On the Public Enemies set, I saw him really get in another actor's face (John Michael Bolger - no one famous). Anyways, Christian walked right up to him and told him the deal haha, but was very civil and never yelled. I'm glad he did it though because the guy was acting like a complete prick; he looked drunk, he was yelling at everyone, he was interrupting scenes screaming for 'make-up!', he was totally out of line.
Anyways, I completely agree that this whole thing was blown out of proportion. It would take someone pretty psycho or drugged out to harm their own mother and I don't think Christian Bale is either (based on the persona we see in interviews anyway). He seems pretty intense but I highly doubt he's violent.