Film Analysis: The Prestige

The Nolan brothers “The Prestige” is so impressive. Rather than use cheap methods to achieve suspense, director Christopher Nolan uses the same techniques that real magicians use. The film begins by explaining the basics of every great magic trick. The first part is called the pledge, the second act is called the turn, and the last part of the magic trick is called the prestige. The Nolan brothers utilize magicians’ techniques to achieve suspense and excitement in“The Prestige” as they unfold the story of Borden and Angier.

The Nolan brothers use the first technique in the magic trick to achieve excitement is the pledge. The pledge shows you a portion of the magic trick where the audience is presented with objects that appear to be normal. In the magic trick they use a dove, nothing extraordinary. During a show early in the film, Borden places a birdcage on a pedestal. You would expect anything much.

 The second part of the act is called the turn that the Nolan brothers use. The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it into something extraordinary. Borden then makes the dove disappear as Borden slams his hand into the pedestal. The Nolan brothers are trying to get you to look for the secret, but they don’t want you to find out.

The third part of the act is called the prestige. This is the part with the twists and turns, and you see something shocking you’ve never seen before. The twist of the act with the dove is that the magician made the dove appear again. Borden then takes a flower off of his lapel, and a handkerchief from his pocket, and suddenly the dove is back. The Nolan brothers tone down his time plays and focus on the timing instead. The Prestige feels like the final act of Nolan’ show but it isn’t. The Nolan brothers are leaving suspense and showing us everything he is capable of when working at the highest level he can.

The Nolan brothers utilize magicians’ techniques to achieve suspense and excitement in“The Prestige” as they unfold the story of Borden and Angier. The Nolan brothers utilize magic as a misdirection, to keep the audience's attention elsewhere so that the trick bears out successfully. Nolans have reconstructed the sequences and some of the events to wring out maximum suspense.