In The Prestige, Christopher Nolan directed a movie with a grounded and intimate story while generally avoiding a theme that came to define his future projects – time. Although there are numerous narrative jumps in the film, Nolan's obsession with time is not the paramount focus here. The movie is indicative of Nolan's stage in the filmmaking industry at the time. There are shades of the qualities that audiences would come to expect from Nolan with later projects, including deeper philosophical themes and sci-fi elements. Nolan expertly disguised The Prestige as a magic-infused mystery, but beneath that exterior is a movie that endures as a character-centered drama accompanied by an enthralling twist ending that reveals Nolan's true prestige.
Before The Prestige was released in 2006, Nolan had already begun to experiment with his future trademark of nonlinear storytelling, a technique that he deftly accomplished in Memento. Nolan's Memento was well-received by critics and audiences alike, and following immense commercial success with Batman Begins, Nolan was once again able to revisit clever narrative tricks in The Prestige. Nolan has established himself as something of a creative unicorn. He possesses a rare quality among directors in that his films are generally critically and commercially successful, while also exploring heavier philosophical themes. By the time The Prestige was released, Nolan had proven himself as an adept small-scale mystery director, with a blockbuster credit to his name. His trajectory as a filmmaker allowed the movie to boast an ideal combination of intimately humane themes while still exploring thought-provoking narrative possibilities, solidifying The Prestige as one of Nolan's best movies.
The aspect that truly sets The Prestige apart from the rest of Nolan's filmography is his acute focus on character. The performances are spellbinding in their own right, but it's the way that Nolan manipulates these characters to both communicate the film's key themes and achieve his purpose that proves crucial. With the magical facade stripped away, The Prestige is a story that examines human nature. At a surface level, the film chronicles the extraordinary pursuits of two magicians brutally attempting to best one another. Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) engage in grossly unhealthy competition. Sacrifice, desperation, and revenge are the primary motifs of the two men, as they employ vile acts of deception against each other and the people they care for. At its core, however, this revenge plot functions as the film's frame narrative. Nolan's time obsession is largely absent, which ultimately helps elevate the impact of The Prestige's intricate plot twist.
The Prestige's Plot Is A Different Kind Of Nolan Trick
While Nolan's affinity for time is well-documented, he explored different themes in The Prestige with a calculated approach that utilized an inventive plot trick. The narrative structure of the film is handled just as a magic trick would be. Nolan initiated the audience with a pledge, followed up with a turn, and concluded with a prestige. The compelling struggle between the two magicians functions as the pledge. Angier sets on a seemingly unrewarding journey to Colorado Springs, having been sent there in deception by Borden. The turn saw Angier frame Borden for his death, meanwhile scheming to lock Borden away. The prestige is the best executed of the three and is arguably the best of Nolan's cinematic tricks.
Nolan's twist was evidently somewhat divisive for critics, as the film scored the lowest on average Tomatometer score of the five in Nolan's directorial catalog at the time. Regardless, the secret that Borden used a double in his famous Transported Man trick is the wholly unexpected but exceedingly satisfying prestige. If not properly divulged, this revelation could come off as over the top or forced. However, the three acts in the film are indicative of Nolan's studious diligence in incorporating Borden's twin Bernard Fallon. In favor of a time-centric theme, Nolan helmed a classic that set the stage for his future success but can still feel lost among the more expansive projects on his resume. With The Prestige, Nolan proved he could seamlessly combine sci-fi, mystery, and drama while crafting a narrative with uniquely layered and rich characters.
