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Prestige, The

Oscar Wilde wrote, “Illusion is the first of all pleasures.” He was right; illusion serves as a kind of looking glass, one where a person is capable of seeing that which he or she wishes to see. That which is completely unbelievable, but, just for a moment, can be allowed to inspire awe. It is as if the performer is in total control of the looking glass; capable of rendering and adjusting its opacity at his will. The illusion is, and always will be, something we allow others to get away with for our enjoyment. Magic is a trick, a contrivance; something skillfully planned in an ingenious manner. Director Christopher Nolan’s newest film, “The Prestige,” is, in and of itself, like its subject matter, a contrivance.

To say the film is contrived is, in this case, a compliment. The brother’s Nolan, respectively, director, Christopher and writer, Jonathan; whose previous collaborative efforts brought us “Memento,” come together once again to bring a lugubrious tale of deception, treachery and rivalry. The story is told brilliantly and, quite literally, through slight of hand. The entire film has been so well thought out, so artistically and methodically planned that the deliberate deception of both the characters and audience meld together in a way that the reveals of the plot, are in fact, the titular end of the film’s focus.

Re-teaming with his “Batman Begins” crew of Christian Bale and Michael Caine, Nolan also brings along the man with a million movies this year, Hugh Jackman. Hugh, fresh off the successful, but abysmal, “X-3: The Last Stand” and this year’s Woody Allen film, “Scoop,” shows, in this trio of films, that he is truly capable of bringing to life a wide and diverse array of characters. In addition to his three leading men, Nolan also brings along Scarlett Johansson, who, of the three movies she has starred in this year, does her best work in “The Prestige.”

Bale and Jackman’s friendly rivalry and opposing approaches of showmanship vs. skill, which quickly escalates into a series of increasingly malicious, dangerous and violent confrontations, would have worked incredibly well, even if the filmmakers chose not to have more to reveal. Bale’s Alfred Borden, a man seemingly more obsessed with his mastery of magic than with his own well-being, is a sympathetic character, even though we are witnessing him engage in some truly despicable acts. The same goes for Jackman’s Rupert Angier; a showman who, due to his own ability to find, create and perform an illusion, begins to forget the true reason for his vengeful streak. This is the essence of the screenplay that makes it so successful. By having the characters susceptible to the same deliberate deception as the audience, it creates a feeling of believability; just like a performed illusion.

Magic often requires an audience’s full cooperation and attention, which is no small feat, to be sure. The storytellers' deliberate reveal of their tricks during the running of the film, broken up by such a successful distraction during the course of the trick, is not only an homage to history’s great illusionists, but unequivocal proof that the Nolan brothers can run with the best of them. While “The Prestige” is a fun ride and surely will have people guessing as to the true nature of things as events unfold, the brilliance in the film comes from the almost absolute necessity to view it again. Here, unlike so many other films, the reveal is actually seen as an inevitability, not a sudden twist intended to confuse and shock. The film is so full of classic storytelling, creative acting and wonderfully subtle nuances, that it is actually a treat to revisit it and marvel at how a true illusionist performed his trick.

Written by: Kevin Yeoman

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