A magic trick consists of three acts. In the first act, the pledge, the magician shows us something ordinary. Act two, the turn, changes the ordinary into something extraordinary. Act three, though, twists things around to where a life can hang in the balance and we are shown something we have never seen before. This final, shocking act is known as “The Prestige.”--- Mr. Cutter
The Prestige is a 2006 period film directed by Christopher Nolan, with a screenplay adapted from the 1995 World Fantasy Award-winning novel of the same name by Christopher Priest. The story follows Robert Angier( Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden(Christian Bale ), rival stage magicians in fin de siècle London. Obsessed with creating the best stage illusion, they engage in competitive battle of magic tricks with tragic results.
In the late 1800's in London,when magicians are idols and celebrities of the highest order, Alfred Borden and Robert Angier are two up-and-coming magicians who are close friends until a tragic event turns them into bitter rivals. Robert Angier is a superior showman while Albert Borden is not quite the showman but appears to be the better natural magician. When it comes to magic, appearances can be deceiving. Both men become famous performers on the London theatrical circuit and spend too much time trying to sabotage each others performances, at times to the point where extreme violence ensues. Borden eventually develops a fantastic illusion called "The Transported Man" where he disappears on one side of the stage and simultaneously reappears on the other side. Angier (later known as The Great Danton) drives himself insane trying to figure out "the prestige" of The Transporter Man and even develops his own version in which he uses his superior showmanship to make his show a success. But The Great Danton is not satisfied with his accomplishments and continues to pursue the secrets of Borden, even using his beautiful assistant Olivia (Scarlett Johansson) to seduce his rival. Angier's quest to upstage Borden takes a shocking turn when he meets Nikola Tesla. The scientist creates a device that ensures Angier will upstage Borden, but at what cost? Unfortunately for both men, their bitter rivalry takes them down a road that will only result in disaster and death.
Bale and Jackman do a good job of men aiming at each other’s throats while trying to maintain a normal family life. They were are all excellent in their roles. Jackman is given the opportunity to show both the good side and dark side of his character. The same goes for Bale. The result is a pair of very complex characters up on the screen that are neither hero nor villain.
And then when you reach the big twist, you are astonished. This is the greatest part of the film. And what happens after the big twist? Another big twist. Then another. Then when you think that you’ve got it all figured out – that you can predict how this magician of a filmmaker is pulling off his tricks – you are hit with another final blow more powerful than anything that could have preceded it.
