Rating A+ |The Prestige： My Favorite Nolan's work

In my previous two articles, I analyzed the critically acclaimed films "Following" and "Memento".

Now it's time to discuss "The Prestige", which is my favorite Nolan movie.On one hand, it maintains a vivid narrative structure, revealing the dark side of human nature as do his previous works. On the other hand, it focuses more on the substance of the story rather than its form, making it a mature work by Nolan.

"The Prestige" is a story of two magicians who become rivals and try to outdo each other in their performances. The plot is driven by the characters' obsession with achieving the perfect trick, which ultimately leads them to tragic consequences. As with many of Nolan's films, the story is not told in chronological order, but rather reveals itself piece by piece, encouraging the audience to piece together the puzzle.

"The Prestige" deals with themes of identity, sacrifice, and revenge, which are classic elements of a great story. The film features a talented cast, including Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johansson, and Michael Caine, making it a feast for the eyes and the mind.

Overall, "The Prestige" is a brilliant movie that showcases Christopher Nolan's storytelling skills and vision. It challenges viewers' thinking while also entertaining them. It is a must-see for anyone who loves movies that offer this unique double effect.

Now it's time to go deep into the piece.

“Sacrifice is the price of a good trick”

The beginning of the movie is captivating, presenting several brutal magic performances in a smooth manner. These performances make the audience realize that magic requires sacrifice. A truth, a pigeon, a finger, a person, or even a person's soul can be sacrificed for the sake of a magic trick.

In one scene, a thin Chinese magician disguises himself as a fat man. Another magician performs a magic trick that makes a bird disappear, but in reality, he is squashing the bird. Perhaps the sharpest and purest eyes belong to children. They stubbornly know the truth and cry out when they see a dead bird. However, adults choose to be deceived because they take pleasure in it.

The beginning of the film goes beyond the typical introduction of characters and demonstration of magic. It creates a metaphor and atmosphere that encompasses the entire story.

After the brilliant opening, the diaries become a crucial prop in building suspense.

The Diaries

The most interesting aspect of Christopher Nolan's The Prestige is not how he disrupts the linear narrative structure, but rather how the film's storytelling fools the viewers.

"You never understood why we did this. The audience knows the truth. The world is simple. It's mise rable. Solid... Solid all the way through. But if you could fool them even for a second then you could make them wonder. And then you... Then you got to see something very special. You really don't know. It was it was the look on their faces."

The opening and closing lines of the film reveal the essence of this movie (and perhaps all movies). The audience does not want to know the truth behind the film; they enjoy the dreamlike effect the film creates and hope to be deceived.

The narrative of this film is structured from two opposite perspectives. The first is from Borden's point of view, as he reads Angier's diary. The second is from Angier's point of view, as he reads Borden's diary. As viewers, we appreciate the storys and visuals from these two perspectives. However, each diary itself is a trap by its owner for misleading the reader. What Borden and angier see in each other's diary is nothing but what the other deliberately shows them.

This allow for the two spine-tingling moments when the two realize that the object of their focus, the diaries, have been in turn watching them all along.

Angier reads the final pages of Borden's diary and discovers that it is speaking to him and mocking him: "Yes, Angier. She gave you this notebook at my request. Do you really think I will part with my secret so easily after so much? Goodbye, Angier.”

Similarly, Borden reads the final pages of Angier's diary and finds that it directly addresses him: "I must leave you, Borden. Yes, you, Borden. Sitting there in your cell, reading my diary, waiting for your death for my murder.”

Nolan's forte is his narrative style, which creates a suspenseful atmosphere in the film. However, he had already attempted this approach in "Following" and "Memento". The brilliance of “The Prestige” lies in its exploration of the theme of obsession, emphasizing the extent to which people will go to fulfill their desires, even if it means sacrificing everything else in their lives.

Obsession & Sacrifice

At first glance, the film seems to be a tale of revenge between magicians. However, it is actually an exploration of the themes of "Obsession & Sacrifice".

Before we delve into these themes, let's take a look at the names of several magicians in the film:

Angier

Alfred Borden

Fallon

With a slight variation, these names can be interpreted as:

Angier - Anger

Borden - Burden

Fallon - Fallen

This analysis of the character names reveals how each character develops. Angier, whose name sounds like "anger," is filled with anger towards Borden; Borden, whose name sounds like "burden," carries the burden of supporting his family; Fallon's failed attempt leads to the death of Angier's wife.

As the story progresses, the characters' motivations evolve into obsession and sacrifice. Their obsession drives them to constantly strive for improvement, pushing themselves to their personal limits at the cost of extraordinary sacrifices. Borden's words after watching a Chinese magician's performance suggest this idea: "Total devotion to his art. Utter self-sacrifice, you know?" Similarly, in a conversation with his wife at home, Angier also suggests sacrifice, saying, "Borden saw it at once, but I couldn’t fathom it. Living my whole life pretending to be someone else."

As obsession and sacrifice reach their extremes, it seems inevitable that both sides will suffer in the end. The only question is how their ultimate magic will be presented and what sacrifices will be made.

Copy Machine

At the end of the movie, when the copy machine appeared, I was so shocked that I couldn't say a word.

To defeat Borden, Angier uses the copy machine to achieve the ultimate magic trick by constantly killing himself, which is impossible to imitate.

Behind the final prestige, there is a horrific murder - with Angier himself being both the victim and the murderer. What is left behind in the mind of the living Angier?

In addition to elevating the viewing experience to a new level, the introduction of the copy machine precisely represented sacrifice and alienation to the utmost degree.

It's worth mentioning that it's a really clever choice for Nolan to set a science fiction story in the late 19th century. It not only broke the audience's expectations but also added a layer of metaphor to the film.

The late 19th century was the era when various machines were born, featuring socialized mass production, in which products are constrained by uniform standards and so are their producers. It seems that this whole society is a huge copier, where the same things take place over and over again, leaving us facing the same things every day, thinking about the same things, eating the same fast food. We kill and recreate ourselves everyday just like the final magic in the movie ,but we don’t notice it.

Just like the last line in the movie: "You don't really want to work it out, you want to be fooled."