Nolans The Prestige - Movie Review Example

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October 24, 2017

Nolan’s The Prestige: From the Structure to the De-structured

Some competitors enjoy the thrill of winning, while others take the competition to the extreme, risking not only their lives but also others. Set in nineteenth-century London, The Prestige, directed by Christopher Nolan, characterizes the struggle for domination between two illusionists, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale). Angier blames Borden for his wife’s death, and, since then, the two engaged in a never-ending sabotage of each other’s magic tricks. An adaptation of the 1995 British novel, The Prestige, by Christopher Priest, the title came from the fictional practice of stage illusions, which had three basic parts that John Cutter identified in the beginning of the film: (1) the set-up (pledge), (2) the performance (turn), and (3) the impact (prestige). Showcasing ingenuity that is distinct from other magician films during this time, Nolan and his crew produced The Prestige that continues to have relevance in term of naturalistic production, balance between realism and fantasy, and an impressive depiction of the book’s structure in a different visual medium, resulting in a breathtaking twist on both the plot and the art of filmmaking.

Owing to The Prestige’s fascinating narrative, Christopher Nolan became interested in adapting it into a screenplay with his brother, Jonathan Nolan. Initially, though Priest wanted a film version of his book, not many American distributors grabbed the opportunity. Eventually, through the commitment of the Nolan brothers, Buena Vista picture of Touchstone Pictures and a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures from Newmarket Films and Syncopy Production enabled its production. Emma Thomas, Aaron Ryder, and Christopher Nolan composed the producing panel, while the executive producers were Charles J.D. Schlissel, Chris J. Ball, William Tyrer, and Valerie Dean. The camera was a Panavision widescreen and the cinematographer, Wally Pfister. The assistant directors were Alan B. Curtiss and Jody, whereas Spilkoman Lee Smith served as the editor. David Julyan managed the musical aspect of the film and created an original score. Nathan Crowley served as the production designer, whereas the art director was Kevin Kavanaugh. Julie Ochipinti acted as the set decorator, Joan Bergin, the costume designer, and for sound, Richard King. Moreover, to enhance the believability of the film, Nolan hired magic advisors, Ricky Jay and Michael Weber. To choose the actors, John Papsidera functioned as the casting director. The movie was reviewed at Sony Metreon in San Francisco on October 4, 2006 and received an MPAA rating of PG-13 (Harvey). Released on October 20, 2006 in theaters, the film made $53 million on its first day in the United States. All over the world, The Prestige grossed $109 million.

Additional details on the writing and production aspects are important to understanding how The Prestige was made from the beginning. Since 2001, Christopher and Jonathan collaborated on working on the script and deliberately followed the three-part structure of stage magic. In 2003, Nolan wanted to direct the film before the production of Batman Begins became more demanding. However, only in 2005 was Nolan able to focus on The Prestige and negotiated the main roles with Jackman and Bale. Nolan brothers explained the long duration of the writing process: they wanted “to reshape the form of their screenplay to the thematic structure of the book in a bid to become the cinematic embodiment of the magic trade’s core principles” (Beyl). Finding a way to fit the thematic structure of the novel into the film was so significantly difficult that the brothers finished the final shooting script merely three days before production began (Harvey; Beyl). The shooting started in January 2006 and ended in April 2006 with a budget of $40 million.

While the Nolan brothers wrote the script, Crowley initiated the set design process in Nolan's garage through creating scales, models, and drawings. Although the setting of the film was in England, most scenes were actually shot on Los Angeles. Crowley and his people looked for locations that had similarities with London at the end of the nineteenth century. Moreover, after doing research on how Tesla conducted his experiments, Crowley helped design the electric bulb scene of Tesla which Nolan shot in the parking lot of Mount Wilson Observatory. Furthermore, inspired by the "Victorian modernist aesthetic," Crowley selected four places in the Broadway theater district in downtown Los Angeles for the locations of the magic performances, the Los Angeles Theatre, the Tower Theatre, the Palace Theatre, and the Los Angeles Belasco. Showcasing the significance of Hollywood back lots, Victorian London in The Prestige was shot in the Universal back lot. Crowley transformed this outdoor area into fin de siècle London and noted: “I realized in Victorian London there was so much text advertising” (Idelson). He stressed: “Text advertising was huge during the Industrial Revolution, and we figured we could cover buildings in it, and that would help us in terms of both time and money” (Idelson). Moreover, dissimilar to the other big films of Nolan, Crowley made only one set for The Prestige, the under-stage part of the theatre where Angier, Borden, and Cutter meet after the performances. By choosing and preparing different sets, Crowley and his crew had a significant contribution to the pre-production and production stages.

Despite a tight budget, Nolan did not disappoint in delivering his usual trademark. To cement his reputation for “impeccable cinematography and unrivaled production value,” different units worked hard in creating a quality film (Beyl). Pfister portrayed the historical setting’s mood with soft earth tones apart from white and black colors for background contrasts that enhanced the focus on the characters (Beyl). Majority of the scenes was shot on location and provided the movie a “smoky, industrial texture” that could not be created inside a soundstage (Beyl). In terms of stylistics, The Prestige has similarities with Nolan’s first independent works as he used a handheld camera that had a 2.35:1 frame which reduced the precision and purposeful compositions of his scenes (Beyl). To support this approach, Nolan and Pfister avoided artificial light which enhanced the portrayal of a historical period (Beyl). On the one hand, natural light decreases control over the set. On the other hand, it demonstrates Nolan’s directorial confidence in making Victorian England come out as real as possible (Beyl). Even the bright light has meaning to the developments of the industrial revolution and the invention of electricity (Beyl). Naturalistic production provided the gritty feel of industrial London and the socio-economic changes of the times.

Though profusely using natural light, Nolan combined the raw and real with his vision of a majestic historical scale through the use of the studio toybox plus high angle shots from ample crane arms and helicopter mounts (Beyl). Furthermore, when Angier visited Tesla in his remote compound in Colorado Springs, Nolan showcased the “iconic visual language of the western genre” (Beyl). The effect is the feeling of being in the middle of a large and rapidly changing landscape that is in transition from the old to the new economy. As for the color palette of The Prestige, it has similarities with Batman Begins. Both were shot in 35mm film image and in earth and metal tones. Likewise, they exhibited interior sequences which had warm amber hues that contrasted with the cold, cobalt exteriors (Beyl). The color red was only predominantly used on the insides of stately theatres and Angier’s Colorado stagecoach to depict the romanticism and the illusion of the magician profession (Beyl). One of the press people invited to the edit bay of the film was impressed with the crew’s dedication to perfection as one shot took 20 t0 30 minutes of editing before it was shown to Nolan, alongside the producers, for the final approval (“The Prestige Edit Bay Visit”). Nolan balanced natural scenes with controlled settings to create scenes that capture social, technological, and economic developments.

Based on the largely positive reaction of critics and the box-office revenues, the film had an impact on the production of magician-genre films. The Prestige has an average rating of 76% in Rotten Tomatoes with 92% audience score liking it. Majority of the critics appreciated the twists and turns of the film as well as its portrayal of a remarkable, though tumultuous, historical period. While Batman Begins eclipses The Prestige in popularity, the latter is likewise an exciting film with box-office sales of almost $110 million. Recent reviews of The Prestige underline its depth and compel the audience to explore diverse issues on cinematic artistry and symbolism. Beyl notes that The Prestige continues to be popular because of its rich cinematography that captured the grittiness of the social and economic changes of this period. The Industrial Revolution is in the setting as well as in the tension between magicians, while Edison and Tesla’s bitter rivalry comments on the struggles of changes during this time. Seddon adds that the film explores several issues in the sideline that accounts for greater after-movie discussions, such as the feuds between scientists and the threat that modern life imposes on traditional values and ways of life. Moreover, Seddon and Beyl are also impressed with the transformation of the non-linear narrative. Cutter says, “every magic trick consists of three parts: the pledge, the turn and the prestige” ( The Prestige), and this has vital meaning for the complexity of the plot. Nolan wants the audience to think that the lives of the characters are as simple as three parts, only to reveal through mixing and matching frames and viewpoints that linearity is a sham. Besides being complex, humanity faces the challenges of aggressive competitiveness that includes battles between magicians and inventors in addition to the conflicts between traditional and modern life.

Other similar films were produced and shown in the same year as The Prestige with similarities in themes, limited budgets, and director strategies. Neil Burger’s The Illusionist, an American romantic mystery film, as well as Scoop, directed by Woody Allen, both tackle themes of deceit and power. However, The Illusionist includes political power, while The Prestige remarks on this as well when it integrates the rivalry between Tesla and Edison. All three films likewise have small budgets with The Illusionist’s $16.5 million and Scoop, $4 million. To make up for these limitations, their directors have the same strategy on instilling their style into the movies without breaking their budget. Nolan did away with large sets and maximized natural light apart from shooting in Los Angeles, Burger leveraged camera effects, and Allen used simple settings. Finally, to depict the mystery and power of the magicians, The Prestige, The Illusionist, and Scoop share the same warm hues for the stage performances. The colors of gold and red reinforce the illusion that people manifest when playing, not only magician functions, but also their social roles.

Scoop and The Illusionist have differences in how it depicts reality and magic. Since Scoop is a comedy, Allen showcases illusions in lesser grandeur. Sid Waterman (Woody Allen) is a bit too talkative as a magician and seems to say more gibberish than other illusionists in The Illusionist and The Prestige. Perhaps by acting this way, Allen wants to be the “real” example of a magician, although he comes off as a highly inexperienced and trying hard one. The magic performance also has unnecessary diegetic music (too cheerful for illusionist acts) and non-diegetic sounds of the audience laughing. In short, magical performances are painfully simplistic and contrived in Scoop. The Illusionist, set in the Czech Republic, has a strong turn-of-the-century European vibes but on a much grander scale. Likewise, the magic scenes are too fantastical with disappearing magicians and trees in the middle of nowhere. The texture of the film reinforces the theme of deception with its hazy quality, especially when Eisenheim the Illusionist (Edward Norton) performs magic. Watching him do magic is similar to having a dream. At the same time, iris shots heighten the boundary between what is real and what is fictional as well as the past and the present. Generally, The Illusionist unapologetically emphasizes that it is about deception, while Scoop resists attaching splendor to the profession of magicians by creating an ordinary-man version.

While Scoop and The Illusionist appear to be at the opposite extremes of the magnificence of the illusionist trade, Nolan goes right into the psychology of greed and deception in The Prestige with handheld shots in daylight plus darkness in the theaters. Nolan contrasts the real world outside with light showing the squalor of industrialized London with the illusion of power and perfection in stage performances that is hidden in darkness. The use of light alone demonstrates that magic uses darkness to hide reality. Magic may look captivating; however, its secrets are morally revolting. Moreover, The Illusionist used autochrome to create a unique form of color and contrast palette. Autochrome photography became popular from 1903 to the 1930's and is distinct: “autochrome is a singular transparency image—there is no negative” (“The Illusionist”). A specially-made glass plate captures every image and coated with colored starch grains followed by a carbon black layer to fill in the spaces. Lastly, a silver gelatin emulsion is spread on the color screen. After exposure, the base side is positioned toward the subject being photographed, and the color screen filters the emulsion from the product of a positive image to generate subtle color qualities (“The Illusionist”). Instead of this painstaking color approach, Nolan simplifies the process with natural light and dolly plus crane shots. The editors go through each scene carefully to remove unnecessary colors and noises. In short, Nolan combines the ruggedness of the real with the simulation of illusion that fits the theme of The Prestige.

While The Illusion and Scoopboth have interesting twists at the end, The Prestige is special because of how the novel structure is interpreted in the film medium and offered a new way of seeing humanity. First, I loved how Nolan injected the three parts of an illusion from the novel into the film, yet he also de-structured it by starting media res. Changing the sequence of the story underlines the intricacy of intertwined human narratives. Additionally, an illusion is supposed to be simple, but Angier and Borden made it sophisticated and bloody through violent sabotages. Also, while their rivalry drove their innovations, Angier’s ambition transformed him into a vengeful, immoral man. If only he forgave Borden for his indirect participation in his wife’s death, then they would have had a peaceful life and Borden’s twin would have still been alive. Second, Nolan played the illusion of linearity well. The prestige is not in Borden losing the game to Angier after the latter dies, which the beginning of the film suggested. Ironically, the prestige can be found in the end, when all the missing links emerge. Third, Nolan subverted the meaning of the prestige in a magician’s life. An illusion that claims lives literally (as in Fallon and Sarah) and figuratively (being consumed with domination kills the humanity of Borden and Angier) is not a simple illusion, but a dehumanizing process. Fourth, Nolan, in de-structuring the illusion, destruct-ured humanity too. Apparently, Angier was not after revenge alone but the desire for complete power. After Borden shoots him, he explains why he did terrible things:

You never understood why we did this. The audience knows the truth: the world is simple. It's miserable, solid all the way through. But if you could fool them, even for a second, then you can make them wonder, and then you... then you got to see something really special. You really don't know? It was... it was the look on their faces... (The Prestige).

He wants power for its own sake, and as a result, he is willing to kill and literally, die for it. When power becomes the sole end of humanity, it corrupts and empties their souls.

Finally, I love The Prestige as it opened a new way of seeing films after Nolan used the illusion structure to deconstruct filmmaking. The Prestige argues that filmmakers are illusionists too. They set up the stage, make the audience believe in something, and then reveal twists at the end. However, directors can only gain prestige if the audience recognize and appreciate the twists. Cutter offers an important insight on magic that is applicable also on filmmaking: “Now you're looking for the secret. But you won't find it because of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled” (The Prestige). The audience must want to be followed to appreciate films. Otherwise, they know it is a sham and would not be worthy of their time and money. Like consuming magic, watching films depends on that ironic autonomous choice of paying great illusionists in order to be completely fooled. To be duped is necessary to living and dying again and again for every film watched.

Besides setting itself apart from similar magic films with its balanced mesh of realism and illusion, The Prestige illustrates themes of power and deception in its deconstruction of humanity, narratives, and filmmaking. As long as people desire power in itself, they will lose the essence of their humanity because power can eliminate the aspiration to be humane. Furthermore, the illusion has a structure that is deceiving in the same way that human characters will deceive if it suits their purpose. Lastly, magic is a metaphor for filmmaking. To love a film, one must pay for a large blindfold and trust that when pushed, one will fall into a plush mattress, when, in reality, it is merely the hard back of a theater seat. Despite the illusion, there is beauty in falling and being deceived, if only to access the opportunity to experience multiple lives and escape the limits of one’s lifetime.