The Prestige: A Tale of Rivalry, Magic and Obsession
The Prestige is a 2006 psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan, based on the 1995 novel by Christopher Priest. It tells the story of two rival stage magicians in Victorian London, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), who compete to create the ultimate illusion of teleportation. The film explores themes of identity, sacrifice, secrecy and obsession, as the magicians go to extreme lengths to outwit each other and win the admiration of the audience.
The film also features Michael Caine as John Cutter, an engineer who designs stage magic; Scarlett Johansson as Olivia, Angier’s assistant and Borden’s lover; Piper Perabo as Julia, Angier’s wife who dies during a water tank trick; Andy Serkis as Alley, an assistant to Nikola Tesla; Rebecca Hall as Sarah, Borden’s wife; and David Bowie as Tesla himself, a real-life inventor who plays a crucial role in the film’s plot.
The Prestige was released on October 20, 2006, to critical acclaim and commercial success. It was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography, and won several other awards and honors. The film is widely regarded as one of Nolan’s best works, and one of the best films of the 2000s.
The film uses a nonlinear narrative, alternating between the present and the past. The present scenes show Borden on trial for Angier’s murder, and Angier’s diary being read by Borden’s daughter Jess. The past scenes show the events leading up to the fatal trick, as well as flashbacks from Borden’s diary, which Angier obtained with the help of Tesla. The film also reveals that both magicians have secrets that they keep from each other and from the world.
Angier discovers that Borden’s method for The Transported Man involves a double identity: he has a twin brother, who shares his life and his profession. The two Bordens alternate between being the magician and the engineer, and use their identical appearance to create the illusion of teleportation. They also love different women: one loves Sarah, his wife, and the other loves Olivia, Angier’s former assistant. Their commitment to their act causes them to sacrifice their personal happiness and stability.
Angier, on the other hand, seeks a more scientific solution for his trick. He travels to Colorado Springs to meet Tesla, who claims to have invented a machine that can transport matter. Angier tests the machine, but is disappointed when it seems to have no effect. However, he later finds out that the machine actually creates a duplicate of whatever is placed inside it, while leaving the original behind. Angier decides to use this machine for his own version of The Transported Man, which he calls \”The Real Transported Man\”.
Angier’s new trick involves him stepping into the machine on one end of the stage, while his duplicate appears on the other end. Unbeknownst to the audience, the original Angier falls through a trap door into a water tank below the stage, where he drowns. His duplicates are then disposed of after each show. Angier becomes obsessed with surpassing Borden, even at the cost of his own life.