The Prestige (2006)

Magic consists of three acts, the film kindly explains the moment it begins. The act of showing something ordinary, the act of making it disappear, and the final act of bringing it back. But Christopher Nolan takes this structure as the blueprint for the film itself and performs his greatest deception right before the audience. A film that deceives you to the very end even after telling you the answer in advance, The Prestige is confident from the start.

What it’s about — Two magicians’ war tangled in a diary within a diary

In nineteenth-century London, two young men, Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Borden (Christian Bale), who learned magic under the same mentor, become irreversible enemies after an accident. The two ruin each other’s shows and dig up each other’s secrets, sinking into an ever more dangerous rivalry. Angier’s obsession in particular spirals out of control around the secret of the “Transported Man” trick Borden unveils. The story takes the form of reading the diaries the two left behind in alternation, with the chronological order ceaselessly shuffled so the audience itself must assemble the fragments of truth.

Direction — Designing the film’s structure itself as a piece of magic

The cleverest thing about Nolan’s direction is that he designs the film’s structure itself to become a piece of magic. Layering viewpoints, a diary within a diary, a flashback within a flashback, the director seems to reveal information while concealing it, and seems to conceal it while letting it slip. So on a first viewing you are gripped by the shock of the ending, but on a second the clues planted throughout finally come into clear view. It is no exaggeration to say this work was made on the premise of being watched twice.

The skill of packing this much information and reversal densely into a not-overlong 130-minute runtime is impressive as well. That said, one setup that appears in the later stretch shifts the grain of the story from realism into another territory, and whether to view this choice as an intriguing leap or a somewhat unreasonable card will divide viewers. If you accept that one point, the thrill of the final act that closes the story is intense.

Performance — Jackman and Bale, ambition against silence

Hugh Jackman renders Angier in three dimensions, moving between the confidence atop the dazzling stage and the jealousy lurking beneath it. His process of staking everything on the secret of the trick is less a portrait of ambition than a record of self-destruction. Christian Bale sustains the film’s mystery to the end through Borden, who rarely lets his inner self show. His restrained performance is the key that makes you re-examine the meaning of the ending. The seasoned Michael Caine takes on the role of a guide balancing the two geniuses, holding the audience firmly so it never loses its way. Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall, in brief appearances, quietly remind us, as women wounded by being swept into the two men’s obsession, that this rivalry was never their problem alone.

What the film says — An obsession that consumes the self for applause

The Prestige’s real theme is not the trick of magic but how far a person seized by something can ruin himself and those around him. The two magicians set out from a desire to astonish the audience, but at some point winning the rivalry itself becomes the goal. The image of them gladly consuming themselves for applause chillingly asks what sacrifice underlies the dazzle atop the stage.

Ratings & reception

Its IMDb rating is 8.5 out of 10, making it one of the most beloved works in Nolan’s filmography. Its Rotten Tomatoes freshness is 77%, and its Metacritic score is 66 out of 100, with praise dominant while opinions split over the cold structure of the story. At the Academy Awards it was nominated for Cinematography and Production Design. Reappraisal has continued as time passes more than at its release, and it is frequently cited as a prime example of a mystery film that invites repeat viewing.

Verdict

The Prestige is an intricately assembled puzzle and a cold drama that gazes at human obsession. Opinions may divide over one particular setup, but the thrill of realizing that the entire film was designed like a single piece of magic is unmistakable. If you love films you watch with your head engaged, the satisfaction will run high, and I have no hesitation giving four stars to its completeness.

Recommended for

• Viewers who love mysteries densely woven with twists and foreshadowing
• Those who enjoy rewatching to confirm the clues
• Anyone who wants to see the taut acting duel between Jackman and Bale