AFTER DARK
like “Interstellar” and “Inception”, Nolan has certainly made himself a force to be reckoned with in regard to 21st century cinema. Though I can’t argue that Nolan’s body of work consists mostly of fine examples regarding storytelling and spectacle, I do find upsetting how “The Prestige” seems to have been tragically swept under the rug. Perhaps this can be chalked up to it’s lack of unique heady concepts in its foundation; there’s no elite team of slickly dressed dream robbers or minutemen style astronauts using black holes to teleport from planet to planet. The main characters are two illusionists who compete against one another. From a surface level, it’s vanilla in comparison. Looking deeper into this film, however, may change your mind. I would argue that “The Prestige” is Nolan’s most inventive film to date. The film revolves around Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), two highly skilled magicians living and performing in 19th century London. Angier is the showman who knows how to dress up an act to get the best reaction from a crowd. Borden is more technical and articulate with his tricks. What starts as a friendly competition between the two evolves into an all out war driven by obsession, greed and their impermeable desire to best one another. They begin by sabotaging each others’ acts. The game changes, however, when Borden showcases a too-good-to-be true illusion in which he appears to teleport across the stage. Angier is left hollow and clueless, determined to find the secret. “He used a double”, both his assistant and his illusion designer insist. He refuses to accept that conclusion, though. Astonished by Borden’s performance, he can’t believe it to be that simple. He has to know the trick. This is when the attacks become personal. Angier gives his assistant away and buries Borden’s assistant alive. Borden crashes Angier’s act, resulting in on-stage humiliation and a broken leg.
Angier, despite all odds, eventually finds what he thinks is the secret to Borden’s teleportation: an actual teleportation device designed and built by a fictionalized Nikola Tesla (the late David Bowie). Equipped with new knowledge, new equipment and his preexisting hatred for his rival, he crafts his grand exit. In the end of his scheme, Angier escapes the limelight and frames Borden for murder. While watching the film for the first time, I thought it was well done but nothing amazing. That is, until the final scene, in which Borden reveals that he had been using a double the entire time. The teleportation trick was not just a piece of his act; it encompassed his entire life. It’s very much in line with Borden’s character, who shows a propensity to forgo the grand, and focus more on perfection in simplicity. A twist ending isn’t all too uncommon, especially in modern movies. What makes this movie special is how Nolan skillfully hides the solution in plain sight of the viewer, as well as Angier. The entire film is littered with clues. Borden’s wife, in response to Borden telling her he loves her, says, “Not today… some days it’s not true.” Nolan even shows the viewer a trick that is a small scale version of Borden’s teleportation act, using birds instead of people. Borden explains the use of a second identical bird to a small boy. Borden even asks, “Are you watching closely?” In hindsight, this seems about as subtle as a kick to the face. But just like Angier, we become far too absorbed in our perception of what goes on that we’re made blind to what stands right in front of us. This film in a way no other has before, deconstructs the perfect movie experience, without deconstructing itself in a way that would pull the viewer out of immersion. It’s marvelous. Just like a great magic show, a second (third and maybe fourth) viewing is a must.
FU’S REVIEW:
59