The Prestige (2006)
Which knot did you tie?!
THE SUMMARY: One magician kills another’s wife, so they battle back and forth to become London’s superior illusionist in what is something of a lethal game of Victorian Jackass. This one intrigued me with its late twists and big important themes, but a slow start and a disjointed timeline make it tougher to follow than necessary.
FROM MOVIE-PICKER WILLIAM: Two magicians in Victorian London face off against one another in a dangerously escalating rivalry. This movie, despite its dark and desperate thematic elements, also captures quite well the exuberantly Faustian spirit of that age. Superb performances from Michael Caine and David Bowie in supporting roles don't hurt either.
THE BEST:
The prestige is indeed important: The movie lives up to its fundamental premise - twists are key to the entertainment. The movie keeps the viewer guessing: Borden kills Angier. No wait - Angier kills Borden. No wait - Borden kills Angier… again. No wait - that was actually Borden’s secret twin brother. Even if I’m not a fan of unnecessary non-linear story telling, the parade of surprises does make an entertaining movie overall.
Making something disappear isn’t enough - you have to bring it back: Many of the movie’s ‘magic’ or ‘entertainment’ lessons are perfectly applicable to life in general, but none more so than the lesson that ‘it’s not enough to make something disappear.’ In the movie’s plot, the magicians have an obligation to bring the subject back. In everyday life, this translates to the necessity to build something constructively. It’s not enough to tear things down - you must build something of your own to find satisfaction and purpose.
The movie’s plot actually illustrates this point as well - by constantly trying to destroy each other’s lives, both men lose their own and fail to build something worthwhile. It’s not enough to make the other guy disappear. You have to build a life of your own.
A cycle of vengeance is self-defeating: It’s arguably a reiteration of the prior point, but I think it’s a more specific sub-piece: to build a prosperous life, at some point the cycle of vengeance must end. Yes, that may mean some sacrifice of perfect or ultimate justice, or the urge to score the final jab, but to devote your life to destroying someone else is to destroy your own. If only for your own benefit, forgiveness must eventually be exercised.
Don’t compare yourself to others: The Prestige is partly a movie about vengeance, but it’s also a movie about envy. It’s not just revenge over the loss of his wife that drives Angier - it’s also an obsession with becoming the better magician. There’s something about human nature that urges us to look upon others with jealousy, but the unavoidable truth is that there’s always someone better than you at everything. To expect yourself to overachieve others in all contexts is to meet disappointment.
The proper comparison is, of course, to yourself yesterday. As long as you are improving yourself, you are on the proper trajectory. That perspective will keep you appreciating your own progress and achievements, not thinking resentfully about others. That produces construction, not destruction.
3 parts of magic
The ending twist
THE WORST:
Who’s doing what now?: In general, I’m just not a fan of meandering, time-traveling, non-linear story telling. It can be useful to conceal or reveal certain plot twists, but more often it just creates confusion, and I think this movie is an example of the latter. I get the intent of showing the ending first, much like the movie’s description of a good magic trick itself, is to create a certain impression first and then flip it. But I don’t think that change in viewer understanding actually achieves much in storytelling. It’s mostly just a spoiler, even if a spoiler on false pretenses.
Further damaging to the story, the early presentation of Angier’s (or his clone’s) death poisons the perception of Angier and Borden’s relationship from the start. Instead of watching them develop from friends and colleagues to mortal enemies, we’re already clued they are enemies, and so their initial relationship is immediately viewed as suspect or less valuable.
Where are all the clone bodies going?: Where is Angier burying these clone bodies? It not only seems like a lot of work to deal with a body after every show, but it seems hard to get away with too.
And actually, why is it even necessary to kill the clones?: What is the purpose of killing them? If Angier has a perfect clone, why not simply use the perfect clone to perform the trick? Killing the clone and making a new one each time is not only an extra step, but it creates a ton of disposal work, and oh yeah - it’s also committing murder with every show. There’s no moral justification to do it, no practical necessity to achieve the trick, and it’s a massive legal liability too. It doesn’t make sense to do it this way.
Tesla’s cloning machine
The beginning gives. you a false impression of the end because ‘artsy’
THE RATING: 3/5 Wickies. A series of good twists, and big themes, but tougher to follow than it should be.
YOUR RATING: Vote here ⬇
NEXT WEEK: The Incredibles (2004)
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