Why You Should See It
This is not Christopher Nolan's best film, but it is still a solid movie that one can watch at any time. Although the film focuses on stage magicians, it does not center on the magic they do but rather the effect the magic has on their loved ones. Also the movie mirrors a magic trick. It engages the audience from start to finish with twists, turns, and misdirection and winning performances from Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale.
This is not Christopher Nolan's best film, but it is still a solid movie that one can watch at any time. Although the film focuses on stage magicians, it does not center on the magic they do but rather the effect the magic has on their loved ones. Also the movie mirrors a magic trick. It engages the audience from start to finish with twists, turns, and misdirection and winning performances from Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale.
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Written by: Christopher Nolan & Jonathan Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine, Rebecca Hall
Running Time: 130 minutes
Premise: The story follows Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, rival stage magicians in London at the end of the 19th century. Obsessed with creating the best stage illusion, they engage in competitive one-upmanship with tragic results.
Written by: Christopher Nolan & Jonathan Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine, Rebecca Hall
Running Time: 130 minutes
Premise: The story follows Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, rival stage magicians in London at the end of the 19th century. Obsessed with creating the best stage illusion, they engage in competitive one-upmanship with tragic results.
Plot Synopsis: A magician performs an illusion for a young girl explaining that each trick has three parts; The Pledge, where the audience is presented with an ordinary object; The Turn, where the object is turned into something extraordinary object; and the Prestige, where the object is brought back. Magician Alfred Borden is sentenced to death for the murder of rival Robert Angier by drowning him in a water tank during Angier's performance. Both began their careers as shills for "Milton the Magician" with engineer John Cutter and Angier's wife Julia. The pair observe an elderly Asian magician who is able to make a large fishbowl appear seemingly from nothing. Borden realizes that the man's frailty is in fact the act and comments how true magic requires commitment and sacrifice.
Julia drowns in a tank during a water escape performance. Angier blames Borden, who cannot recall if he tied her with an experimental knot. The two go on to lead separate careers. Borden becomes "The Professor" with the enigmatic Bernard Fallon as his ingénieur while Angier becomes "The Great Danton" with new love Olivia Wenscombe and Cutter. Borden meets and marries Sarah and they have a daughter, Jess, incensing Angier. Angier sabotages Borden's bullet catch, costing Borden two fingers. Borden then ruins Angier's bird cage act, maiming an audience member and damaging Angier's reputation.
Borden soon begins performing an impressive trick called The Transported Man, where he enters one cabinet and exits another across the stage. Cutter insists that Borden is using a double, which Angier refuses to accept. Nevertheless, Angier begins performing The New Transported Man using a double but becomes frustrated at ending up below the stage while his double receives the applause. Angier sends Olivia to discover Borden’s secret, but she instead grows close to Borden. Borden sabotages Angier on stage, crippling his leg, and begins performing The Original Transported Man with Olivia, allowing him to stage it more successfully.
Olivia sends Angier an encrypted diary which supposedly contains the secret to Borden's trick. Angier and Cutter kidnap Fallon to force Borden to give the key to the cypher. Upon learning that the key word is "Tesla", Angier pursues Nikola Tesla to Colorado Springs alone as Cutter abandons him to his obsession, and Angier enlists Tesla to make a copy of the teleportation machine that he believed Borden used. Angier deciphers Borden's diary and discovers it to be a fraud that Borden had Olivia give him and is further angered when the machine fails. However, he and Tesla soon discover that the machine actually works by creating an exact duplicate of whatever is placed inside it. After rival Thomas Edison sends henchmen to torch his lab, Tesla leaves, warning Angier to destroy it. Meanwhile, Borden's pursuits drive Sarah to hang herself: there are hints that Borden's dual identity has become known to Sarah—she asked to meet Olivia to tell her "the truth."
Angier returns to London, electrifying audiences with The Real Transported Man, vanishing within the machine and reappearing in the back of the hall. In reality, Angier falls through a trap door and plunges into a water cell tank, drowning, while his duplicate reappears; the tanks are disposed of by blind stage hands every night. Borden witnesses Angier drown while slipping backstage to discover his secret but is caught and convicted of murder of Angier in the tank. In prison, Borden is visited by the agent of a Lord Caldlow, who offers to care for Jess in exchange for Borden's secrets. Borden is given Angier's diary and finds his conviction has been orchestrated by Angier, recognizing Lord Caldlow as Angier when he comes to collect the secret. Instead, Angier no longer needs them, rips them and leaves with Jess. Borden is hanged, after encouraging Fallon to live for them both. Cutter learns that Caldlow has bought all of Angier's tricks, including the machine, and visits Caldlow to plead for its destruction. He recognizes Angier, who admitted earlier to Borden he has always been Lord Caldlow (he had used the name Robert Angier to spare his family the embarrassment of his theatrical career). Cutter is disgusted with Angier for letting Borden hang and taking Borden's daughter.
Cutter accompanies Angier as he stores the machine beneath the theater with the rest of the "prestige materials." On his way out, Cutter recognises and nods to Fallon as he enters. Angier is shot, and sees his shooter is missing two fingers and has Borden's face. He then realizes that "Borden" was actually identical twins who shared their lives on stage and off. Just as they took turns being the man in the box and the prestige, they took turns being Borden and (by wearing makeup) Fallon. When one twin lost his fingers because of Angier, the other had his brother remove his own so they could continue to look alike in order to keep up the illusion there was only one Borden. One twin (the one alive) loved Sarah and was the girl's father, while the other twin (the one hanged) loved Olivia. So they each had half of a full life, which was enough for them but not the women they loved. He berates Angier for not knowing what true sacrifice for a good trick means, and that it takes nothing to steal someone else's work. Angier explains that it took courage to enter the machine every night not knowing if he'd be the man in the box or the one in The Prestige. Borden leaves him to die as a fire consumes the building, casting light on rows of tanks containing drowned Angiers.
Cutter repeats the trick of vanishing the bird for the delight of the little girl. Borden appears to reclaim his daughter.
from - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prestige_(film)
Julia drowns in a tank during a water escape performance. Angier blames Borden, who cannot recall if he tied her with an experimental knot. The two go on to lead separate careers. Borden becomes "The Professor" with the enigmatic Bernard Fallon as his ingénieur while Angier becomes "The Great Danton" with new love Olivia Wenscombe and Cutter. Borden meets and marries Sarah and they have a daughter, Jess, incensing Angier. Angier sabotages Borden's bullet catch, costing Borden two fingers. Borden then ruins Angier's bird cage act, maiming an audience member and damaging Angier's reputation.
Borden soon begins performing an impressive trick called The Transported Man, where he enters one cabinet and exits another across the stage. Cutter insists that Borden is using a double, which Angier refuses to accept. Nevertheless, Angier begins performing The New Transported Man using a double but becomes frustrated at ending up below the stage while his double receives the applause. Angier sends Olivia to discover Borden’s secret, but she instead grows close to Borden. Borden sabotages Angier on stage, crippling his leg, and begins performing The Original Transported Man with Olivia, allowing him to stage it more successfully.
Olivia sends Angier an encrypted diary which supposedly contains the secret to Borden's trick. Angier and Cutter kidnap Fallon to force Borden to give the key to the cypher. Upon learning that the key word is "Tesla", Angier pursues Nikola Tesla to Colorado Springs alone as Cutter abandons him to his obsession, and Angier enlists Tesla to make a copy of the teleportation machine that he believed Borden used. Angier deciphers Borden's diary and discovers it to be a fraud that Borden had Olivia give him and is further angered when the machine fails. However, he and Tesla soon discover that the machine actually works by creating an exact duplicate of whatever is placed inside it. After rival Thomas Edison sends henchmen to torch his lab, Tesla leaves, warning Angier to destroy it. Meanwhile, Borden's pursuits drive Sarah to hang herself: there are hints that Borden's dual identity has become known to Sarah—she asked to meet Olivia to tell her "the truth."
Angier returns to London, electrifying audiences with The Real Transported Man, vanishing within the machine and reappearing in the back of the hall. In reality, Angier falls through a trap door and plunges into a water cell tank, drowning, while his duplicate reappears; the tanks are disposed of by blind stage hands every night. Borden witnesses Angier drown while slipping backstage to discover his secret but is caught and convicted of murder of Angier in the tank. In prison, Borden is visited by the agent of a Lord Caldlow, who offers to care for Jess in exchange for Borden's secrets. Borden is given Angier's diary and finds his conviction has been orchestrated by Angier, recognizing Lord Caldlow as Angier when he comes to collect the secret. Instead, Angier no longer needs them, rips them and leaves with Jess. Borden is hanged, after encouraging Fallon to live for them both. Cutter learns that Caldlow has bought all of Angier's tricks, including the machine, and visits Caldlow to plead for its destruction. He recognizes Angier, who admitted earlier to Borden he has always been Lord Caldlow (he had used the name Robert Angier to spare his family the embarrassment of his theatrical career). Cutter is disgusted with Angier for letting Borden hang and taking Borden's daughter.
Cutter accompanies Angier as he stores the machine beneath the theater with the rest of the "prestige materials." On his way out, Cutter recognises and nods to Fallon as he enters. Angier is shot, and sees his shooter is missing two fingers and has Borden's face. He then realizes that "Borden" was actually identical twins who shared their lives on stage and off. Just as they took turns being the man in the box and the prestige, they took turns being Borden and (by wearing makeup) Fallon. When one twin lost his fingers because of Angier, the other had his brother remove his own so they could continue to look alike in order to keep up the illusion there was only one Borden. One twin (the one alive) loved Sarah and was the girl's father, while the other twin (the one hanged) loved Olivia. So they each had half of a full life, which was enough for them but not the women they loved. He berates Angier for not knowing what true sacrifice for a good trick means, and that it takes nothing to steal someone else's work. Angier explains that it took courage to enter the machine every night not knowing if he'd be the man in the box or the one in The Prestige. Borden leaves him to die as a fire consumes the building, casting light on rows of tanks containing drowned Angiers.
Cutter repeats the trick of vanishing the bird for the delight of the little girl. Borden appears to reclaim his daughter.
from - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prestige_(film)
Analysis: In any film, the main characters' interactions with each other and the supporting cast help move the plot forward.
Alfred Borden
Borden is the superior magician. He shows his devotion to magic when he tells Sarah’s nephew that no one is impressed by the secret to the trick, but only the illusion itself. Coming from a working-class family, he saw magic as a way to get out of a life of poverty. In order to be a great magician, Borden feels he must live his act (something he learns from the Chinese magician). To achieve this, Borden uses his twin to be a different person named Fallon who acts as Borden’s engineer. The twins go to great lengths to keep up the act. Besides the fact that Fallon looks like Borden, there are hints in the film that they have a brotherly relationship. Borden frequently talks with Fallon about personal things and Fallon is always with Borden’s family even though he is only the engineer. This relationship takes a toll on Sarah as she suspects something in Borden’s mood swings. Sarah notices that sometimes when Borden says “I love you” he does not mean it because he loves the magic more. After some time, she realizes the truth about Borden’s double-life. However, the Fallon Borden tells her to shut her mouth because then she will ruin Borden’s career.
Although Borden possesses better skills than Angier, he cannot perform. The prime example is when he first does The Transported Man. Angier believes that it is the greatest trick he has ever seen, but hardly anyone applauded it. Borden’s execution of a trick and his cleverness are his best attributes both on and off the stage. When Olivia comes to Borden to betray Angier, Borden grills her in order to get the truth. Shortly after, he accepts her help. Olivia aids Borden in adding a little showmanship to his act (includes an electrical machine).
There is no trick or deception in Borden’s reaction to Julia’s death. I believe that Borden did not know which knot he tied because it was a traumatic experience for him. When one experiences something traumatic, one tries to block it out as much as possible. I think Borden’s fear of possibly being involved in the death of an innocent woman blocked the memory from his mind.
Unlike Angier, Borden has morals by the end of the film. He never tried to go after Angier’s personal life. He only went after his act. Once he sees Angier with his daughter, he is horrified. Borden makes mistakes with his family and he is scarred by driving his wife to commit suicide, but he does everything to get his daughter back.
Alfred Borden
Borden is the superior magician. He shows his devotion to magic when he tells Sarah’s nephew that no one is impressed by the secret to the trick, but only the illusion itself. Coming from a working-class family, he saw magic as a way to get out of a life of poverty. In order to be a great magician, Borden feels he must live his act (something he learns from the Chinese magician). To achieve this, Borden uses his twin to be a different person named Fallon who acts as Borden’s engineer. The twins go to great lengths to keep up the act. Besides the fact that Fallon looks like Borden, there are hints in the film that they have a brotherly relationship. Borden frequently talks with Fallon about personal things and Fallon is always with Borden’s family even though he is only the engineer. This relationship takes a toll on Sarah as she suspects something in Borden’s mood swings. Sarah notices that sometimes when Borden says “I love you” he does not mean it because he loves the magic more. After some time, she realizes the truth about Borden’s double-life. However, the Fallon Borden tells her to shut her mouth because then she will ruin Borden’s career.
Although Borden possesses better skills than Angier, he cannot perform. The prime example is when he first does The Transported Man. Angier believes that it is the greatest trick he has ever seen, but hardly anyone applauded it. Borden’s execution of a trick and his cleverness are his best attributes both on and off the stage. When Olivia comes to Borden to betray Angier, Borden grills her in order to get the truth. Shortly after, he accepts her help. Olivia aids Borden in adding a little showmanship to his act (includes an electrical machine).
There is no trick or deception in Borden’s reaction to Julia’s death. I believe that Borden did not know which knot he tied because it was a traumatic experience for him. When one experiences something traumatic, one tries to block it out as much as possible. I think Borden’s fear of possibly being involved in the death of an innocent woman blocked the memory from his mind.
Unlike Angier, Borden has morals by the end of the film. He never tried to go after Angier’s personal life. He only went after his act. Once he sees Angier with his daughter, he is horrified. Borden makes mistakes with his family and he is scarred by driving his wife to commit suicide, but he does everything to get his daughter back.
Robert Angier
Angier is the better showman. Early in his career with Borden, Angier always wanted to play it safe by performing easier (but still impressive) tricks. Being from an aristocratic family, Angier believes that the crowd cares more about the spectacle than the actual illusion. Angier’s innocence defines him until his wife passes away. He wanted to keep his hands clean before her death. Angier is only willing to get his hands dirty after he convinces himself that Borden is responsible for his wife’s death. This willingness eventually cuts him off from his close friends including Cutter and Olivia.
After Borden and Angier split, they both set out to sabotage each other’s shows. Before one of his performances, Angier tells Cutter that he is fine with killing a bird in a disappearing bird trick. Though he says this after some debate, this is the first small step towards losing his innocence. He then takes a drastic one in attempting to kill Borden during Borden’s bullet-catch. Conversely, Borden does not try to harm Angier, but only ruin his name so no one will hire him.
His obsession with Borden grows when he sees The Transported Man. Not only is Angier amazed by the trick, but he refuses to consider that Borden uses a double because of his respect for Borden as the better magician. When Angier sends Olivia to spy on Borden to obtain his secret, she knows that she cannot have a future with him.
Angier’s lack of morals becomes more apparent as his focus on Borden consumes him. He kidnaps Fallon (with Cutter’s help) and tries to bury him alive in order to get Borden’s secret - TESLA. Once Angier tells Cutter of the trip to America, Cutter refuses, saying that obsession is a young man’s game. This is completely understandable due to the fact that Fallon shot Cutter and Angier didn’t give a damn. Nevertheless, Angier goes to meet with Tesla.
In Colorado, Tesla tells Angier that he can make him a transporting machine, but he warns against his obsession and tells him to think about it. Angier makes it clear that he is aware of his fixation but Tesla should know that an obsessed man’s will not change. Tesla leaves the machine to Angier after Edison’s goons burn down his lab, but he implores Angier to destroy it because man should not have the power of the gods.
Angier completely loses his innocence during the preparation and execution of his final act, The Real Transported Man. Angier fools his former engineer, Cutter, into coming back by using Cutter’s obsession line. However, he does not want Cutter backstage. Cutter thinks that it is clever that Angier uses blind stagehands. Angier only does this so that people do not know the gross immorality that powers the performance. When Borden sees his hated rival drowning under the stage, he still tries to save him. This demonstrates that Borden still has morals while Angier has lost his.
Angier becomes utterly despicable when he tries to take Borden’s daughter. Since Borden is in jail, Angier does not have to compete against him. Instead, he goes after Borden’s family. In the end, Angier seems to be pure evil because he knowingly murders duplicates of himself in one of the worst ways possible - drowning. Borden then kills the last copy of Angier.
Angier is the better showman. Early in his career with Borden, Angier always wanted to play it safe by performing easier (but still impressive) tricks. Being from an aristocratic family, Angier believes that the crowd cares more about the spectacle than the actual illusion. Angier’s innocence defines him until his wife passes away. He wanted to keep his hands clean before her death. Angier is only willing to get his hands dirty after he convinces himself that Borden is responsible for his wife’s death. This willingness eventually cuts him off from his close friends including Cutter and Olivia.
After Borden and Angier split, they both set out to sabotage each other’s shows. Before one of his performances, Angier tells Cutter that he is fine with killing a bird in a disappearing bird trick. Though he says this after some debate, this is the first small step towards losing his innocence. He then takes a drastic one in attempting to kill Borden during Borden’s bullet-catch. Conversely, Borden does not try to harm Angier, but only ruin his name so no one will hire him.
His obsession with Borden grows when he sees The Transported Man. Not only is Angier amazed by the trick, but he refuses to consider that Borden uses a double because of his respect for Borden as the better magician. When Angier sends Olivia to spy on Borden to obtain his secret, she knows that she cannot have a future with him.
Angier’s lack of morals becomes more apparent as his focus on Borden consumes him. He kidnaps Fallon (with Cutter’s help) and tries to bury him alive in order to get Borden’s secret - TESLA. Once Angier tells Cutter of the trip to America, Cutter refuses, saying that obsession is a young man’s game. This is completely understandable due to the fact that Fallon shot Cutter and Angier didn’t give a damn. Nevertheless, Angier goes to meet with Tesla.
In Colorado, Tesla tells Angier that he can make him a transporting machine, but he warns against his obsession and tells him to think about it. Angier makes it clear that he is aware of his fixation but Tesla should know that an obsessed man’s will not change. Tesla leaves the machine to Angier after Edison’s goons burn down his lab, but he implores Angier to destroy it because man should not have the power of the gods.
Angier completely loses his innocence during the preparation and execution of his final act, The Real Transported Man. Angier fools his former engineer, Cutter, into coming back by using Cutter’s obsession line. However, he does not want Cutter backstage. Cutter thinks that it is clever that Angier uses blind stagehands. Angier only does this so that people do not know the gross immorality that powers the performance. When Borden sees his hated rival drowning under the stage, he still tries to save him. This demonstrates that Borden still has morals while Angier has lost his.
Angier becomes utterly despicable when he tries to take Borden’s daughter. Since Borden is in jail, Angier does not have to compete against him. Instead, he goes after Borden’s family. In the end, Angier seems to be pure evil because he knowingly murders duplicates of himself in one of the worst ways possible - drowning. Borden then kills the last copy of Angier.
Character Comparison
Nolan uses Borden and Angier to exhibit the differences among the classes in nineteenth century London. For example, the audiences at Borden’s performances are often raucous because they just want to see the main event and they do not care about the set up. Angier’s audiences oooh and aah at his showmanship and the actual trick is just the cherry on top. Also, Borden is able to learn the Chinese magician’s act because of his poverty. Borden can relate because he puts all of himself into his craft in order to escape that life of poverty while Angier finds it incredulous at first because he thinks of magic as a hobby, not a livelihood.
Nolan also utilizes another rivalry to parallel Borden and Angier’s. Tesla’s rivalry with Edison over electrical current can be compared to that of the magicians’.
Nolan uses Borden and Angier to exhibit the differences among the classes in nineteenth century London. For example, the audiences at Borden’s performances are often raucous because they just want to see the main event and they do not care about the set up. Angier’s audiences oooh and aah at his showmanship and the actual trick is just the cherry on top. Also, Borden is able to learn the Chinese magician’s act because of his poverty. Borden can relate because he puts all of himself into his craft in order to escape that life of poverty while Angier finds it incredulous at first because he thinks of magic as a hobby, not a livelihood.
Nolan also utilizes another rivalry to parallel Borden and Angier’s. Tesla’s rivalry with Edison over electrical current can be compared to that of the magicians’.
Applying Aristotle's Poetics
Hamartia (flaw) - The flaw of both magicians is their obsession. Borden is obsessed with magic and maintaining the illusion while Angier is only obsessed with beating Borden both on and off the stage.
Anagnorisis (critical discovery) - Critical discoveries are made as the two illusionists read each other’s diaries. Angier realizes that Borden’s “diary” is a fake and begins to cry because his obsession is too great. Borden knows something is wrong when Angier addresses him (from the diary) in jail at the end of his diary. When he sees Lord Caldlow (Angier), he understands that Angier has gone too far.
Peripeteia (Reversal of circumstances) - This occurs after each magician sabotages the other’s act. After Angier shoots Borden, Angier’s popularity grows as “The Great Danton”, while Borden has to rework his act. The same thing occurs when Borden maims an audience member during Angier’s bird cage act.
Catharsis (Purgation of the audience) - As the film goes on, the audience cannot decide which character is the villain since they both commit immoral deeds. But when Angier murders duplicates of himself and takes Borden’s daughter, the audience can perceive him as the antagonist.
Hamartia (flaw) - The flaw of both magicians is their obsession. Borden is obsessed with magic and maintaining the illusion while Angier is only obsessed with beating Borden both on and off the stage.
Anagnorisis (critical discovery) - Critical discoveries are made as the two illusionists read each other’s diaries. Angier realizes that Borden’s “diary” is a fake and begins to cry because his obsession is too great. Borden knows something is wrong when Angier addresses him (from the diary) in jail at the end of his diary. When he sees Lord Caldlow (Angier), he understands that Angier has gone too far.
Peripeteia (Reversal of circumstances) - This occurs after each magician sabotages the other’s act. After Angier shoots Borden, Angier’s popularity grows as “The Great Danton”, while Borden has to rework his act. The same thing occurs when Borden maims an audience member during Angier’s bird cage act.
Catharsis (Purgation of the audience) - As the film goes on, the audience cannot decide which character is the villain since they both commit immoral deeds. But when Angier murders duplicates of himself and takes Borden’s daughter, the audience can perceive him as the antagonist.