Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige: Masters of Magic has just about everything I want from a movie about magicians, except… The Prestige: Masters of Magic. In a briefing by Michael Caine, we are first told that every magic trick consists of three acts: (1) an oath where a seemingly real situation is staged, (2) a turn where the original reality is called into question, and (3) everything is restored. An example not used in the film is (1) a woman is put in a box (always a woman, except for Penn and Teller);
The Prestige - Release Date, Trailer, Songs, Cast
| Movie: | The Prestige |
| Genre: | psychological thriller |
| Release Date: | 20 October 2006 |
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the box is cut in half with a saw and separated, and (3) as if by magic the “victim” is restored in one piece. The promise of Nolan’s The Prestige is that a film that has been metaphorically cut in half can be restored. The cheating fails, for example, if the whole woman depicted on stage is not the same as the woman who was unfortunately cut in half. Aside from this fundamental flaw, which leads to some baffling revelations towards the end, it’s a pretty good movie – atmospheric, obsessive, almost demonic.
The Prestige Movie Screenshot
The great transitional figure between “magical” feats and sophisticated tricks, Houdini tried to explain everything he did as a trick. He offered a reward, which he never charged, for each unexplained “supernatural” act. The amazing Randy continues this tradition, bending spoons as effortlessly as Uri Geller. And yet, in Houdini’s time, there were people who claimed he practiced real magic. How else could he have achieved the effect?