Christian Bale may have turned into a bit of an asshole these last few years (which, along with his Grizzly Adams look has ruined my horny for him), but you have to give him some credit for confronting some pissed off Chinese guards. Too bad he didn’t bust out some mad Batman skillz. Says E! Online,

While in China promoting The Flowers of War, a war drama set in 1930s Nanjing, the Oscar winner attempted to pay a visit to activist and attorney Chen Ghuangcheng, a blind family man who’s been under house arrest since his release from prison last year on charges of damaging property and disrupting traffic during a protest.

And the flock of guards who are stationed outside Chen’s property didn’t take kindly to Bale’s arrival, as shown in the footage shot by the CNN crew who made the trip with the actor to the village of Dongshigu in eastern China.

“I am here to see Chen Guangcheng,” Bale told the guards in English, as one of his guides translated.

The guards, bundled up in winter coats and hats, replied sternly, “Go away!” A few of them also physically tried to turn the group around back down the driveway.

When they were denied entry, Bale took out a little camera and started filming the action and started asking, “Why can I not visit this free man?” In an effort to get him to stop, several guards shoved him and grabbed for his camera.

Once back in their car on the way to Beijing, Bale explained, “What I really wanted to do was to meet the man, shake his hand and say what an inspiration he is.”

Meanwhile, some of Chen’s guards had piled into their own van and gave chase to Bale and the crew.

I think this was a big misunderstanding. See, the problem is is that Christian passed by the “Prisoner Chen Guangcheng Souvenir Store” and didn’t even buy anything. You know how those Asians get all uptight about that. What the guards were really saying was, “You not buy anything, you go! You go now!”