Obsession and the prestige

Rating: 10/10 (18 November 2006)

The Magic
I have found that many of my friends seem incapable of enjoying magic tricks. They have an overwhelming desire to guess how the trick is performed  if they succeed, the trick is essentially ruined as no element of mystery remains. If they should however fail, they feel frustrated and cheated. It seems that the only way to truly enjoy magicians is if you let them fool you. In the last fifteen years a genre of films closely following the pattern of the best magic tricks has begun to emerge  films that incorporate a shocking "twist" ending which often change the nature of everything that had gone on before. Arguably the best (and one of the first) was the excellent "Usual Suspects". The film's twist was largely unexpected (not just the nature of the surprise ending but also the fact that it even exists) and as consequence was an immense popular and critical success. After that, many films have taken up the strategy, with varying degrees of success. The trap that many of them fall into is that the twist ending overshadows everything else in the film. If the audiences know that a twist ending is coming they might overlook the film itself in trying to guess the ending. M. Night Shyamalan's "Unbreakable" suffered from the disease. Despite being possibly the most intelligent dissection of superheroes ever committed to film, a disproportional amount of attention and criticism were directed against the relatively weak surprise in the end, largely due to unreasonable expectation of following up or even outdoing "The Sixth Sense".
At least in one part of the reviews and responses, a similar response is shaping up for "The Prestige". This is deeply unjust. The film's point above all else is the characterisation of two obsessive characters: Angier and Borden, and that is accomplished brilliantly. And the ending might not that be that bad either.
The Rivals
As others have stated the film revolves around the conflict of two magicians of the XIX century, which starts after the death of Angier's (Hugh Jackman) wife for which Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) is partially responsible. From then on, the two engage in an escalating and destructive game, which largely revolves around the "Transported Man"- a trick they both perform. This cat and mouse game leads to some extraordinarily tense scenes that Christopher Nolan directs to perfection. Because the film relies heavily on trickery and misdirection, we are never clear where the events will take us. Furthermore, since there are no clearly defined heroes and villains, the expectations of each character's fate are further confounded.
The cast is phenomenal. First and foremost, Christian Bale gives an acting masterclass. His Alfred Borden is a deeply obsessed, cold and conflicted personality etched with remarkable clarity by Bale, especially considering the relatively constricting screenplay. His character is not inherently sympathetic but Bale is able to infuse it with enough charisma that he threatens to completely take over the viewers' sympathies. His scenes with Rebecca Hall (who plays Borden's wife) are especially effective  Bale is equally believable as a loving husband and a man too obsessed with his magic to care for his wife.
Hugh Jackman does almost equally as well (although he can't quite match Bale's powerhouse performance). He has a more interesting role and a better-developed character arc. Angier starts off as a relatively positive figure, a light-hearted showman and a more obvious protagonist than the brooding Borden. The main plot of the film shows his growing obsession with Borden and his more increasing disregard for anything or anyone else. By the time the film pulls into the final third, his character has undergone a deep transformation into a much more sinister and unpleasant figure  an almost out and out villain. Jackman more or less pulls it off and only seems out of his depth in a few scenes opposite Michael Caine where he, and anyone else, are reduced to scenery as Caine gives a deeply human and above all effortless performance.
The most curious of all however, is David Bowie. How he chooses to portray Nikola Tesla is inspired, fiercely original and unexpected. His Tesla functions perfectly in the context of the plot  Bowie giving him just the right tone so that the Tesla of the film can be reconciled with the Tesla of reality. In addition, Bowie's performance is sufficiently layered to leave an open door for a more satisfying interpretation of the "surprise" ending.
The Twist
The film, by the time it ends, gives an explanation of how both versions of "The Transported man" are performed. Borden's version is the film's central mystery and some viewers may feel cheated because the solution is relatively easy to guess (personally I was completely fooled up until the very end  and as consequence was tremendously entertained).
Angier's version is also clearly explained  and represents the films biggest weakness. The explanation offered is a major disappointment and it mars the tone of the film significantly. However, at second glance, there is another interpretation that the film seems curiously unwilling to completely deny. Apart from a single shot, which gives credence to the "official" explanation, the film chooses to be ambiguous. Every other scene that takes us behind the scenes of Angier's trick is either deliberately unclear or depicted in flashback. Considering how obsessive the Nolan brothers are about tying up loose ends, it is difficult to believe that the "alternative" explanation is accidental. As the film itself puts it: "Once you explain the trick, you are nothing." Is it possible they deliberately left it unexplained? After all, that's what a prestige is for.