The Prestige ends up as one of Nolan's "talk about" films. This is a film that just begs conversation, one that will linger on your mind for hours, days, months, even years after you see it. It is a great work of character drama, one that asks the question "how far will you go to accomplish your goals?" The themes of this film are all about dedication, sacrifice, obsession, singleness of vision, and the will to act. The Prestige is about two men, illusionists at the top of their game, who are in a feud that is increasingly escalating. They had been friends, but when a terrible accident claimed the life of one of their wives the other is blamed, and the battle begins. So tell me, how far would you go to outdo the other, to have the world's greatest trick? How much would you pay or risk or sacrifice to bring the other down?
The actors in this film do a magnificent job. Until the end we don't quite realize how difficult a role at least one actor had, and when we appreciate it upon our second or third (or thirtieth) viewing we catch much more of the excellent work done here. I probably enjoyed Scarlett Johansson's performance the least, and even she was passable. But the standout is the supporting role played by none other than David Bowie, who puts in a brilliant turn as Nikola Tesla.
Everything in this film is exceptionally well thought-out. Small lines, images, and actions that seem quite normal or forgettable in the first viewing take on much more significance upon repeated viewings. This is a movie that ages well, that grows better and more complex and beautiful the more times you watch it.
So what is a "Prestige?" Perhaps I'll let the movie tell you: "Every great magic trick consists of three parts, or acts. The first part is called "the Pledge." the magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course...it probably isn't. The second act is called "the Turn." The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret...but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige."
The writing of this film is phenomenal, as the previous quote demonstrates. This line sets the tone and even the basic plot, as the movie itself follows the "acts" of the magic trick. We are introduced to the characters, discover their motivations, begin to like them or dislike them, and think we know so much about them. Then some extraordinary things happen. We had been comfortable with the tricks displayed to this point, but now we can't quite explain them and are not given the inside scoop on how they are done. But to be mystified is only part of the whole thing; the Prestige awaits, the final bit that gives the punch and redefines everything that we had already seen.
At the end the secrets of both men are laid bare to the audience. Then we discover that the best illusionist is Christopher Nolan, our director, who has had us watching one hand the whole time while pulling rabbits with the other. Yet even through the smiles we can't seem to help upon the realization of our own deception we can't help but be in a bit of horror; here are two men who have sunk below imaginable levels in their quest to outdo and destroy the other. As each succeed, the true victors are Nolan and, ultimately, us.
The movie begins with the line, "Are you watching closely?" I suggest that you do, and enjoy the ride.
Entertainment: 7/10
Artistic Value: 7/10
Technical Merit: 7/10
Overall: 7/10
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