Review of The Prestige (2006) by Brett C — 10 Mar 2014

So much of what is said in the last few minutes of this film, explain the reaction that I had when the credits started to roll. It left me thinking extensively on what just happened, and whether or not there was more to it than what Christopher Nolan has led me to believe. The Prestige has become one of the lesser known favorites from Nolan's filmography. Some have regarded this film as one of the director's best efforts but I never really felt that at all whenever I contemplate about this film. This is most definitely an improvement from Batman Begins and at par with his second film, Memento. It just can't make the climb to his spectacular films like Inception and The Dark Knight Rises.

The Prestige was written by both Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, this would be the latter's first adapted screenplay, and was based on the novel "The Prestige" written by Christopher Priest. Nolan has written a wonderful story about revenge, obsession, sacrifice and magic. Similar to Memento, the film's story is told in multiple layers, with one following something and the other following another thing but both will eventually come together and wrap things up. The revenge aspect of the story doesn't feel unique, as it goes where one expects it would go, but the subject being explored is. I wished we were given more about these characters as it would have given us more understanding of their intrinsic drives in beating the other man; they just don't feel comprehensive enough. The film essentially follows both magicians, and this is done in order for us to stay detached and see the rivalry in the eyes of a third person. Though I do wonder whether the film would be much better suited with a more personal approach; focusing on one person and spending more time exploring him. I felt that Angier's story was not as interesting as compared to Borden's due to the simplicity in the character's values and drives. Borden in the other hand demonstrated multiple layers to himself that gains more appreciation with repeated viewing. It's his story that had me wanting to go back and figure out how he managed his life. The film contains multiple twists and turns, and the rate of it increases as the film moves on. I wasn't one of those who were annoyed with the bombardment of twists the film offers because I felt they were plausible and appropriate given the subject matter. I wished that the film gave us a bit more from the characters impacted from the rivalry; for example Sarah and Olivia. Sacrifice is a big theme in this film, and these characters, along with Julia, are the symbol of that, and if the audience sees how much they have suffered because of this dispute then it would have been more heartbreaking to watch. The film's dialogue was pretty good; driving the plot along while still entertaining us with information about magic and it's importance.

The film was directed by Christopher Nolan and this film was made right after Batman Begins. I think the success from Batman Begins allowed him to make this film with more artistic license. Nolan seems to be in much more control with this film than his previous film, something that was also found in his second film "Memento". Nolan has made a pattern for himself in making blockbuster entertainments like The Dark Knight trilogy and in between he would release more personal and artistic films, which includes Inception, The Prestige and the upcoming Interstellar. Nolan loves to create films that would have us thinking and he places this on the surface of his films. Sometimes directors prefer to hide the film's complexities underneath the surface in order for the film to be more accessible, but Nolan makes sure it is in full display and at the same time ensuring accessibility. The Prestige is definitely his most complex storyline as he tackles a subject that many people are ignorant of. Watching this film doesn't make a person more informed about the craft because that isn't the film's intention. Nolan was also able to create this parallel connection with magic and filmmaking which isn't really groundbreaking but no other film has been more obvious or as literal as this. Certain scenes in this film seems to be almost directly aimed at the audience, particularly in the last few minutes of the film. Nolan is no stranger to fragmented storytelling, it's found in his earlier films like Memento and Batman Begins. The Prestige is a bit of a step back, as it does feature layered storytelling, but flows chronologically and more simple. Also it felt confusing in trying to follow the story in certain moments, with sudden cuts that takes a while in establishing the scene. The film's needs a bit of work in the editorial department.

The film's director of photography was Wally Pfister. What he has created for The Prestige is this dark atmosphere that explores the more pessimistic side of magic and not the glamorous climate that is generally attached with it. The photography captures the grimy urban setting that was found during the time period, though it wasn't a focus for the film as the photography places more of it's focus in it's characters and it's ability to sell the film's magic. The film also has some scenes set in the snowy mountain areas of Colorado, capturing that sense of isolation and exile that Tesla suffered. The film's photography takes a more hand held approach which gives the audience the opportunity to be close to these magicians during the act but at the same time it allows Nolan to use it as a form of misdirect. Pfister really captured the aura of success in magicians during the time period with many moments during their shows looking at these great men in the point of view of the audience member.

The film's score was composed by David Julyan. Julyan has worked with Nolan before in films including Memento and Insomnia. His work on The Prestige was quite disappointing, with very few moments actually creating a response from me. It never seems to create any elevated tension which was very disappointing. The orchestral score felt uninspired, with moments feeling very familiar to his work on Memento.

The film's acting is carried by it's main two leads, Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. The chemistry between the two actors was good but there was definitely a clear room for improvement. Bale was definitely a stand out in this film, surpassing his performance in Batman Begins. During subsequent viewings, I started seeing subtle things in his performance that shows how great he was. It was like seeing two sides of him, it just wasn't clear the first time because I was so heavily invested in trying to crack the story. Jackman on the other hand was a bit disappointing. It just couldn't match the complexity in Bale's performance. Jackman's character seems to be projecting only a handful of emotions and tends to repeat itself throughout the entire film. David Bowie as Tesla was surprisingly entertaining to watch. Though his character was really under-explored, he was still able to bring this aura of greatness, which in reality was a great man. Scarlett Johansson was decent as the magician's assistant, Olivia Wenscombe. Johansson didn't really bring anything extraordinary to the character, acting more as a pretty face to look at. Rebecca Hall on the other hand was amazing as this woman who doesn't completely understand her husband. She has wonderful chemistry with Bale and I completely bought their relationship. Michael Caine as Cutter was average, giving a performance that I felt wasn't really memorable. It's always nice to see Andy Serkis as he I always see him committed to his roles and though this is one of his lesser films, he still was able to give his character a personality, making him memorable.

Overall, The Prestige is a great film thanks to a unique and interesting use of magic in it's storytelling and a great performance from Christian Bale and Rebecca Hall. Though the film has it's flaws, there is enough good things about it that makes this a strong effort from Christopher Nolan.