THE PRESTIGE
US/UK, 2006, 130 minutes, Colour.
Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Andy Serkis, Piper Perabo, David Bowie, Roger Rees, Ricky Jay.
Directed by Christopher Nolan.
A puzzling title. But that is not a problem for a film about the mysteries of magicians and the fascination they hold for audiences.
As the film opens, Michael Caine, as a veteran engineer of magic acts and an entrepreneur, explains what is involved in this kind of theatrical display of magic. (It is interesting to note that David Copperfield acted as an adviser for this film.) The first part of any act is called The Pledge. This sets up the situation and the mechanisms that audiences can see. After this comes The Turn. This is the core action of the trickery, for example, the sawing in half of the assistant, or the disappearance of a bird, a rabbit or a person. But, Caine goes further and says that the third part is The Prestige. This is where a magician achieves his reputation and prestige. While the audience is on tenterhooks, the safety of the person seemingly in peril is assured. A mixture of admiration and relief.
This is a long and rather intricate film as befits the plot. It is set at the end of the 19th century in London (with a trip to the spectacular mountain scenery of Colorado Springs). It is one of those wonderful films which absorbs audiences simply by admiring the re-creation of the period, décor, sets and costumes. It is the turn of the century, the end of the Victorian era and the beginning of Edwardian times.
The central characters are two magicians. It is important to note that the film opens with the seeming accidental death of one of them and the other accused of his murder. This is a setting for all kinds of flashbacks (and flashbacks within flashbacks) which are the cinema equivalents of a magician’s sleights of hand. It means that one has to pay attention all the time, looking and listening for clues. As audiences leave the cinema, they will be checking whether they have really understood the final moment.
The two young magicians start off their careers together as Caine’s plants in the audience. When there is an accidental drowning of one of the magician’s wives, a bitter rivalry arises between the two. Not only do they try to imitate each other’s tricks, they spy on each other and steal secrets. They also grow more violent in their mutual jealousy.
This makes for tantalising drama, especially as we keep returning to the magician in prison and his facing the death penalty while we follow the other in his journey to the US to consult the maverick scientist, Nikola Tesla, in the hope that he will build him a fantastic box for transporting a man from theatre stage to balcony.
The film was made by British Christopher Nolan who has shown that he has great cinematic flair and a penchant for not telling stories in a straightforward narrative. His early film, Memento, actually went from end to beginning as a man with amnesia tried to trace what had happened to him. He directed the thriller Insomnia and revitalised the Batman series with Batman Begins.
Nolan’s Batman, Christian Bale, shows how versatile his acting is as the magician who lacks charisma, a more brusque and violent personality. Hugh Jackman, by contrast, is all surface good looks and charm as his rival (and has a chance to show his acting ability by acting as a character who serves as his magic double.) Scarlett Johansson is an assistant to both magicians.
There is further interesting casting with Andy Serkis (whom we all saw as Gollum) as an American assistant to Tesla, a surprisingly dignified David Bowie.
This film has more appeal to older audiences who enjoy a thoughtful drama. At the same time, another film about magicians was released, The Illusionist, with Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti.
1. The quality of the drama? Characters? Intrigue? A drama of magic? Of style? The sleight-of-hand in the narrative? Film as an illusion?
2. The 19th and 20th century settings? The Victorian era, Edwardian era? Period London, homes and streets, poor homes, affluent? The pubs, the theatres, the warehouses? An authentic atmosphere? The atmospheric score?
3. The contrast with Colorado Springs, the Rocky Mountains, the seasons, the hotel, the countryside, the plant for Tesla’s experiments?
4. The explanation of magical tricks: the role of the pledge, the role of the turn, the role of the prestige? The film structure following these three acts?
5. The style of the film, structure, the opening and the tableau of the top hats on the ground? The advice and challenge as to whether the audience was really watching? Cutter and his explanation to Jessie of the three acts, this being important for audience information, appreciation? The time shifts, the death of Angier, Borden present, the court case? The flashbacks to their lives as young magicians, the building up of the rivalries, the flashbacks to different aspects of their lives, to Angier’s visits to Colorado, the return to Borden in prison? The end and the repeating of the drowning sequence? The prestige at the end?
6. Audience emotional response to the characters, their rivalries? Angier and his charm, Borden and his sullen approach? Their performance in the shows, the reality behind the scenes, their rivalries, the violence and their suffering, the growing brutality, the tricks, the end – and audience response to each of the two men finally, shifts in sympathy between Angier and Borden?
7. The quality of the screenplay and its writing, the clues playing fair with all the detail? Sufficient for the audience? Yet the screenplay directing audience attention away from particular characters and events? The prestige at the end?
8. Michael Caine as Cutter, as focus for the story, providing the framework, the explanation to Jessie? His presence at Angier’s death? His testimony in the court and his bitterness towards Borden? The discussions with the judge, the revelation of secrets, seeing the machine, his comments about the machine? His apprenticing both magicians? His work with Julia, the timing for her being in the tank, his trying to save her? His role as an entrepreneur, his explanation of himself as an ingeneur, building the material for the acts? His bookings, Angier and his helping him? Testing him about the birds and their deaths, Borden and his intervening, the woman and the injury to her hand? His watching the various tricks? Olivia and her being the assistant, the Transported Man? Cutter and his observation? His pursuit of Fallon, the injury to his arm? His not wanting to continue in the rivalry between the two men? Angier and his return, the card at the bottom of the glass, the buying of the various goods? His witnessing the death? His wanting to meet the Lord, his disgust at the truth, the final conversation with Angier, allowing Fallon to come in and kill him, Cutter finally giving Jessie to Fallon?
9. The two young men, their enthusiasm, interest in magic, their being plants in the audience, Angier and his marriage to Julia, the issue of the knots, Borden and his saying that he did not know what knot was done? The funeral and Angier’s anger? The plan for the bullet and shooting, Angier in disguise, shooting his hand? Borden and his revenge, the woman and the injuring of her hand? The issues of the Transported Man? The build-up to the death, Angier trapping him?
10. The portrait of Angier? Young, American (and the background of his being a Lord)? His marriage to Julia, as a plant in the audience, his devotion to his wife, the impact of her death, the funeral, his suspicion of Borden, his demanding to know the nature of the knot that was tied? His being alone? The issue of the catching of the bullet, disguising himself, injuring Borden’s hand? The meetings with Cutter, the glass and the card? His new act, the rehearsals, his willingness to destroy the bird? The performance, the entrepreneur and his acceptance of the act, the woman and her injury, Borden on stage? His having to retire? The Transported Man, his going to watch Borden? Hiring Olivia as his assistant, the relationship with her? The issue of whether it was a double or not? His assuming that it was a trick, Cutter saying it was a double? Finding his own double, Olivia and the pub, the performance by the double? The act, his hidden bow and his anxiety at not getting the applause, wanting an alternative? Borden coming, his breaking his leg? Olivia giving him Borden’s diary, the irony of the decoding, ultimately finding it a set-up? The decision to go to Colorado with the key word of Tesla? Cutter and his pursuit of Fallon, the confrontation, the diary? In Colorado, his meeting with Tesla’s assistant, the electrocuting fence, the discussions, the assistant allowing him in, the meetings with Tesla, the light bulb and no wires? The issue of the top hat, its not disappearing? The test with the cat? The irony of finding all the hats, the two cats? The building of the machine? Edison’s men, his deciding to leave Colorado Springs, finding the box? Returning to London, booking Cutter again, having the blind staff, the trick and its acclaim? The entrepreneur making the demands? His appearing on the balcony? Transported? The irony of the clones? The revelation of Angier shooting his clone? The drowning and the drowning of a clone? His death, Borden condemned to death? His reassuming his title of Lord, sending his assistant, wanting to buy up all the equipment and the secrets? The revelation to Borden in jail, Cutter finding out the truth? Cutter and his decision, allowing Fallon in, Fallon’s revelation about the twins, shooting Angier?
11. The portrait of Borden, the audience not knowing that there were twins? The clues throughout the film, the divided personality, part this, part that …? The nature of Fallon’s disguise? The revelation that both of them were Fallon, both of them Borden? The audience not noticing the clues? Borden as the plant with Angier, the issue of the knot and Julia’s consent, his stating that he did not know which knot it was, the funeral, the aftermath? His not being a showman? Fallon’s omnipresence? The tricks and his being booed? Sarah and her watching, her nephew? Borden escorting her home – and then Borden in the room? The relationship, the baby, Sarah and her wanting there to be no secrets? Borden and his obsession, the effect on Sarah, love for the daughter? The explanation of the bullet trick – and it seeming obvious once it was explained? Angier and his shooting his hand? Olivia coming to him, telling him the truth, wanting his secrets? The affair? His going to the double, the discussion, insinuating the issue of power, his coming out of the Transported Man door, the trussing up of the double? Angier breaking his leg? The machine, Tesla, the diary? The issue of the affair with Olivia and Sarah? Sarah, her beginning to drink, the humiliation in the restaurant, at home, wanting to see Olivia? Her hanging herself? The puzzle for her that some days he loved her, some days not? Fallon being followed, buried, Borden digging him out, the giving of the diary? The irony of the death, his being in court, in prison, humiliated by the guard – but chaining him? The arrival of the Lord’s assistant, the discussions? His concern about Jessie? The confrontation with Angier, Angier tearing up his secrets? The fact that it was Borden dying, his apologies to Fallon? The hanging, “Abracadabra” and his death?
12. The hard Alfred, the softer Fallon – with the two women? The revelation that it was the softer man who died? The harder twin giving up his life?
13. Julia, her relationship with Angier, the tricks, her death, her nodding to Fallon?
14. Olivia, her work, the relationship with Robert, finding the double, his sending her to Borden, her humiliation? With Borden, the relationship, the setting up of the diary?
15. Sarah, attractive, love for Borden, the marriage, some days on, some days off, her daughter? The secrets, its toll, Olivia, humiliation and death?
16. Tesla, a real character, his scientific background, reputation, in Colorado Springs, electricity and his experiments, the Edison men and the criticisms by Edison? His assistant, loyalty? The machine and its testing, the departure and the destruction of the plant, leaving the machine for Angier?
17. The world of entrepreneurs, theatres, audiences and reaction? The audiences, suspense, the love of the prestige?
18. The theme of the doubles, twins, using one double against the other?
19. The various magic tricks that were presented, the wonder, audience reaction, the explanations? Tricks being shown, tricks being concealed? The gullibility of audiences? And the reputation and delight of magicians?
