything to go on as to who was the real influence until Kojima and Ryan Payton say otherwise:

Who knows? And does it really matter in the end?

 

[wHySoSeRiOuS203]

rescue dawn great movie!

 

[KBA]

Who knows? And does it really matter in the end?

Not really, but it is fun to talk about. The character I can most clearly draw a line from Old Snake to is Eastwood's character in Unforgiven. He turns down a young women in the same way Old Snake turns down meryl, and is disenchanted about war in the same way the Unforgiven character is about taking a life. No idea if Kojima got inspiration from that or not but it's interesting.