In 'The Prestige', two magicians become bitter rivals after a tragic accident. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman play the competitive illusionists who risk everything in their quest to perform the ultimate magic trick.
Nolan tells you "watch closely" four times in the first ten minutes. You don’t. The second viewing is a magic trick performed at half speed: every set, every pocket, every glance was the answer. The movie is the trick.
Nolan films two magicians' rivalry as a magic trick: the pledge, the turn, the prestige. The film tells you the structure and still surprises you with the third act.
Magicians' rivalry escalates into a deadly cycle of revenge.
Two magicians and a trick that requires a double — the film's structure is itself a piece of sleight of hand. Watch it twice; it changes.
