"The Prestige": A masterpiece that questions Christopher Nolan's true "achievement"

The art of misleading storytelling through the human weakness of ego

Who is the best magician among them? In the end, it is none other than director Nolan. At the beginning of the movie, Nolan already casually reveals the secret of Angier's trick. For example, the contents of the fish tank that Borden sees at the beginning. Also, the many top hats lying on the ground. The audience has to wait until the climax to realize what they mean.

The story that follows also contains many elements that lead to the climax. If you watch this film twice or three times, you will surely notice the foreshadowing that Nolan has cleverly laid out. For example, anecdotes that reveal the secret of Borden's teleportation can be found everywhere, such as in dialogue and character descriptions. However, we, the audience, are led by Nolan's misleading, and sometimes doubt and sometimes agree, and we watch the outcome of the show called the movie.

"The Prestige" (c)Photofest / Getty Images

The greatest point of Nolan's skillful misdirection is the fierce clash of Angier and Borden's obsessions to defeat each other. We, the audience, who follow the story, are so engrossed in it that we hardly notice the trick itself. When one ego comes before the other, the audience sides with the one who is left behind. This is what is commonly called "bias for the underdog." Humans can hardly escape from their egos. It is the "weakness" of such humans that drives the story in this film.

"Prestige" means "great feat" and in the field of magic it is the finishing touch. As explained in the film, magic consists of three stages. In the first stage, "Pledge" (=Confirmation), something very ordinary is shown. In the next stage, "Turn" (=Development), something ordinary is transformed into something extraordinary. This is followed by the prestige. Nolan says that filmmaking is very similar to magic. We hope you will enjoy his prestige in this film.

Text: Souma Manabu

After working as an information magazine editor, became a freelance writer. He writes articles and reviews for magazines such as ``SCREEN,'' ``DVD & Video Distribution,'' and ``Cinema Square,'' as well as theater pamphlets and the movie site ``Cinema Today.'' Currently appearing on Star Channel "GO! Theater". I host club events as a hobby.

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(c) Photofest / Getty Images