Christopher Nolan has become known for crafting films of immense scale that make powerful emotional statements, but he’s also a master of classic cinematic suspense. The acclaimed director often structures his films with unconventional timelines and perspectives, allowing him to shock the audience with ingenious plot twists that would make M. Night Shyamalan jealous. The inverted chronology of Memento and the questioning of reality in Inception lead to Nolan’s most famous surprise endings, but one of his less high-profile works is even more shocking. The Prestige packs in more delightful swerves than any of Nolan’s other films, and the period piece’s final twist stands as arguably the most mind-blowing and satisfying in his filmography.
Based on the Christopher Priest novel of the same name, The Prestige begins in the 1890s. Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) are amateur magicians who work for the same performance company. Tragedy strikes when Angier’s wife, Julia (Piper Perabo), dies during an accident onstage, possibly due to Borden’s decision to bind her hands with a particularly elaborate knot before she performed a water tank trick. Following this incident, Angier and Borden become bitter rivals. What starts as simple revenge escalates into an intense obsession with proving themselves superior magicians to one another.
As their rivalry intensifies, Angier ultimately frames Borden for murder, leading to Borden’s hanging. Yet, in a stunning turn of events, Borden reappears and kills Angier after revealing that he is one of a pair of identical twins. He and his brother had regularly traded places for years, living as the public face of “Borden” and sometimes as his bearded assistant, “Bernard Fallon,” in pursuit of a single successful career in magic.
The reveal of Borden’s identity is one of the great twists in movie history for several reasons. Like most compelling twists, it is subtly foreshadowed earlier in the film and does not contradict anything established about the plot or characters. The theme of doubles is explored, with Angier using an unrelated lookalike to perform an early version of his teleportation trick. Several scenes involving Borden further hint at this duality: he praises another performer for his “total devotion to his art” and his wife, Sarah (Rebecca Hall), notes that she feels loved only part of the time. The idea of identity and perception permeates the film.
One of the most amusing examples of foreshadowing occurs when Borden narrates at the start, saying, “we were two young magicians at the beginning of our career; we never meant to hurt anyone.” Initially, viewers may assume he refers to himself and Angier, but this line also fits the relationship between Borden and his brother, adding layers to the narrative.
The Prestige continues to confound audiences with its array of twists, particularly the significant mid-movie twist preceding the twins’ reveal. After becoming obsessed with uncovering how Borden performs his teleportation trick, Angier steals Borden’s diary and discovers writings about a machine created by Nikola Tesla (David Bowie). Convinced that the machine is the secret to Borden’s trick, Angier hires Tesla to build one for him. However, Angier soon learns that the machine does not teleport; instead, it creates a perfect duplicate, which appears at a distance from the machine.
Angier employs this machine to present his own illusion, dubbed “The Real Transported Man.” Each performance culminates in a disconcerting moment where Angier, trapped by his obsession, drowns in a water tank while his clone emerges on stage. This haunting decision illustrates the depths of Angier’s fixation, showcasing how far he is willing to go for success. Eventually, the discovery of one of Angier’s drowned clones leads to Borden’s arrest.
The film’s intricate layering is evident as it navigates from the realm of historical drama into science fiction, particularly with the introduction of Tesla and his controversial cloning machine. This shift significantly alters viewers’ expectations, and The Prestige successfully follows this progression with the equally shocking Borden revelation, highlighting Nolan’s masterful construction of narrative and themes.
Notably, the Borden twist emphasizes the film’s thematic arcs rather than existing solely to complicate the plot. A recurring scene throughout the film features John Cutter (Michael Caine), a colleague of both Borden and Angier, performing a disappearing bird trick. Accompanied by Cutter’s narration, this trick exemplifies three essential acts of illusion: the pledge, the turn, and the prestige. The film mimics this structure in its storytelling, engaging viewers with a narrative that is anything but linear.
Initially, Angier appears to be the sympathetic character following Julia’s tragic death, positioning Borden as a potential antagonist. Yet, as Angier spirals into obsession, sacrificing clones for his success, viewers are left questioning their allegiances. The revelation of Angier’s intention to kill Borden and raise Jess (Samantha Mahurin)—Borden’s daughter—ultimately allows the twins to reclaim the audience’s sympathy. They may be flawed individuals, but their bond is profoundly human and relatable.
The Prestige’s success in constantly upending viewers’ expectations regarding plot and emotional meaning is why it stands as one of the crowning achievements of Christopher Nolan’s storied career. The film engages audiences not only with its intricate narrative but also by exploring deep themes of identity, sacrifice, and the nature of illusion and reality. Nolan delivers a film that is both thrilling and thought-provoking, ensuring that viewers are left contemplating the implications of its final reveal long after the credits roll.
