A very good film that appeals to more than the visual.

Rating: 10/10 (22 September 2013)

Warning Contains Spoilers The Prestige is a suspense thriller that pits two magicians against each other. The first magician is Robert Angier, played by Hugh Jackman. The second magician is Alfred Borden, played by Christian Bale. The magicians are engaged in a battle to end up with the greatest magic trick the world has seen and the title of best magician.
The Prestige centers on the human capacity for excellence and strive for more. At first, Borden is working for Angier. Eventually Borden strikes out on his own because he thinks that he is better. After a couple of personal incidents between the two, a brutal feud ensues. Their relationships end up failing because of the feud with each other. Borden eventually creates a trick that Angier is incapable of figuring out. This impossible trick forces Angier to look for another tactic for his tricks. Angier is contacted by a man named Tesla, played by David Bowie, who tells Angier that he might have what he is looking for. Tesla proceeds to show Angier an invention of his. Angier ends up asking Tesla to make a device for him, but Tesla has some doubts as to the ethical ramifications of this device. The device ends up being something that seems to be able to teleport Angier to other locations. The point in fact is the machine is cloning him.
The lighting in the film is very spotted. It generally gives a focus to the character on the stage. The magicians are always lit up with light. There is point in the film where Angier is consulting with Tesla about the device and there is field of light bulbs, the light that is produced in this scene is intense. The scenes in the film that have Borden in prison are kind of natural colors with no added lighting. This type of scene adds to the mood of possible isolation and despair. The majority of the performances provide the point-of-view from the audience. The audience point of view allows the viewer to become just as oblivious as to what is actually going on as the rest of the audience.
A film that had many similarities with The Prestige is Citizen Kane. Kane is a person that is not satisfied with what he given or has achieved. He always wants more. His marriages, friendships, and respect of his employees all came apart at the seams, because he was always striving for something that was not within his reach, love.