#Prestigeexplained #unreliablenarrator
I have spent alot of time with Christopher Nolan's The Prestige and by the end of this film essay I will unlock the secret that he hid in his movie. The use of the unreliable narrator lends to a more complex viewing of the movie. Are you watching closely?
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John Cutter, an ingenieur who designs magic tricks, mentors two young magicians, Angiers (an upper class magic enthusiast) and Borden (a working class shill). In one of their first performances, Borden ties a knot that is too difficult for Angiers wife to escape from, killing her in the process. This enrages Angiers and their rivalry begins.
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After launching separate careers, Angiers sees Borden perform “The greatest magic trick he’s ever seen” and becomes obsessed with learning the secret. We know that Borden has a twin who acts as his double. When Angiers is unable to figure it out, he hires a double to perform his own version which is more successful but unsatisfying for Angiers as he ends up under the stage while Root receives all the applause.
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Angiers assigns his assistant and love interest to spy on Borden to find out his secret. This plan backfires as she helps Borden sabotage Angiers act and she falls in love with Borden in the process. Before saying goodbye to Angiers, she does one last thing for him by giving him Borden’s encoded diary. Angiers can’t read the diary without the keyword so he plots to kidnap Fallon, Borden’s ingeniuer in disguise, played by his twin brother. He holds Fallon at ransom for the keyword which Borden reluctantly gives.
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When Angiers discovers the word is Tesla he knows he has to go to America to see him. He believes that Borden had a machine built by Tesla and he wants one built for himself. Tesla reluctantly agrees to build such a machine but it proves more difficult than he thought. As Angiers decodes Borden’s diary he discovers that it was a red herring given to him to get him out of London. He realizes that Tesla never made a machine for Borden. Nevertheless, when he confronts Tesla about this, Tesla agrees to the claim but shows him the results of what he has been working on. The machine does not transport but duplicates it’s subject. Tesla is driven away from Colorado by his rival Edison, but not before Tesla leaves the machine for Angiers with a warning to not use it. Destroy it before it ruins him.
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Meanwhile back in London, Borden’s wife Sarah is driven mad by Borden’s seemingly duplicitous personality and she suspects he is having an affair with Olivia. We know that Borden #1 is in love with Sarah and Borden #2 is in love with Olivia. Sarah commits suicide as a result.
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Angiers returns to London and recruits Cutter to set up a new show called The New Transported Man. The nature of the trick being that Angier would clone himself. One clone would end up in the water tank below stage and one would end up in the balcony as the Prestige. We learn The purpose of the show is to frame Borden for Angiers. During a performance, Borden #2 sneaks backstage and down into the pit where he witnesses Angiers fall into a water tank and drowns. Cutter discovers Borden standing there and turns him over to police where he is eventually found guilty of Angiers murder and sentenced to be hanged.
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While serving time in prison, Borden #2 is visited by a Lord Caldlow’s lawyer who offers to care for Borden’s daughter in exchange for Borden’s tricks. After first viewing we know that Caldlow is Angiers who was jealously driven by Borden’s seemingly happy family life and wants to care for Borden’s little girl himself.
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When Cutter realizes that Angiers is still alive and living as Caldlow, caring for Borden’s girl after framing Borden for his “murder”, he agrees to help Angiers dispose of the machine with the purpose of getting his revenge.
Funhouse Film Reviews is an exploration and discussion of some of my favorite films and tv shows. I add insight and intrigue and my aim is to enlighten about the world of film and tv.
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