Thanksgiving is a time to let go of grudges and that might be hard for some people, so, if you need a reason to let bygones be bygones, watch The Prestige over this holiday season.
The Prestige, based on a novel by the same name by Christopher Priest, is a 2006 psychological thriller directed by Christopher Nolan. This film would come off the back of Christopher Nolan’s biggest film, Batman Begins, released a year prior. Hugh Jackman’s performance along with the book’s many twists and turns, which the film adapts fantastically, is what keeps you glued to the screen and never gives you the chance to look away.
The film takes place In 1890s London, where two up-and-coming magicians, Angier and Borden, are friends turned bitter rivals after an onstage incident. Robert Angier, played by Hugh Jackman, serves as the film’s protagonist, along with his assistant, a stage engineer by the name of John Cutter, who is played by Michael Caine. His rival, Alfred Borden, played by Christian Bale, is responsible for the death of Angier’s wife after an accidental on-stage water tank stunt went awry.
The theme of the film is one of deception and lies, bitterness and envy. The two magicians manage to sabotage each other’s professional and personal lives. This dynamic between the two is what constantly keeps this film progressing all the way until the end, which keeps you on the edge of your seat as the methods of sabotage continue to amplify.
What begins as a great tragedy, which was done with no ill intentions, leads to a rivalry of profession, of who can bring in the largest audience and create magic tricks that the other couldn’t replicate. That eventually spirals into a personal one in which they not only harm each other but also the ones around them.
Let this film be a lesson to not let envy get in between you and your loved ones.
