just like when he says he loves his wife some days, and some days he doesn’t. when the twin is with the wife is when he doesn’t love her. the poor wife never knew it was the twin that didn’t love her and had the mistress, and not her husband. the secrecy and the dedication to the craft sent her to her grave.
@@blimpvapor Now watch it for the 8th time and try and figure out which brother is in every scene and how it changes the entire narrative. Then think about how Nolan never uses actual magic in his films and try and figure out the end that way. It's so much fun, probably the greatest re-watchable film in history.
"show me that again!" said every single person who ever watched this movie. it's the only movie my dad and i saw in theaters, walked out, and we bought tickets to the very next showing lol.
My sister & I watched this movie like 4 times in one day back to back once it came out on DVD & took notes trying to make sure we knew exactly what happened, & also trying to figure out all the tricks lol
I love the way Nolan crafts his movies. The first time I saw this was with a group of friends. They were quite confused by the timeline cuts, but I could easily follow. Such movies are always worth several more watches as they allow you to focus more on the subtle elements and quotes.
Nolan is the definition of the insufferable genius. He's so good, and I love him. And I hate him. He's brilliant when he's good, and baffling when he's not. I hate him and love him. I don't know if he's right or I am. But I'd forever argue he's a true artist.
Which is why it was cool to see that when SpaceX launched a Tesla into space, it was playing David Bowie on the radio. You had Bowie playing Tesla, and a Tesla playing Bowie.
Cassie: Doesn't recognize a shaved Hugh Jackman until 15 minutes in despite currently watching him every other week in X-Men Also Cassie: Is that Gollum? 😅
She even calls him "not Hugh Jackman" at one point. Although I will admit that he looks a lot different 20 years ago than he does now. Like, he's not just older, his face used to be a bit skinnier and boyish, he wasn't as jacked...
@@Emilysbrother1 Her next film should be Kate and Leopold. Now there's a really young Hugh Jackman(just a year after the first X-men), and it's his first time working with Liev Schrieber.
Oh Cassie: - the car/battery company called Tesla was called that before Elon Musk was ever involved with it. He didn’t set up the company… he merely invested in it quite early on; - Nikola Tesla (the character in this movie) was a real person who was a physicists and great inventor, especially in the field of electrical engineering, being instrumental in the development of alternating current electrical systems and developing a wireless power system (basically what we now have for mobile phone wireless charging); and - the car company is called Tesla in homage to Nikola Tesla, because he was so important in such a related field of engineering. Of course Tesla didn’t actually invent a machine that could replicate humans and animals 😉
@@cwhit0110 Elon Musk is such an egotist that when he bought out the original founders of the Tesla company that he actually insisted on a contract that allowed him to legally claim to be the company's founder. Elon Musk is part Angier and part P.T. Barnum; he has convinced people that he is a genius and innovator. He's great at the "Pledge" but rarely manages the "Prestige" parts of his never-ending illusion sold to the US public.
The greatest trick this movie plays is that it gives you the twist ending in the first 15 minutes when Borden tries to comfort the little boy by showing him the bird is still alive and the little boy asks, "but what about his brother?" ...Are you watching closely?
Once you realize that Christian Bale is playing two characters -- one who is calm and measured, one who is a hot head and impulsive -- it instantly clears up the confusion about why he's doing what he's doing and saying what he's saying. Masterclass performance from Bale.
Came here to write exactly this. Once you realize there's a more reserved Borden and a more reckless Borden everything falls into place. Such a brilliant film.
The moment Hugh Jackman's character said he no longer cared about his wife's death when it came to getting revenge, is the moment he becomes the antagonist of the movie. Also, I still love that literally the whole movie is laid out to you in the Caged Bird trick at the beginning. Like the whole movie is just a magic trick on us.
@@crmagsBorden never intentionally killed his wife. It was an accident as one twin tied the knot and whenever he’s asked by Angier about which knot was tied, he doesn’t know as he’s talking the twin who didn’t tie the knot, so he couldn’t give an answer regarding which knot was tied, and it’s possible that if he was talking to the one twin who did it, he doesn’t know as everything went wrong and so a detail like that isn’t remembered. But Angier definitely becomes the antagonist as he should have left well alone and he didn’t because he was just driven by revenge after awhile and that doesn’t really end well for anyone.
One of the things I love about Cassie is that she watches these types of movies and doesn't talk over all the key points and reveals trying to solve some perceived mystery. She just watches it and enjoys it as a true audience member and then lets it BLOW HER DARN MIND. Ha! :-)
Right, nothing more annoying than watching someone that just keep speculating when the thing they are speculating about is to be revealed soon or right there anyway and in the process talk over critical points that would help understand.
I know some reaction channels where they are just constantly blabbering through their whole reaction. It's very annoying & I just avoid watching their reactions. Magic Magy & Mary Cherry are prime examples of nonstop blabbering.
Edison owned the company that filmed the killing of Topsy, but the idea that he actually had anything to do with killing Topsy is a dumb internet rumor that some rando on tumblr made up and people believed it instead of actually looking it up.
Yup, thats humanity for you. We learnt how to split the atom before figuring out that pressing up and down on someone's chest might help start their heart again.
@AdeboFunkyVoodoo well, I'll amend my earlier statement to most people didn't know about it. There might have been some powwow who knew something but would have been widely ridiculed as a looney if they professed it.
@@marshallprince2583 Try to find a movie or TV show where CPR was performed on anybody in the 60s or 70s. You'd be hard pressed to find one. That's a good gauge for how widely known it was. I don't think it came to be widely known until the 80s. I seem to remember episodes of Punky Brewster and Three's Company dealing with it.
I used to do magic , juggling, and general vaudeville stuff when I was growing up, and the line about how, "they'll ask you and beg for the secret to the trick, but as soon as you give it away you'll be nothing to them" is so true. They don't say it as explicitly in the film, but the bigger thematic point is that "the prestige" isn't usually the hard part. In general, the thing that impresses the audience is never the hard part (and that applies to juggling and slight-of-hand magic as well). The skill involved in making the trick work is the part that goes unseen, but what the audience claps at is the simple bit at the end that ties it all together. The "twist" at the end of the film works so well because it was never about the prestige, but about all the work that we never saw leading up to it. Of course everything is telegraphed from the beginning, but all magic is also about misdirection, which is what this film does so well. At the end it all seems like it should have been obvious, but the twist (the "prestige") is literally Nolan giving away the secret to the trick. In other words, he begins the film by saying that giving away the secret ruins the magic trick, and then uses the secret AS the prestige of the film.
David Copperfield also says that he doesn't necessarily agree about the "you have to bring it back" part since many tricks simply make something disappear and the audience would already applaud.
@@jp3813 Wow, maybe Copperfield never actually brought back the Statue of Liberty or the Great Wall of China, and that explains all the geopolitical tensions we've been experiencing over the past three decades. (I'm joking, but I always thought his massive, televised illusions were really cheesy. It's quaint looking back at what you could get away with before cell phones were ubiquitous.)
@@wanderingidle4848 The 20th century was filled w/ tasty cheese. But as Chris Rock said about smaller illusionists like David Blaine: "I'm in a box, and I ain't gonna eat. That ain't no magic trick, that's called livin' in the projects." I believe Copperfield was actually consulted by Nolan for this film.
I'm still convinced this is Nolans BEST film... perfect performances, a great twist, its not too long, its alinear but not confusing, incredible writing and it ends so powerfully. If you're really paying attention the sympathetic protagonist switches places... and it's such a powerful character study in obsession, sacrifice and lies.
My favorite aspect of this movie is the parallel with the bird tricks. The trick requires that you kill the bird and reveal his 'brother'. Danton starts out not wanting to kill the birds, but by the end of the movie he's willing to kill himself over and over and over. His great trick is just the bird trick he didn't want to do.
That scene where Angier realises he's been played, thee journal was MEANT to be given to him - what a performance. The tears of anger, the look of shame in his eyes at being had so easily. Gorgeous 🤌🏽
I love that once you know what you're looking for, it's right out there in the open. The first shot with all the top hats looks like a graveyard, then they show the collapsing cage trick which is essentially what the final trick is, and they tell you that you have to bring it back... both "dead" characters return at the end of the movie! As for why both Christian Bales keep swapping roles, he explains it to Hugh Jackman's double, you risk giving one person too much power. Switching places keeps them equals, no one has the advantage over the other.
At least that's a reason but not telling his wife was insane and having his brother play as him with his wife was insane. Clearly his downfall. If his wife knew at least on "off" days she'd know to be pleasant and read a book, not constantly berate him for not loving her and then killing herself.
It was a sicko thing to do to the wife. The ultimate swindle which cost her her life! If he had any conscience at all he couldn’t have done that to her.
And the little boy crying at the beginning "gets" the trick right away. The bird has a brother who is killed to make it look like the same bird disappears during the turn and reappears during the prestige. Cutter explains in narration at the start of the film that we, the audience, as we're watching a magic trick we don't want to really find the secret. We WANT to be fooled.
As I was watching this reaction, I decided something. Many people watching for the first time will feel he's got a familiar face but won't know his name. If it's a young person/kid watching the movie, I'm going to tell them the actor was a famous musician who has passed away. It was Kurt Cobain.
@@zvimurIt was the original that shot the clone, based on how the cat test works. The original stays in the machine. The gun was on the machine. The clone wasn't near the gun
@@IDiggPattyMayonnaise The OG is ripped from time a split second and that is how they teleport. Meaning the older you dies every time. As it should be.
The reason they didn't only go to the woman they loved was because you cant be in two places at the same time. they have to stay committed to the trick.
No. If Borden One was the only brother who actually loved Sarah, then it was entirely possible for him to be the only brother who interacted with her, while Borden Two played Fallon. The brothers could easily exchange places when not in her presence, so that only Borden Two was having the affair with Olivia. When the four of them were together, Borden One would take precedence because he was publicly married to Sarah, and the affair with Olivia would be kept secret anyway. There was never any practical need for either of them to be intimate as Borden with the woman he didn't love. It really is a plot-hole at the expense of the women's lives and well-being, purely for tragic dramatic purpose.
It's not a plot-hole because it's not that simple. There are so many situations and frankly, complexities of daily life that can't be accounted for. Borden Two might come off-stage, go into his dressing room and Sarah is there. Or switch that around and Olivia is in there when Borden One walks in. You can't just go "Hey give me like 15 minutes with Fallon" every time a situation that you can't control appears so that the correct version can be with who he needs to be. If Borden Two is with Sarah and simply can't get away due to a commitment or they are waylaid for some reason (which happens to everyone often), and Olivia is expecting him or (insert reason here), then Borden One simply has to do what is necessary. Besides, I'm sure they did switch whenever possible. The scenes we see are the ones they couldn't. They had to make the best of the situation they were in when it wasn't possible to do it. This being true and just being too difficult to deal with, made the decision an easy one. Well, not easy per se, but it made the decision itself simple. Rather than constantly trying to get in and out of costume (the movie makes it look like it takes about 2 minutes but it's likely longer) at every moment when Sarah is going to be with them, it made more sense to let each twin live half a life. Even when Olivia wasn't with Borden yet, it was still too difficult. As the movie shows, they each lived half a life. Maybe it wasn't totally fulfilling but they each had a chance to be part of the Prestige. It's what Angier didn't understand with his look-a-like, who wanted to switch places with him and Angier didn't trust him to do the first two parts. Maybe if Borden had done the same thing, he and Fallon's relationship would have gone the same way. It was the living half of a life for each that kept them in balance despite the problems it caused. And yes, staying committed to the trick. It's what Borden learned from the old Chinese guy at the beginning of the movie. The performance was Fallon always. They each tried the best they could with the women but on stage and as Fallon there was total commitment. It's why nobody knew, except Cutter.
@@mikespearwood3914 *hanged. When you're murdering someone by hanging, the past tense is hanged for some reason. I guess murderin' folk is special somehow.
When you rewatch it one day, all the subtle clues placed along its runtime are revealed. Like, Alfred being the one to immediately spot the Chinese magicians secret - because he and his twin brother are doing a similar performance, whenever they are in public. Their real life off the stage IS the performance.
Also, Freddie keeps shouting at his brother about why he can't figure out The Real Transported Man. Because Alfred is the better expert while Freddie is the very competitive one.
This was a fantastic movie… loved it. Don’t be sorry for working it out on camera, that’s one reason we watch reaction videos! It was awesome watching you work through it, no matter how long it takes! Great reaction, thank you!
This is my favorite Nolan film. It directly tells you what’s happening at several points, but just like the audience, your brain searches for a different explanation. It’s also a film that benefits greatly from a second viewing so you can catch all the subtle hints along the way
This is my favorite Nolan movie. Literally played out like the three stages of a trick. So freakishly well done and thought out movie. Its pure genius.
Note to Cassie: Angier's wife was played by Piper Perabo, star of "Coyote Ugly". "The guy from Miss Congeniality" is Michael Caine. Nikola Tesla was a real famous scientist who invented Alternating Current (AC) electricity and had a lifelong rivalry with Thomas Edison, who invented Direct Current (DC) electricity. Tesla was played by David Bowie. "Gollum's" actor is named Andy Serkis.
The bird in the trick they show multiple times, where the one in the box dies and the one that comes back is his brother, mirrors both of their tricks. Borden's does so in that it follows the idea of using a double. Angers' does so in that the man in the box is killed, much like the bird. This is truly a fantastic film.
@@etherealtb6021 Tip for this, you'll notice they're referred to differently... Alfred and Freddie - at one point someone gets it wrong and presumebly Alfred say's something like don't call me that name.
Yep. One is erratic and takes risks which leads to many of the brothers problems. While the other is an even tempered family man who uses logic. I don't wanna say the right one got executed because he didn't deserve that punishment, but in context of the story the one who most likely is the father will raise the daughter and the one who did not cause the issues they experienced will live on. So it is as happy of an ending it can be.
As far as I'm concerned, this is Nolan's greatest work. I would not change a thing in this movie. The performances are wonderful, the depths that we see these two men go to in order to one up each other, the ending twist being both so brilliant and so obvious in hindsight, and I absolutely love Jackman's speech about the end about the magic being the audience's reaction.
I would change one thing, which always needles me: The scene where the film basically cheats by having Borden, with no one but his brother around to see, pretend to be surprised that his diary was stolen, when we later find out that it was his plan all along. There's no reason at all for him to ask "Fallon" if his diary is missing, unless we're to believe that the other brother concocted the plan all on his own, which is a bit of a stretch for two men who are literally sharing both a wife and a mistress.
Oh. And you can literally find some new amazing thing every time you watch. Last time for me it was the fact that the opening scene where Michael Caine explains the stages of a trick while performing for the little girl, is actually the moment before Borden walks in at the end and she sees him. Amazing. This time, I noticed Borden’s line at the beginning where he says “we were two young men at the beginning of a career”. It seems like he’s talking about he and Angier, but really he means he and Fallon. Brilliant!
The movie is adapted from a novel (coincidentally, by _another_ Christopher) which has some differences but the same key ideas (the feuding magicians, Tesla, twins etc.). So _actually_ "...isn’t that what you’d expect from Christopher _Priest_ ?" :).
When Olivia's nephew asked about the bird's brother (to Borden's amusement) was the director revealing the whole damn thing of the twins; 1 free 1 dead
Not from this film, but from Tesla's concept if space age vehicles utilizing Battery stations that would have been set up throughout the continental US (and world eventually) utilizing the 'free' energy, which Tesla proposed to Westinghouse.
@@JC-bh8qx Also, Elon took over Tesla. American entrepreneurs Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning founded Tesla, Inc. in San Carlos, California in July 2003. I hate that Elon is where he is in pop culture...If he was born middle class or poor, he'd not be known more than your usual Joe, or John.
@@onedudeJG That's like saying anyone who was born to a father with money in South Africa would be the CEO of several billion dollar companies. Makes zero sense. Only people who have never even tried to do anything seriously hard can speak like this. He's not even the usual joe or john of people born affluent, talkless of the average person who, relative to Elon, has extremely little ambition.
The Prestige was supposed to be Christopher Nolan's next film after Insomnia, which would have had it be released years before The Illusionist. However, when Christopher Nolan was hired to direct Batman Begins, The Prestige ended up being made a few years later and came out the same year as The Illusionist.
@@ct6852 Yup Nolan made it right after Memento, which was his first 'real' movie. It is however the only feature film he didn't also write and produce, he only directed it. The script was being developed by Warner Brothers and Nolan was interested in making it, but WB wouldn't take a meeting with him as they didn't have confidence after only seeing Memento. So Nolan reached out to Steven Soderbergh who convinced the studio to meet with him. And the rest is history, Nolan is still making his movies with WB 20 years later.
Bale’s performance in this is outstanding. After the first viewing, In every scene he is in you can tell which brother he is even though he seems like the same person on the first viewing. His choices and the nuances of his portrayals are outstanding.
Amazing filmI The opening/closing narration is masterfully done. Tells you what you're about to see, but does it in such a way that doesn't ruin the surprises. Great performances all around, would love to see Jackman and Bale together again.
Still my fav Nolan movie. it had everything, clever twists, thrilling story, great subtle sfx, tension, but more than that it was the most human story of all Nolans work for me. Bale and Jackman were amazing, both playing multiple roles, and the time period setting: french kiss! I love some victoria gothic chills. A story about obsession and how it rots everything. Plus David Bowie as Tesla was the cherry on top!
Definitely my favorite of Nolan's films, and probably one of the best movies ever made, in my opinion. Everything, acting, direction, script, is so perfect, so tight and laser focused. David Bowie is mesmerising as Tesla. And on top of all that, the whole film is the magic trick. The movie is itself the thing it is about. And somehow, maybe because it's so character driven, despite all that cleverness it never feels pretentious. Brilliant piece of filmmaking.
One thing I love about this movie is that despite the beginning seeming confusing the first time you watch it, by the end you realize that the twist was given away very early on. I remember being in the theater and being confused by the blind guy and Borden being arrested and all that. But by the end, I was blown away that the identity of Fallon was the same twist as the Chinese magician. “He lives his act.”
SO HAPPY you enjoyed it!! My second favorite Nolan film only behind The Dark Knight and still in my top 5. One thing I don't see people talk about is how this is one of the few movies/tv shows/novels where the protagonist is actually the villain of the story; and it WORKS. You don't hate Angier even though he's doing horrible things because the movie does such a superb job of explaining his actions. But if you think of the story from Borden's angle, Angier is a villain. Not even an antihero; a straight up villain.
One of my favorite movies of all time. All three men were terrible. Alfred and "Fallon" were unfaithful to the people they loved, and lied to them all from the moment they met. Robert let go of everything he cared about just to prove he was the best, and didn't care about the consequences of cloning himself and then murdering himself every night. Such a wild, sick, well told story.
In case you're not familiar with the history of it, there was quite a rivalry between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, largely around Edison's investment in DC electricity, vs Tesla's use of AC electricity. (Direct Current / Alternating Current) Edison would demonstrate how inefficient AC was by electrocuting dogs and elephants to death, because death by AC electrocution is long and excruciating. He conveniently omitted that death by DC electrocution is practically instant. Tesla on the other hand, built a machine that powered the entire town of Colorado Springs for free. His focus was on.. well, many things, but significantly on a way to generate unlimited clean energy for no cost of fuel. It's unknown if he really succeeded, because his lab kept mysteriously burning down every time Edison thought he might be gaining traction, and when Tesla died, the US government immediately confiscated all of his notes and equipment and still hasn't made any of it public.
There is a bit more to it. Edison was an entrepreneur, not a scientist himself so much. Edison had a whole team of engineers and scientists inventing for him. One of them was a promising Austrian-Hungarian / Serbian young engineer Tesla who worked at Edison's companies (first in France, later in the US) on power utility systems. Tesla had a falling out with the company (not known if directly at Edison) and shortly after joining the US company left to start a business for himself. Tesla struck a great deal with Westinghouse's by licensing his patent for an (two-phase) Induction AC motor, complementing Westinghouse's preferences to employ AC based utility systems. However, it remained difficult to get a two-phase motor to work in practical applications and it was succeeded by an inhouse designed three-phase design (which basically is the fundation of all electric machines), but still was paying out Tesla a generous license that almost bankrupted Westinghouse. Tesla made a huge contribution to modern power systems, and held a few very important patents, but a larger team was involved. The Edison Company was aware of the benefits of high voltage AC based utility systems, and was a loud participator in the "War of the Currents", inventing the electric chair as a demonstration of the lethality of AC power.
In fact the notes and equipment _have_ been made public (most of them were returned to his family in the early 1950s and are now kept in the Tesla museum in Serbia) and the US government (probably illegally) confiscated them largely because Tesla died in 1943 - i.e. during WWII - and they were worried that his nephew, the then Yugoslavian ambassador to the US, would get hold of them and give them to the Axis powers - IF (big 'if') they contained anything useful to a war effort that would obviously have been potentially disastrous. Fun fact: the engineer tasked with checking Tesla's papers for usable inventions, breakthroughs etc. was one Dr John Trump - yep, _that_ Trump's uncle - and he reported at the time that there was nothing useful in there. Tesla, for the record, didn't believe in subatomic particles and claimed that electrons, if they existed at all, had nothing to do with electricity (which 100+ years of science and technology shows is wrong). Nor did he believe the theory of relativity, claiming to have measured "cosmic rays" travelling at 50 times the speed of light (again, relativity has withstood every experimental test thrown at it for 100+ years and was already well supported by the 1930s, when Tesla was making these claims) so far from some mythic genius, in reality he was just an inventor who got some stuff right and made other claims that were very wrong. (all of this is a matter of easily googlable public record) Of course the Tesla myths and conspiracy theories persist regardless (he invented a death-ray, he discovered "free energy" and the government/big oil covered it up etc.) because people mostly don't arrive there by following actual evidence so actual evidence is unlikely to persuade them otherwise.
@@ct6852 As I recall it collected energy from the Earth's magnetic field in like a conductive coil or something. I don't know, and what I've heard could be as much myth as fact. I'm pretty sure though that it's just the modern Tesla vehicles that claim to be eco-friendly electric but still have their power generated the same way as everything else.
I absolutely LOVE this movie! I still remember when I first saw it in the theaters when it first came out. So much subtle foreshadowing sprinkled throughout, twists upon twists. It is fitting that Andy Serkis, best known for playing a split personality character, is in this too. The inclusion of Tesla was also very fitting! Yes, Nikola Tesla was an amazing inventor who started off working for Edison's company before striking off on his own. Edison and Tesla both became very prominent in the field of electricity. Tesla had more of the natural brilliance as an Inventor; while Edison, who was no dummy himself, excelled more at the marketing and the showmanship. Tesla was an inmigrant to America while Edison was native born, so language usage was certainly easier for him. That, combined with biases towards immigrants, no doubt added to Edison's marketing advantages. Tesla, in this way, was more like the rougher but brilliant Borden, while Edison was more like the polished but arrogant Angier. Edison advocated for an electrical infrastructure based on Direct Current (DC), like batteries, as it was lower voltage and thus safer for people to use. He imagined every household and commercial building having its own electrical generator. Tesla advocated for Alternating Current (AC), which had higher voltage and could thus travel much further from its source. He envisioned a central power plant in a city that generated power, transmitted it on power lines, and then the electricity voltage was reduced through the use of transformers just prior to entering people's homes. Obviously, our current system is based off of Tesla's design, (though more and more homes with independent solar power actually mimics Edison's original vision, albeit through a very different kind of generator). At the time, Edison didn't go down without a fight. Yes, like we briefly saw in the movie, Edison had sent teams to harass and sabotage Tesla. In order to prove how "dangerous" Tesla's alternating current was, Edison made an invention that used AC to kill a person: the electric chair. The AC versus DC inspired the name of the AC/DC Rock band, and yes, Elon Musk's electric car company.
There were 146 moments in your life to do something meaningful instead of commenting on a lame TH-cam channel and you didn't take a single one. You're not a but the loser. Why would anyone listen to you?
I agree. First viewing of this film in the theater, I was thrown a little bit. Having seen it several times since then, I appreciate the craftsmanship more each time.
This is my favorite movie of all time, Christopher Nolan directed and the cast is all star and the story is one of the best, I'm so glad you've seen it now
Borden: "He came in to demand an answer and I told him the truth. That I have fought with myself over that night, one half of me swearing blind that I tied a simple slipknot, the other half convinced that I tied the Langford double. I can never know for sure." This quote is so confusing the first time you hear it, but when you know the truth, it explains everything.
Nolan had us in for that great Magic Act of his own called "The Prestige" (2006). And even after he'd given us the explanations about magic acts, intimate access to the characters' lives, and all the clues displayed openly on film for us to understand, he still pulls it off on the audience, beautifully, exactly as he foretold. Marvellous!
I love the metaphor of magic to storytelling. Just shows you the strengths of a 3 act structure. That is the reason I believe this is the most 'meta' of Nolan's films. Similar to how Inception is a metaphor for filmmaking. Another thing I love is the dynamics of the characters. There is no protagonist or antagonist. Both could've been the bigger man and just walk away. But its in their nature as magicians to one up each other. Still my favorite Nolan film.
Protagonist and antagonist don't mean "good guy" and "bad guy". They mean "person who the story is about" and "person that opposes them". Borden is the protagonist, Angier is the antagonist.
@@ct6852 I would say The Dark Knight. The best way I can describe it (without getting too much into it) is that its two 3-act structure overlapping each other. So the structure of the story goes: Joker act 1 > Joker act 2/Two-face act 1 > Joker act 3/Two-face act 2 > Two-face act 3
This is my favorite Nolan film. He tells you *exactly* what’s going on in fifteen minutes when the rivals visit the older magician. “How does he do it? He’s so old and feeble, even when no one’s looking!” And *immediately* we get the answer from someone who knows all too well: “he’s not feeble. his entire life is a performance in service of his art.” Only a short while later the girl realizes that the trick with the birds means a bird has indeed died. Again: real magic requires sacrifice.
Nolan directed Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight. All released in the 2000s. Its one of the best decade stretches by a director ever. All of those movies are absolute bangers, even Insomnia which doesnt have nearly the same recognition as his other films.
He went to the Stanley Kubrick school of film making too. But I would say he had a run of films akin to Martin Scorsese in 70s 80s, Spielberg, David fincher, early Tim burton.
@@pj4433 such a solid movie, I fear it didn't have the 'hook' of his other movies, if it had something extra to make it stand out it would be rated much higher.
5 seasons into watching, and she wasn't sure if the federation invaded planets for colonization, or not. Why are you surprised she didn't recognize an actor she saw once?
@@EidlonesOh come on, she has watched MAYBE five episodes per season of TNG, she's not going to remember everything perfectly. I find she's very perceptive most of the time.
@ribbitrebecca So she's seen around 25 episodes. How many episodes do you need to figure out that the federation isn't a conquering organization? She's seen multiple episodes where the driving thrust of the narrative was "We don't interfere with other cultures" But sure, it's fine that she never picked up on that. The fact they make every possible attempt to solve things non-violently, and respect other cultures right to live as they see fit, and try their hardest not to dictate their own morals onto them doesn't discount that they might conquer other planets.
I'm only 7 minutes in and I can tell the editor LOVES this movie. I also love how she's being quiet and absorbing the information. My gf hates reactions because 'they're always talking', this is a 10/10. For the love of the movie and seeing the viewers actual reaction...
@@fester2306 I'm a reactor 'grifter' where I only watch reactions for movies I enjoy, and i've seen her before, but this was by far a great example of an amazing reaction. My gf will never be swayed in her opinion and there's no point in trying, but its good to know that there are still nice people out there that aren't simply boiling down the genre for their own profit. Cassie definitely deserves props for this one at the very least ^^.
Just saw the news that Shelly Duval has passed away..... PIB, please review one of her most fun roles in the movie Popeye with Robin Williams. It's a fun family movie that you will love. Sad tho as I think all the stars of that movie has died...
The whole film is a magic trick. We saw it happen in the first two minutes, and everything else was misdirection. (8:05) There (19:20) are (28:06) *so* many (33:13) clues to the Prestige of the whole movie, right from the opening shot of a dozen Top Hats. It's amazing we don't all work it out as we watch. I haven't found a single person who saw it coming. Because we're looking for the secret; (36:13) but we're still stunned at the end, because we're not really looking. We want to be fooled.
I spotted Bale as Fallon immediately. Specs, mutton chops and Marlon Brando cotton ball cheeks weren't enough of a disguise for me. I hate that I spoiled what would have been an epic reveal for myself. I also watched Seven before the usual suspects and so I kind of spoiled the Spacey reveal.
@@MatthewStephensAU that is what makes the best twists. When it's right in front of your face and you don't see it. Unlike the usual suspects when the whole movie is a lie then it just makes a twist at the end. This movie shouldn't have had a twist you should've seen it the whole time. Clue after clue after clue and yet you never see it coming. They even tell you multiple times he's using a double.
@@Nimzzeee same here mate, I remember my friend was actually annoyed at me the first time I watched because I guessed it so fast, he refuses to show me films still to this day haha
@@jeffburnham915 like the usual suspects, the twist is dependent on the unreliable narrator. Angiers diary is an unreliable narration also. We come to know this as Borden reads it in prison. So if the diary is unreliable, then anything in it could be conjured up out of thin air. All of the colorado scenes. All the Tesla scenes. All the machine scenes. While the audience is congratulating themselves for finally seeing the Borden twins twist and trying to contemplate the gravity of a "real" cloning machine, Nolan has one last trick up his sleeve. Angiers diary is a lie and the machine doesn't work.
@@Dunc25535 I think this unwanted talent came from the old mission impossible tv series. They used to dress up in hair, makeup and prosthetics as they went undercover but if you're familiar with anyones face, you're going to notice that something is off.
This is my FAVORITE film. Not only is an incredible installment in Christopher Nolan’s catalog - A-List cast, playing with time (telling all three chronological parts at the same time), beautiful locations and cinematography - but the WHOLE THING is structured with the formula for magic Cutter describes. The Pledge: Angier and Borden are up and coming magicians with women they love. The Turn: Angier runs to the United States to commission Tesla to build The Machine. Borden/Fallon deteriorating their marriage and growing their act. The Prestige: Angier becomes a hit, and a 100 level deep duplicate, and one of Borden/Fallon is hanged for Angier’s death.
@jlilley73 We had it on vhs when I was growing up. It's a musical. The whole movie is them singing and dancing about newspapers. But I have never heard any other human being mention that movie. So sometimes I think maybe it was just a bad dream or something...
I may have got this wrong but I think the whole point was that at the end Danton/Angier never actually knew whether it was the clone or the original who died in the water tank.
It was the original who died. When Tesla first operated the machine, the original hat/cat stayed in place and there were dozens of clones far away before he re-calibrated it. When Danton performed the trick the first time, he shot his clone. But every time after that, the "original" fell through the trap door and drowned in the water tank. Since the clone has the same thoughts and memories of the original Danton he probably assumed he was the original.
@@maduross I dont think Danton/Angier never actually knew. The original fell into the tank. If the clone was dry, he knew he wasnt the original. It's a philisophical question. If im the clone, how do i have the same thoughts as the original? If im the original, then why aren't I dead. Each clone lives long enough to see to his own demise, so the next clone can live.
He was saying it took bravery to step in and not know if he would be in the water or in the Prestoge. He had a 50/50 chance of dying each time he stepped into the machine. The body would be duplicated and transported while the other one dropped into the tank. His consciousness, memory, and even train of thought at that moment would also be duplicated. Try to imagine you're about to get on one of two planes and you know one of them will 100% crash, but you don't know which until the plane either lands safely, or you are plummeting to your death.
Sarah could always tell that’s why she would say sometimes it’s true when he says I love you but not today. Was also crazy in the beginning when the kid is crying and is talking about the bird getting killed in the cage and he says what about his brother. Bale is taken aback because the kid got it right and it’s also his story with his brother. Freaking love this movie.
Nikola Tesla (played by the late great David Bowie) was a real American inventor and engineer. That's what the company "Tesla" (And the unit of magnetism) is named after.
Tesla was never American but was ripped off by Americans. His inventions included ''free'' power for all, that are now locked up under US statutes that will only ever be released if under open source environments because the oil, nuclear and mining interests never want to see this happen.
Tesla was born, raised, educated, and worked/invented in the Austrian Empire (current Croatia) and then Hungary. He didn't come to America until he was nearly 30 years old.
Something that "Tesla" said that finally after 100 viewings hit me. When he say's "THEY ARE ALL YOUR HAT" and then it hit me. They are both COPY and ORIGINAL DANTON! The notion of who is the "clone" and who is the original, it simply is BOTH are Danton / Angier. We're not in the philosophical conundrum of the Ship of Theseus. He is not being broken down and rebuilt with other. Both carry the entire breath and experience of Angeirs life. Therefore neither and both were both original and copy. It renders the need to know which is which irrelevant because it simply both answers simultaneously .
yeah is he the man in the box or the man on the stage.. after so many times doing it, he doesnt know. imagine starting the show every night, knowing youre going to die by drowning
@@joeeyaura Neither one of them would now who they or the other would be. At the moment of doubling both are simply Angeir. So if Angier flipped the switch and thought he is the man in the box or on stage, he is simultaneously wrong and right. Once I stopped thinking one was a 'copy' it made the whole concept even creepier, that he was so obsessed he both literally and metaphorically killed his 'soul' every night.
The Danton falling into the box is the original Angier. He literally kills himself, and the copy continues its life until the next show. The copy thinks he is the original because he is an exact copy. The machine doesn't teleport you; it creates a copy of you in another location. This is the same debate about teleportation in Star Trek, and the solution is exactly the same. People in Star Trek are not really being teleported; their originals are being destroyed on the teleportation pod, and their copies continue to exist on the remote location.
@@DenizYalcin that's wrong cause it's not explicitly stated and you cant infer from anything in the movie that there's an "original" Angier and a "clone" cause we dont know how exactly Tesla's machine is working. Obviously you can't grasp the more complex concept that the machine is more than the simple "original ---> copying ---> clone". Even by this simpler explanation of yours I can 100% counter your "Danton falling into the box is the original Angier" by saying the machine makes a clone at the original position and transports the original some distance away. Or even I can take it even further, the machine could do this one time, the other time it does the opposite or is doing it at random. We dont know how the machine works. It can be by superposition principle and effectively both are 100% Angier and there's no original, there's no clone. IMO that's why it's not explained in the movie and that's Nolan's intent, that having 2 Angier in the same space-time (by the unexplained method) is at its core very Lovecraftian in nature. That's why it is so disturbing.
Yes. This is actually a core principle in theoretical physics that sounds way simpler than it is: if two things are identical, they are the same. Usually, at the macroscopic level we live in, two things are never the same. You can tell the difference between an original and a copy because of errors that occur (changing the copy) and/or damage that is done (changing the original) in the copying process. However, if Tesla's machine is actually able to perfectly duplicate someone or something, then neither can be considered a copy or an original.
This movie (like Vertigo) is one of those stories that plays three card monty with the audience. Three card monty is a game where someone shuffles three cards and uses slight of hand to show you the Queen at the beginning but makes sure you never pick the queen after shuffling the cards. BTW, the guy from Miss Congeniality is Sir Michael Caine, yes that's right you have to say the Sir with him.
What, no one mentioned the fantastically beautiful Scarlett Johansson? I mean, obviously C. Bale & H. Jackman. And of course, M. Caine. But a round of applause for the late, great, David Bowie.
I love how her head was spinning at the end trying to digest everything, that’s why this is one of the best movies ever. Stories that cause that level of question and discussion are marks of great narrative
Yes 😂 that look when they experience something amazing for the first time, I've spent most of my life trying to capture it again, in the faces of strangers. Its a special kind of torture. I will live with it forever
Nobody would believe that was Angio in the end. They didn't have broadcast news with photographs of people. He merely assumed a different identity and slightly changed his appearance.
My favorite fact about this movie is that in the book, it's Albert and Frederick Borden. Albert + Frederick = Al | Fred, Alfred. When Borden gives Sarah the key to the house, that's Albert. When Borden fights with Sarah at dinner with Olivia (when Olivia calls him 'Freddy'), that's Frederick. If you keep in mind that Albert loves Sarah and Frederick loves Olivia, the movie will often tell you which brother you're watching. Every time Borden tells Sarah he loves her and she says that he doesn't mean it, it's the movie saying, "This is Frederick." Every time Borden is suspicious of or rude to Olivia, the movie is saying, "This is Albert." And in the scene where Borden (I'm guessing it's Frederick; he seems to be more aggressive and hot headed) yells, "Why can't you outthink him," the movie never shows who he was talking to. Because the other brother (Albert, who seems more sensitive and more of a thinker, and who I also believe is the one who went to Julia's funeral), isn't dressed up as Fallon. The coolest part of all this is when Borden (Frederick) is in prison and Fallon (Albert) comes to visit right before the imprisoned one is executed, the one in prison throws the other one his rubber ball. They're doing The Transported Man for the very last time. They've LITERALLY been planning The Transported Man for their entire lives.
Never noticed until today that at 35:49 it sounds like Borden saying "They do this every night; after each performance." but it's really one asking "They do this every night?" and the other answering "After each performance."
It was great to see that big smile on Cassies face right at the end of this video. She's come a long way for someone who a few years ago just wanted to watch romcoms with happy endings.
4:25 No, that wasn't the Not-Hugh Jackman. 20:20 THAT is the Not-Hugh Jackman. The man in the beginning was simply a Hugh Jackman. And the gentleman in the X-Men and Wolverine movies is a huge, jacked man.
This is the movie that movie nuts like us that sub to you find as one of the most re-watchable movies of all time. Nolan knew what he was doing when he directed this and gave us the puzzles we have to solve as viewers. He did the same thing with 'Memento'. Give it a couple of weeks and then watch it again with the knowledge that is gifted to you at the end of the movie. It's a real eye-opener.
This is a fantastic movie for rewatching. Once you know the ending there’s a ton of little hints. The little boy asking where was the bird’s “brother” and Borden comments, “he’s a sharp one!”
This is why Cassie is one the most popular and most followed reactionaries. Usually I'm not one for a fancy backdrop, but there's really nothing wrong with it especially if it adds to the scenery, its almost like being in a picture theatre ☺️ Also her reactions are GENUINE and not faked or over the top hypo like some. Cassie is just being herself, and best of all she actually picks interesting things to react to. These combined have super boosted her channel to warp 9 😇
Cassie reacts to movies but that doesn't make her 'a reactionary' - because she doesn't "oppose political or social progress or reform" - she just watches movies!
When Borden kept telling Angier that he didn't know which knot he tied, he was actually telling the truth. His twin brother tied it.
I've seen this movie 6 or 7 times, and I've never realized that. Wow
Yeah he literally says he argues with himself about it in the journal.
Yeah, but one of them knew. Seems crazy he wouldn’t tell his brother.
just like when he says he loves his wife some days, and some days he doesn’t. when the twin is with the wife is when he doesn’t love her. the poor wife never knew it was the twin that didn’t love her and had the mistress, and not her husband. the secrecy and the dedication to the craft sent her to her grave.
@@blimpvapor Now watch it for the 8th time and try and figure out which brother is in every scene and how it changes the entire narrative. Then think about how Nolan never uses actual magic in his films and try and figure out the end that way. It's so much fun, probably the greatest re-watchable film in history.
"We were two young men at the start of a great career." He's not talking about himself and Angier; he's talking about himself and his brother.
This is one of the best written movies
Every line matters
"show me that again!"
said every single person who ever watched this movie. it's the only movie my dad and i saw in theaters, walked out, and we bought tickets to the very next showing lol.
That's awesome!!
Hahahh that’s epic man, Nolan is something else!
My sister & I watched this movie like 4 times in one day back to back once it came out on DVD & took notes trying to make sure we knew exactly what happened, & also trying to figure out all the tricks lol
I love the way Nolan crafts his movies. The first time I saw this was with a group of friends. They were quite confused by the timeline cuts, but I could easily follow. Such movies are always worth several more watches as they allow you to focus more on the subtle elements and quotes.
🤣🤣🤣
"But where is his brother" whole mystery behind the movie, right in plain sight. This was Nolan at his absolute best.
I love that too. It tells you the twist, and you don't even know it first time you see it.
Nolan is the definition of the insufferable genius. He's so good, and I love him. And I hate him. He's brilliant when he's good, and baffling when he's not. I hate him and love him. I don't know if he's right or I am. But I'd forever argue he's a true artist.
What do you mean by this?
"He killed it!"
RIP to the late and great David Bowie as Nicola Tesla.
The last known 'Wizard' of electricity played by the Space wizard of song.
Rest in piss to the child molestor, yep
As amazing as Bowie was at music, I think a lot of people don't give him enough credit for how good an actor he also was.
Which is why it was cool to see that when SpaceX launched a Tesla into space, it was playing David Bowie on the radio. You had Bowie playing Tesla, and a Tesla playing Bowie.
shut up, it was a fine performance but let's not pretend it was worthy of praise. It was milk toast. Grow up.
Cassie: Doesn't recognize a shaved Hugh Jackman until 15 minutes in despite currently watching him every other week in X-Men
Also Cassie: Is that Gollum?
😅
She even calls him "not Hugh Jackman" at one point.
Although I will admit that he looks a lot different 20 years ago than he does now. Like, he's not just older, his face used to be a bit skinnier and boyish, he wasn't as jacked...
@@Emilysbrother1 Huge Jackedman
@@Emilysbrother1 Her next film should be Kate and Leopold. Now there's a really young Hugh Jackman(just a year after the first X-men), and it's his first time working with Liev Schrieber.
@@Emilysbrother1 First three X-Men movies came before or at the same year The Prestige came out. And X-Men Origins was only 3 years later.
@@BenjiSun That is actually a GREAT suggestion! She would love the heck out of that!
It made me laugh that you took awhile to recognize Hugh Jackman, but recognized gollum right away 😁
Hah! Yeah 😂
yeah and not only that but he is literally known for not showing his face in his movies lmao
lol I know right?!
@CrispyChips007 But he was recognizable from his time as Sméagol before he found the Ring.
She actually said at the start "that almost looks like Hugh Jackman"
Oh Cassie:
- the car/battery company called Tesla was called that before Elon Musk was ever involved with it. He didn’t set up the company… he merely invested in it quite early on;
- Nikola Tesla (the character in this movie) was a real person who was a physicists and great inventor, especially in the field of electrical engineering, being instrumental in the development of alternating current electrical systems and developing a wireless power system (basically what we now have for mobile phone wireless charging); and
- the car company is called Tesla in homage to Nikola Tesla, because he was so important in such a related field of engineering.
Of course Tesla didn’t actually invent a machine that could replicate humans and animals 😉
"Of Course Tesla didn't actually invent a machine that could replicated humans and animals" as far as we know 😜🤫
Wild how so many people think Elon created Tesla
@@TheNauglafel We don't know much ;)
She probably thinks that random bloke who played Tesla looked familiar because he was in Labyrinth! 😂
@@cwhit0110 Elon Musk is such an egotist that when he bought out the original founders of the Tesla company that he actually insisted on a contract that allowed him to legally claim to be the company's founder. Elon Musk is part Angier and part P.T. Barnum; he has convinced people that he is a genius and innovator. He's great at the "Pledge" but rarely manages the "Prestige" parts of his never-ending illusion sold to the US public.
The greatest trick this movie plays is that it gives you the twist ending in the first 15 minutes when Borden tries to comfort the little boy by showing him the bird is still alive and the little boy asks, "but what about his brother?" ...Are you watching closely?
And also when they play the trick with Olivia walking into her apartment
Not only that, the boy keeps insisting that "he killed it".
@@Islam4Europeans should have been a dead giveaway right lol
Michael Caine reveals the trick by saying "he uses a double".
Michael Caine saying "you're not really looking" at the start of the film, with all the black hats there
Once you realize that Christian Bale is playing two characters -- one who is calm and measured, one who is a hot head and impulsive -- it instantly clears up the confusion about why he's doing what he's doing and saying what he's saying. Masterclass performance from Bale.
So did Hugh Jackman for a brief moment when they found the drunk guy at the bar with the nose prosthetic to be his double.
@@lirpa2300 And the false teeth!
He never gives anything less ❤
Came here to write exactly this. Once you realize there's a more reserved Borden and a more reckless Borden everything falls into place. Such a brilliant film.
How is that masterclass? It's easy af, because both characters are entirely different. Bale shows way more of his craft in other movies.
The moment Hugh Jackman's character said he no longer cared about his wife's death when it came to getting revenge, is the moment he becomes the antagonist of the movie.
Also, I still love that literally the whole movie is laid out to you in the Caged Bird trick at the beginning. Like the whole movie is just a magic trick on us.
Are you watching closely?
Yep, he embraced being a villain with that line
Borden's the only antagonist. Killed Angiers wife and drove "his" wife to suicide. Angiers only killed himself.
@@crmagsBorden never intentionally killed his wife. It was an accident as one twin tied the knot and whenever he’s asked by Angier about which knot was tied, he doesn’t know as he’s talking the twin who didn’t tie the knot, so he couldn’t give an answer regarding which knot was tied, and it’s possible that if he was talking to the one twin who did it, he doesn’t know as everything went wrong and so a detail like that isn’t remembered. But Angier definitely becomes the antagonist as he should have left well alone and he didn’t because he was just driven by revenge after awhile and that doesn’t really end well for anyone.
@@crmagsAngiers framed Borden for murder and had him hanged so you can’t really say that he didn’t kill anyone.
One of the things I love about Cassie is that she watches these types of movies and doesn't talk over all the key points and reveals trying to solve some perceived mystery. She just watches it and enjoys it as a true audience member and then lets it BLOW HER DARN MIND. Ha! :-)
Right, nothing more annoying than watching someone that just keep speculating when the thing they are speculating about is to be revealed soon or right there anyway and in the process talk over critical points that would help understand.
I know some reaction channels where they are just constantly blabbering through their whole reaction. It's very annoying & I just avoid watching their reactions. Magic Magy & Mary Cherry are prime examples of nonstop blabbering.
31:58 "Edison was the worst, apparently." - Popcorn in Bed
"Edison was the worst, definitely." - Topsy the Elephant
This made me laugh out loud.
I am a terrible, terrible person.
@@lashier13 Come on, Topsy had it coming.
Ouch (electrical) Burn!
"They said, Ah Topsy at my...Autopsy!"
Edison owned the company that filmed the killing of Topsy, but the idea that he actually had anything to do with killing Topsy is a dumb internet rumor that some rando on tumblr made up and people believed it instead of actually looking it up.
Nobody knew CPR back then. It was first developed in 1960.
I came here to say this.
Yup, thats humanity for you. We learnt how to split the atom before figuring out that pressing up and down on someone's chest might help start their heart again.
That's what they want you to think.
@AdeboFunkyVoodoo well, I'll amend my earlier statement to most people didn't know about it. There might have been some powwow who knew something but would have been widely ridiculed as a looney if they professed it.
@@marshallprince2583 Try to find a movie or TV show where CPR was performed on anybody in the 60s or 70s. You'd be hard pressed to find one. That's a good gauge for how widely known it was. I don't think it came to be widely known until the 80s. I seem to remember episodes of Punky Brewster and Three's Company dealing with it.
I used to do magic , juggling, and general vaudeville stuff when I was growing up, and the line about how, "they'll ask you and beg for the secret to the trick, but as soon as you give it away you'll be nothing to them" is so true.
They don't say it as explicitly in the film, but the bigger thematic point is that "the prestige" isn't usually the hard part. In general, the thing that impresses the audience is never the hard part (and that applies to juggling and slight-of-hand magic as well). The skill involved in making the trick work is the part that goes unseen, but what the audience claps at is the simple bit at the end that ties it all together.
The "twist" at the end of the film works so well because it was never about the prestige, but about all the work that we never saw leading up to it. Of course everything is telegraphed from the beginning, but all magic is also about misdirection, which is what this film does so well. At the end it all seems like it should have been obvious, but the twist (the "prestige") is literally Nolan giving away the secret to the trick.
In other words, he begins the film by saying that giving away the secret ruins the magic trick, and then uses the secret AS the prestige of the film.
David Copperfield also says that he doesn't necessarily agree about the "you have to bring it back" part since many tricks simply make something disappear and the audience would already applaud.
@@jp3813 Wow, maybe Copperfield never actually brought back the Statue of Liberty or the Great Wall of China, and that explains all the geopolitical tensions we've been experiencing over the past three decades.
(I'm joking, but I always thought his massive, televised illusions were really cheesy. It's quaint looking back at what you could get away with before cell phones were ubiquitous.)
@@wanderingidle4848 The 20th century was filled w/ tasty cheese. But as Chris Rock said about smaller illusionists like David Blaine: "I'm in a box, and I ain't gonna eat. That ain't no magic trick, that's called livin' in the projects." I believe Copperfield was actually consulted by Nolan for this film.
I'm still convinced this is Nolans BEST film... perfect performances, a great twist, its not too long, its alinear but not confusing, incredible writing and it ends so powerfully.
If you're really paying attention the sympathetic protagonist switches places... and it's such a powerful character study in obsession, sacrifice and lies.
Agreed. This and Inception.
The Prestige was kind of ignored when it came out, but since then Nolan's rep has grown considerably, and it has received a lot more recognition.
My favorite aspect of this movie is the parallel with the bird tricks. The trick requires that you kill the bird and reveal his 'brother'. Danton starts out not wanting to kill the birds, but by the end of the movie he's willing to kill himself over and over and over. His great trick is just the bird trick he didn't want to do.
That scene where Angier realises he's been played, thee journal was MEANT to be given to him - what a performance. The tears of anger, the look of shame in his eyes at being had so easily. Gorgeous 🤌🏽
I love that once you know what you're looking for, it's right out there in the open. The first shot with all the top hats looks like a graveyard, then they show the collapsing cage trick which is essentially what the final trick is, and they tell you that you have to bring it back... both "dead" characters return at the end of the movie!
As for why both Christian Bales keep swapping roles, he explains it to Hugh Jackman's double, you risk giving one person too much power. Switching places keeps them equals, no one has the advantage over the other.
At least that's a reason but not telling his wife was insane and having his brother play as him with his wife was insane. Clearly his downfall. If his wife knew at least on "off" days she'd know to be pleasant and read a book, not constantly berate him for not loving her and then killing herself.
It was a sicko thing to do to the wife. The ultimate swindle which cost her her life! If he had any conscience at all he couldn’t have done that to her.
And the little boy crying at the beginning "gets" the trick right away. The bird has a brother who is killed to make it look like the same bird disappears during the turn and reappears during the prestige. Cutter explains in narration at the start of the film that we, the audience, as we're watching a magic trick we don't want to really find the secret. We WANT to be fooled.
When this movie came out one of the professional reviewers described it as "satanic". Which I thought was appropriate.
@@promontorium The thing with secrets is, they only stay secret if only one person knows it.
David Bowie's performance in this movie is one of the most underrated supporting actor turns of the last 20 years. Just amazing.
Who?
@@cruejones742 David Bowie, musical superstar and occasional actor, plays Tesla.
I still can't believe he's gone.
Had no clue he was in this.
As I was watching this reaction, I decided something. Many people watching for the first time will feel he's got a familiar face but won't know his name. If it's a young person/kid watching the movie, I'm going to tell them the actor was a famous musician who has passed away. It was Kurt Cobain.
Holy crap she finally watched it! One of my favorite movies of all time. My mind was blown at the end too.
The Bordens were commited to living the magic act, no matter the cost.
The Angiers were commited to performing the magic act, no matter the cost.
Foreshadowed by the Chinese man and the caged bird, respectively.
The Angiers... not so much. The one Borden watch drowning in the tank, and the shot dead by clone were not happy to die.
@@zvimurIt was the original that shot the clone, based on how the cat test works. The original stays in the machine. The gun was on the machine. The clone wasn't near the gun
@@IDiggPattyMayonnaise The OG is ripped from time a split second and that is how they teleport.
Meaning the older you dies every time. As it should be.
It was the look on their faces.
The reason they didn't only go to the woman they loved was because you cant be in two places at the same time. they have to stay committed to the trick.
No. If Borden One was the only brother who actually loved Sarah, then it was entirely possible for him to be the only brother who interacted with her, while Borden Two played Fallon. The brothers could easily exchange places when not in her presence, so that only Borden Two was having the affair with Olivia. When the four of them were together, Borden One would take precedence because he was publicly married to Sarah, and the affair with Olivia would be kept secret anyway. There was never any practical need for either of them to be intimate as Borden with the woman he didn't love. It really is a plot-hole at the expense of the women's lives and well-being, purely for tragic dramatic purpose.
It's not a plot-hole because it's not that simple. There are so many situations and frankly, complexities of daily life that can't be accounted for. Borden Two might come off-stage, go into his dressing room and Sarah is there. Or switch that around and Olivia is in there when Borden One walks in. You can't just go "Hey give me like 15 minutes with Fallon" every time a situation that you can't control appears so that the correct version can be with who he needs to be. If Borden Two is with Sarah and simply can't get away due to a commitment or they are waylaid for some reason (which happens to everyone often), and Olivia is expecting him or (insert reason here), then Borden One simply has to do what is necessary. Besides, I'm sure they did switch whenever possible. The scenes we see are the ones they couldn't. They had to make the best of the situation they were in when it wasn't possible to do it.
This being true and just being too difficult to deal with, made the decision an easy one. Well, not easy per se, but it made the decision itself simple. Rather than constantly trying to get in and out of costume (the movie makes it look like it takes about 2 minutes but it's likely longer) at every moment when Sarah is going to be with them, it made more sense to let each twin live half a life.
Even when Olivia wasn't with Borden yet, it was still too difficult. As the movie shows, they each lived half a life. Maybe it wasn't totally fulfilling but they each had a chance to be part of the Prestige. It's what Angier didn't understand with his look-a-like, who wanted to switch places with him and Angier didn't trust him to do the first two parts. Maybe if Borden had done the same thing, he and Fallon's relationship would have gone the same way. It was the living half of a life for each that kept them in balance despite the problems it caused. And yes, staying committed to the trick. It's what Borden learned from the old Chinese guy at the beginning of the movie. The performance was Fallon always. They each tried the best they could with the women but on stage and as Fallon there was total commitment. It's why nobody knew, except Cutter.
It s something the movie doesnt leave clear, maybe Borden and Fallen had sex with both women.
@@the-traveling-lens I wonder when Cutter actually found out about the twins? I assume only when one got hung?
@@mikespearwood3914 *hanged. When you're murdering someone by hanging, the past tense is hanged for some reason. I guess murderin' folk is special somehow.
When you rewatch it one day, all the subtle clues placed along its runtime are revealed. Like, Alfred being the one to immediately spot the Chinese magicians secret - because he and his twin brother are doing a similar performance, whenever they are in public. Their real life off the stage IS the performance.
Also, Freddie keeps shouting at his brother about why he can't figure out The Real Transported Man. Because Alfred is the better expert while Freddie is the very competitive one.
This movie stars Batman, Alfred, The Black Widow, Wolverine, Gollum and that singing dark prince from Labyrinth. 😅
The Goblin King of the Labyrnth.
And Moriarty off the Holodeck.
@@DerekMoore82 You remind me of the babe...
Don't forget the King Kong scientist.
@@stumilesyt what babe?
This was a fantastic movie… loved it. Don’t be sorry for working it out on camera, that’s one reason we watch reaction videos! It was awesome watching you work through it, no matter how long it takes! Great reaction, thank you!
Exactly! This was all of us watching this movie for the first time. She even caught onto a few things faster than I did!
Please do a rewatch with your sister
The Second time watching this movie will hit different for sure
She’s quite the sleuth too so it’ll be interesting to see her reaction…
One of my all-time favorite movies!
Also, calling Michael Caine, "the guy from Miss Congeniality" is killing me! 😂
Right! He’s the guy from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
@@walterrutherford8321Great hilarious movie!
He's the guy who said "you're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off" in The Italian Job
he’s alfie!
In that vein, I suggest for a future viewing The Quiet American (2002). It's a shame Michael Cain didn't win an Oscar for that role
This is my favorite Nolan film. It directly tells you what’s happening at several points, but just like the audience, your brain searches for a different explanation. It’s also a film that benefits greatly from a second viewing so you can catch all the subtle hints along the way
This is my favorite Nolan movie. Literally played out like the three stages of a trick. So freakishly well done and thought out movie. Its pure genius.
One of my favorites! The twist isn't how the trick is done, it's the whole genre of the movie.
The whole movie is a magic trick! 😉
Note to Cassie:
Angier's wife was played by Piper Perabo, star of "Coyote Ugly".
"The guy from Miss Congeniality" is Michael Caine.
Nikola Tesla was a real famous scientist who invented Alternating Current (AC) electricity and had a lifelong rivalry with Thomas Edison, who invented Direct Current (DC) electricity.
Tesla was played by David Bowie.
"Gollum's" actor is named Andy Serkis.
The bird in the trick they show multiple times, where the one in the box dies and the one that comes back is his brother, mirrors both of their tricks. Borden's does so in that it follows the idea of using a double. Angers' does so in that the man in the box is killed, much like the bird.
This is truly a fantastic film.
My favorite thing is to rewatch this and know which Borden brother is on screen because their personalities are too different.
Yes! That's what I did on my second viewing, try to figure out when it was Borden or Fallon onscreen!
@@etherealtb6021 Tip for this, you'll notice they're referred to differently... Alfred and Freddie - at one point someone gets it wrong and presumebly Alfred say's something like don't call me that name.
Yep. One is erratic and takes risks which leads to many of the brothers problems. While the other is an even tempered family man who uses logic. I don't wanna say the right one got executed because he didn't deserve that punishment, but in context of the story the one who most likely is the father will raise the daughter and the one who did not cause the issues they experienced will live on. So it is as happy of an ending it can be.
As far as I'm concerned, this is Nolan's greatest work. I would not change a thing in this movie. The performances are wonderful, the depths that we see these two men go to in order to one up each other, the ending twist being both so brilliant and so obvious in hindsight, and I absolutely love Jackman's speech about the end about the magic being the audience's reaction.
Same. Oppenheimer a close second. I'm glad people are finally watching this masterpiece. It is one of my fav films of all time!
Couldn't agree more.
So... did the machine work?
I would change one thing, which always needles me: The scene where the film basically cheats by having Borden, with no one but his brother around to see, pretend to be surprised that his diary was stolen, when we later find out that it was his plan all along. There's no reason at all for him to ask "Fallon" if his diary is missing, unless we're to believe that the other brother concocted the plan all on his own, which is a bit of a stretch for two men who are literally sharing both a wife and a mistress.
Oh. And you can literally find some new amazing thing every time you watch. Last time for me it was the fact that the opening scene where Michael Caine explains the stages of a trick while performing for the little girl, is actually the moment before Borden walks in at the end and she sees him. Amazing. This time, I noticed Borden’s line at the beginning where he says “we were two young men at the beginning of a career”. It seems like he’s talking about he and Angier, but really he means he and Fallon. Brilliant!
A mind-bender for sure…but isn’t that what you’d expect from Christopher Nolan? 😉
Honestly I don't think it's that much of a mind-bender; the film jumps back and forth but once it plays it's hand everything makes perfect sense.
The movie is adapted from a novel (coincidentally, by _another_ Christopher) which has some differences but the same key ideas (the feuding magicians, Tesla, twins etc.).
So _actually_ "...isn’t that what you’d expect from Christopher _Priest_ ?" :).
When Olivia's nephew asked about the bird's brother (to Borden's amusement) was the director revealing the whole damn thing of the twins; 1 free 1 dead
“Did Elon get it from this?!”
Oh my god.
Not from this film, but from Tesla's concept if space age vehicles utilizing Battery stations that would have been set up throughout the continental US (and world eventually) utilizing the 'free' energy, which Tesla proposed to Westinghouse.
Not Elon, Nicholas Tesla
@@JC-bh8qx Also, Elon took over Tesla. American entrepreneurs Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning founded Tesla, Inc. in San Carlos, California in July 2003. I hate that Elon is where he is in pop culture...If he was born middle class or poor, he'd not be known more than your usual Joe, or John.
@@onedudeJG That's like saying anyone who was born to a father with money in South Africa would be the CEO of several billion dollar companies. Makes zero sense. Only people who have never even tried to do anything seriously hard can speak like this. He's not even the usual joe or john of people born affluent, talkless of the average person who, relative to Elon, has extremely little ambition.
@@onedudeJG lol, calm down psycho
The Prestige was supposed to be Christopher Nolan's next film after Insomnia, which would have had it be released years before The Illusionist. However, when Christopher Nolan was hired to direct Batman Begins, The Prestige ended up being made a few years later and came out the same year as The Illusionist.
The Illusionist was a far superior film. At least it's ending was halfway realistic.
@@jayshupp5971 objectively no. Cool opinion though.
I too must unfortunately disagree that illusionist was superior
Didn't know he did Insomnia. Was that with Robin Williams?
@@ct6852 Yup Nolan made it right after Memento, which was his first 'real' movie. It is however the only feature film he didn't also write and produce, he only directed it. The script was being developed by Warner Brothers and Nolan was interested in making it, but WB wouldn't take a meeting with him as they didn't have confidence after only seeing Memento. So Nolan reached out to Steven Soderbergh who convinced the studio to meet with him. And the rest is history, Nolan is still making his movies with WB 20 years later.
The Prestige and Sunshine are two of my favourite movies of all time, love hearing them mentioned back-to-back.
Sunshine is so bleak, but so good!
@@etherealtb6021 "Sunshine" has a lovely, poignant ending IMO (assuming we both mean the Danny Boyle one from 2007).
@@anonymes2884 It does!
Excellent observation, PiB, about how Nolan structured the movie to match the three-part progression of a trick.
Michael Caine is Ms. Conginality guy, David Bowie is Nikola Testa who really had a war going on with Edison.
Bale’s performance in this is outstanding. After the first viewing, In every scene he is in you can tell which brother he is even though he seems like the same person on the first viewing. His choices and the nuances of his portrayals are outstanding.
Imagine if they could’ve gotten the real Hugh Jackman?! This movie would’ve been insane.
I love how every trick and bit of story, from the opening scene with all the hats, was a foreshadowing of the final twist.
Amazing filmI
The opening/closing narration is masterfully done. Tells you what you're about to see, but does it in such a way that doesn't ruin the surprises.
Great performances all around, would love to see Jackman and Bale together again.
Still my fav Nolan movie. it had everything, clever twists, thrilling story, great subtle sfx, tension, but more than that it was the most human story of all Nolans work for me. Bale and Jackman were amazing, both playing multiple roles, and the time period setting: french kiss! I love some victoria gothic chills.
A story about obsession and how it rots everything.
Plus David Bowie as Tesla was the cherry on top!
Do you mean “chef’s kiss”…?
Rebecca Hall gives one of my favourite performances in any Christopher Nolan film. A seriously overlooked and underused actress.
She really is. My favorite performance of her is in The Night House though.
She should know how to act with her father being one of the best directors of all time.
Definitely my favorite of Nolan's films, and probably one of the best movies ever made, in my opinion. Everything, acting, direction, script, is so perfect, so tight and laser focused. David Bowie is mesmerising as Tesla. And on top of all that, the whole film is the magic trick. The movie is itself the thing it is about. And somehow, maybe because it's so character driven, despite all that cleverness it never feels pretentious. Brilliant piece of filmmaking.
Sunshine is also amazing!!! Such a classic. ☀️
One thing I love about this movie is that despite the beginning seeming confusing the first time you watch it, by the end you realize that the twist was given away very early on. I remember being in the theater and being confused by the blind guy and Borden being arrested and all that. But by the end, I was blown away that the identity of Fallon was the same twist as the Chinese magician. “He lives his act.”
My favorite Nolan right behind Oppenheimer, just ahead of Memento. Amazing incredible movie
SO HAPPY you enjoyed it!! My second favorite Nolan film only behind The Dark Knight and still in my top 5. One thing I don't see people talk about is how this is one of the few movies/tv shows/novels where the protagonist is actually the villain of the story; and it WORKS. You don't hate Angier even though he's doing horrible things because the movie does such a superb job of explaining his actions. But if you think of the story from Borden's angle, Angier is a villain. Not even an antihero; a straight up villain.
One of my favorite movies of all time. All three men were terrible. Alfred and "Fallon" were unfaithful to the people they loved, and lied to them all from the moment they met. Robert let go of everything he cared about just to prove he was the best, and didn't care about the consequences of cloning himself and then murdering himself every night. Such a wild, sick, well told story.
Completely cracks me up to see how worked up you get after a movie - I absolutely adore it
In case you're not familiar with the history of it, there was quite a rivalry between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, largely around Edison's investment in DC electricity, vs Tesla's use of AC electricity. (Direct Current / Alternating Current) Edison would demonstrate how inefficient AC was by electrocuting dogs and elephants to death, because death by AC electrocution is long and excruciating. He conveniently omitted that death by DC electrocution is practically instant. Tesla on the other hand, built a machine that powered the entire town of Colorado Springs for free. His focus was on.. well, many things, but significantly on a way to generate unlimited clean energy for no cost of fuel. It's unknown if he really succeeded, because his lab kept mysteriously burning down every time Edison thought he might be gaining traction, and when Tesla died, the US government immediately confiscated all of his notes and equipment and still hasn't made any of it public.
There is a bit more to it. Edison was an entrepreneur, not a scientist himself so much. Edison had a whole team of engineers and scientists inventing for him. One of them was a promising Austrian-Hungarian / Serbian young engineer Tesla who worked at Edison's companies (first in France, later in the US) on power utility systems. Tesla had a falling out with the company (not known if directly at Edison) and shortly after joining the US company left to start a business for himself.
Tesla struck a great deal with Westinghouse's by licensing his patent for an (two-phase) Induction AC motor, complementing Westinghouse's preferences to employ AC based utility systems. However, it remained difficult to get a two-phase motor to work in practical applications and it was succeeded by an inhouse designed three-phase design (which basically is the fundation of all electric machines), but still was paying out Tesla a generous license that almost bankrupted Westinghouse. Tesla made a huge contribution to modern power systems, and held a few very important patents, but a larger team was involved.
The Edison Company was aware of the benefits of high voltage AC based utility systems, and was a loud participator in the "War of the Currents", inventing the electric chair as a demonstration of the lethality of AC power.
In fact the notes and equipment _have_ been made public (most of them were returned to his family in the early 1950s and are now kept in the Tesla museum in Serbia) and the US government (probably illegally) confiscated them largely because Tesla died in 1943 - i.e. during WWII - and they were worried that his nephew, the then Yugoslavian ambassador to the US, would get hold of them and give them to the Axis powers - IF (big 'if') they contained anything useful to a war effort that would obviously have been potentially disastrous.
Fun fact: the engineer tasked with checking Tesla's papers for usable inventions, breakthroughs etc. was one Dr John Trump - yep, _that_ Trump's uncle - and he reported at the time that there was nothing useful in there.
Tesla, for the record, didn't believe in subatomic particles and claimed that electrons, if they existed at all, had nothing to do with electricity (which 100+ years of science and technology shows is wrong). Nor did he believe the theory of relativity, claiming to have measured "cosmic rays" travelling at 50 times the speed of light (again, relativity has withstood every experimental test thrown at it for 100+ years and was already well supported by the 1930s, when Tesla was making these claims) so far from some mythic genius, in reality he was just an inventor who got some stuff right and made other claims that were very wrong.
(all of this is a matter of easily googlable public record)
Of course the Tesla myths and conspiracy theories persist regardless (he invented a death-ray, he discovered "free energy" and the government/big oil covered it up etc.) because people mostly don't arrive there by following actual evidence so actual evidence is unlikely to persuade them otherwise.
@@anonymes2884 Thank you.
Did Tesla's machine (that powered CS) use a lot of oil?
@@ct6852 As I recall it collected energy from the Earth's magnetic field in like a conductive coil or something. I don't know, and what I've heard could be as much myth as fact.
I'm pretty sure though that it's just the modern Tesla vehicles that claim to be eco-friendly electric but still have their power generated the same way as everything else.
I absolutely LOVE this movie! I still remember when I first saw it in the theaters when it first came out. So much subtle foreshadowing sprinkled throughout, twists upon twists. It is fitting that Andy Serkis, best known for playing a split personality character, is in this too.
The inclusion of Tesla was also very fitting! Yes, Nikola Tesla was an amazing inventor who started off working for Edison's company before striking off on his own. Edison and Tesla both became very prominent in the field of electricity. Tesla had more of the natural brilliance as an Inventor; while Edison, who was no dummy himself, excelled more at the marketing and the showmanship. Tesla was an inmigrant to America while Edison was native born, so language usage was certainly easier for him. That, combined with biases towards immigrants, no doubt added to Edison's marketing advantages. Tesla, in this way, was more like the rougher but brilliant Borden, while Edison was more like the polished but arrogant Angier.
Edison advocated for an electrical infrastructure based on Direct Current (DC), like batteries, as it was lower voltage and thus safer for people to use. He imagined every household and commercial building having its own electrical generator.
Tesla advocated for Alternating Current (AC), which had higher voltage and could thus travel much further from its source. He envisioned a central power plant in a city that generated power, transmitted it on power lines, and then the electricity voltage was reduced through the use of transformers just prior to entering people's homes.
Obviously, our current system is based off of Tesla's design, (though more and more homes with independent solar power actually mimics Edison's original vision, albeit through a very different kind of generator).
At the time, Edison didn't go down without a fight. Yes, like we briefly saw in the movie, Edison had sent teams to harass and sabotage Tesla. In order to prove how "dangerous" Tesla's alternating current was, Edison made an invention that used AC to kill a person: the electric chair. The AC versus DC inspired the name of the AC/DC Rock band, and yes, Elon Musk's electric car company.
For a classic oldie with "the guy from Miss Congeniality" and "the guy from The Rock". check out The Man Who Would Be King. Great film.
@@Wolfinger1935 A rudyard kipling adaptation. Great movie 👍
Michael Caine PLUS Sean Connery. Great Film.
My second favourite movie ever. It’s clever, it has an epic cast, and more twists n turns than you can shake a stick at… this is movie excellence
You can’t say that without saying which is number 1…
There are 146 time jumps in the movie. Absolutely love this method of storytelling and no one really does it better than Nolan.
There were 146 moments in your life to do something meaningful instead of commenting on a lame TH-cam channel and you didn't take a single one. You're not a but the loser. Why would anyone listen to you?
I agree. First viewing of this film in the theater, I was thrown a little bit. Having seen it several times since then, I appreciate the craftsmanship more each time.
This is my favorite movie of all time, Christopher Nolan directed and the cast is all star and the story is one of the best, I'm so glad you've seen it now
Borden: "He came in to demand an answer and I told him the truth. That I have fought with myself over that night, one half of me swearing blind that I tied a simple slipknot, the other half convinced that I tied the Langford double. I can never know for sure."
This quote is so confusing the first time you hear it, but when you know the truth, it explains everything.
Not really.
Nolan had us in for that great Magic Act of his own called "The Prestige" (2006). And even after he'd given us the explanations about magic acts, intimate access to the characters' lives, and all the clues displayed openly on film for us to understand, he still pulls it off on the audience, beautifully, exactly as he foretold. Marvellous!
Just like he did a few years later, by making his "Inception" (2010) for us to be the tricked audience once again.
I love the metaphor of magic to storytelling. Just shows you the strengths of a 3 act structure. That is the reason I believe this is the most 'meta' of Nolan's films. Similar to how Inception is a metaphor for filmmaking.
Another thing I love is the dynamics of the characters. There is no protagonist or antagonist. Both could've been the bigger man and just walk away. But its in their nature as magicians to one up each other.
Still my favorite Nolan film.
Curious which movies DON'T have a three act structure.
Protagonist and antagonist don't mean "good guy" and "bad guy". They mean "person who the story is about" and "person that opposes them". Borden is the protagonist, Angier is the antagonist.
@@ct6852
I would say The Dark Knight. The best way I can describe it (without getting too much into it) is that its two 3-act structure overlapping each other. So the structure of the story goes: Joker act 1 > Joker act 2/Two-face act 1 > Joker act 3/Two-face act 2 > Two-face act 3
@@wilagaton9627 I remember Dark Knight Rises having kind of a strange structure as well. Been a while since I've seen it though.
This is my favorite Nolan film. He tells you *exactly* what’s going on in fifteen minutes when the rivals visit the older magician.
“How does he do it? He’s so old and feeble, even when no one’s looking!”
And *immediately* we get the answer from someone who knows all too well: “he’s not feeble. his entire life is a performance in service of his art.”
Only a short while later the girl realizes that the trick with the birds means a bird has indeed died. Again: real magic requires sacrifice.
*boy
Your takeaway message of the movie is 'magic requires sacrifice'?😂
@@miskatonic6210 considering how much every character in this movie sacrifices… yes.
Nolan directed Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight. All released in the 2000s. Its one of the best decade stretches by a director ever. All of those movies are absolute bangers, even Insomnia which doesnt have nearly the same recognition as his other films.
Insomnia is my favourite by far. So underrated
He went to the Stanley Kubrick school of film making too. But I would say he had a run of films akin to Martin Scorsese in 70s 80s, Spielberg, David fincher, early Tim burton.
@@serwinzzalot9989 Fincher's 90s is a good comparison to Nolan's run in the 00s: Alien 3, Se7en, The Game, Fight Club
@@pj4433 such a solid movie, I fear it didn't have the 'hook' of his other movies, if it had something extra to make it stand out it would be rated much higher.
This is the only film I have ever immediately rewatched the same night.
A 5-star choice. Cyranno was mine.
I first saw it in a preview a few weeks before the movie opened, but was there opening night because I *HAD* to see it again ASAP! 😁
Try Identity or Basic (both 2003, IIRC).
Surprised she didn't notice Star Trek TNG Moriarity as the judge. Also Data's Grandpa Ira Graves is in it.
5 seasons into watching, and she wasn't sure if the federation invaded planets for colonization, or not. Why are you surprised she didn't recognize an actor she saw once?
Wasn't Moriarity also the butler in The Nanny?
@@EidlonesOh come on, she has watched MAYBE five episodes per season of TNG, she's not going to remember everything perfectly. I find she's very perceptive most of the time.
@ribbitrebecca So she's seen around 25 episodes. How many episodes do you need to figure out that the federation isn't a conquering organization? She's seen multiple episodes where the driving thrust of the narrative was "We don't interfere with other cultures"
But sure, it's fine that she never picked up on that. The fact they make every possible attempt to solve things non-violently, and respect other cultures right to live as they see fit, and try their hardest not to dictate their own morals onto them doesn't discount that they might conquer other planets.
I'm only 7 minutes in and I can tell the editor LOVES this movie. I also love how she's being quiet and absorbing the information.
My gf hates reactions because 'they're always talking', this is a 10/10. For the love of the movie and seeing the viewers actual reaction...
Cassie's really good about not talking incessantly over dialogue like many reactors are.
@@fester2306 I'm a reactor 'grifter' where I only watch reactions for movies I enjoy, and i've seen her before, but this was by far a great example of an amazing reaction.
My gf will never be swayed in her opinion and there's no point in trying, but its good to know that there are still nice people out there that aren't simply boiling down the genre for their own profit. Cassie definitely deserves props for this one at the very least ^^.
Sunshine (while it does get oddly metaphysical later on) is a severely underrated, bordering on unknown, movie.
Just saw the news that Shelly Duval has passed away.....
PIB, please review one of her most fun roles in the movie Popeye with Robin Williams. It's a fun family movie that you will love. Sad tho as I think all the stars of that movie has died...
The whole film is a magic trick. We saw it happen in the first two minutes, and everything else was misdirection.
(8:05) There (19:20) are (28:06) *so* many (33:13) clues to the Prestige of the whole movie, right from the opening shot of a dozen Top Hats. It's amazing we don't all work it out as we watch. I haven't found a single person who saw it coming. Because we're looking for the secret; (36:13) but we're still stunned at the end, because we're not really looking. We want to be fooled.
I spotted Bale as Fallon immediately. Specs, mutton chops and Marlon Brando cotton ball cheeks weren't enough of a disguise for me. I hate that I spoiled what would have been an epic reveal for myself.
I also watched Seven before the usual suspects and so I kind of spoiled the Spacey reveal.
@@MatthewStephensAU that is what makes the best twists. When it's right in front of your face and you don't see it. Unlike the usual suspects when the whole movie is a lie then it just makes a twist at the end. This movie shouldn't have had a twist you should've seen it the whole time. Clue after clue after clue and yet you never see it coming. They even tell you multiple times he's using a double.
@@Nimzzeee same here mate, I remember my friend was actually annoyed at me the first time I watched because I guessed it so fast, he refuses to show me films still to this day haha
@@jeffburnham915 like the usual suspects, the twist is dependent on the unreliable narrator. Angiers diary is an unreliable narration also. We come to know this as Borden reads it in prison. So if the diary is unreliable, then anything in it could be conjured up out of thin air.
All of the colorado scenes.
All the Tesla scenes.
All the machine scenes.
While the audience is congratulating themselves for finally seeing the Borden twins twist and trying to contemplate the gravity of a "real" cloning machine, Nolan has one last trick up his sleeve. Angiers diary is a lie and the machine doesn't work.
@@Dunc25535 I think this unwanted talent came from the old mission impossible tv series. They used to dress up in hair, makeup and prosthetics as they went undercover but if you're familiar with anyones face, you're going to notice that something is off.
This is my FAVORITE film. Not only is an incredible installment in Christopher Nolan’s catalog - A-List cast, playing with time (telling all three chronological parts at the same time), beautiful locations and cinematography - but the WHOLE THING is structured with the formula for magic Cutter describes.
The Pledge: Angier and Borden are up and coming magicians with women they love.
The Turn: Angier runs to the United States to commission Tesla to build The Machine. Borden/Fallon deteriorating their marriage and growing their act.
The Prestige: Angier becomes a hit, and a 100 level deep duplicate, and one of Borden/Fallon is hanged for Angier’s death.
Remember when Christian Bale was in "Newsies" where he danced around and sang about newspapers.
Remember when he was in a Chinese internment camp in EMPIRE OF THE SON as a, what 10 year old?
@@3Kings_Industries I do not remember that. I'll have to check that one out.
Does anyone actually remember that "Newsies" scene? Did anyone actually watch that movie?
@jlilley73 We had it on vhs when I was growing up. It's a musical. The whole movie is them singing and dancing about newspapers. But I have never heard any other human being mention that movie. So sometimes I think maybe it was just a bad dream or something...
Used to love that movie. Some of the songs were really solid.
One of my all time favorite movies. I've watched it many times. Watch it again now that you know the secrets.
I may have got this wrong but I think the whole point was that at the end Danton/Angier never actually knew whether it was the clone or the original who died in the water tank.
It was the original who died. When Tesla first operated the machine, the original hat/cat stayed in place and there were dozens of clones far away before he re-calibrated it. When Danton performed the trick the first time, he shot his clone. But every time after that, the "original" fell through the trap door and drowned in the water tank. Since the clone has the same thoughts and memories of the original Danton he probably assumed he was the original.
@@maduross
I dont think Danton/Angier never actually knew. The original fell into the tank. If the clone was dry, he knew he wasnt the original. It's a philisophical question. If im the clone, how do i have the same thoughts as the original? If im the original, then why aren't I dead.
Each clone lives long enough to see to his own demise, so the next clone can live.
He was saying it took bravery to step in and not know if he would be in the water or in the Prestoge. He had a 50/50 chance of dying each time he stepped into the machine. The body would be duplicated and transported while the other one dropped into the tank. His consciousness, memory, and even train of thought at that moment would also be duplicated.
Try to imagine you're about to get on one of two planes and you know one of them will 100% crash, but you don't know which until the plane either lands safely, or you are plummeting to your death.
@@wal6377 And if it's truly a transported man, perhaps the original is transported and the clone replacing the original.
It's not a clone. Tesla saying they are all your hats points this out. There is no clone there's simply 2 Angiers.
Sarah could always tell that’s why she would say sometimes it’s true when he says I love you but not today. Was also crazy in the beginning when the kid is crying and is talking about the bird getting killed in the cage and he says what about his brother. Bale is taken aback because the kid got it right and it’s also his story with his brother. Freaking love this movie.
Nikola Tesla (played by the late great David Bowie) was a real American inventor and engineer. That's what the company "Tesla" (And the unit of magnetism) is named after.
*Serbian-american
Tesla was never American but was ripped off by Americans. His inventions included ''free'' power for all, that are now locked up under US statutes that will only ever be released if under open source environments because the oil, nuclear and mining interests never want to see this happen.
He was Serbian.
Tesla was born, raised, educated, and worked/invented in the Austrian Empire (current Croatia) and then Hungary. He didn't come to America until he was nearly 30 years old.
@@thechonus3858 he's considered Serbian-American.
Something that "Tesla" said that finally after 100 viewings hit me. When he say's "THEY ARE ALL YOUR HAT" and then it hit me. They are both COPY and ORIGINAL DANTON! The notion of who is the "clone" and who is the original, it simply is BOTH are Danton / Angier. We're not in the philosophical conundrum of the Ship of Theseus. He is not being broken down and rebuilt with other. Both carry the entire breath and experience of Angeirs life. Therefore neither and both were both original and copy. It renders the need to know which is which irrelevant because it simply both answers simultaneously .
yeah is he the man in the box or the man on the stage.. after so many times doing it, he doesnt know. imagine starting the show every night, knowing youre going to die by drowning
@@joeeyaura Neither one of them would now who they or the other would be. At the moment of doubling both are simply Angeir. So if Angier flipped the switch and thought he is the man in the box or on stage, he is simultaneously wrong and right. Once I stopped thinking one was a 'copy' it made the whole concept even creepier, that he was so obsessed he both literally and metaphorically killed his 'soul' every night.
The Danton falling into the box is the original Angier. He literally kills himself, and the copy continues its life until the next show. The copy thinks he is the original because he is an exact copy. The machine doesn't teleport you; it creates a copy of you in another location. This is the same debate about teleportation in Star Trek, and the solution is exactly the same. People in Star Trek are not really being teleported; their originals are being destroyed on the teleportation pod, and their copies continue to exist on the remote location.
@@DenizYalcin that's wrong cause it's not explicitly stated and you cant infer from anything in the movie that there's an "original" Angier and a "clone" cause we dont know how exactly Tesla's machine is working.
Obviously you can't grasp the more complex concept that the machine is more than the simple "original ---> copying ---> clone". Even by this simpler explanation of yours I can 100% counter your "Danton falling into the box is the original Angier" by saying the machine makes a clone at the original position and transports the original some distance away. Or even I can take it even further, the machine could do this one time, the other time it does the opposite or is doing it at random.
We dont know how the machine works. It can be by superposition principle and effectively both are 100% Angier and there's no original, there's no clone. IMO that's why it's not explained in the movie and that's Nolan's intent, that having 2 Angier in the same space-time (by the unexplained method) is at its core very Lovecraftian in nature. That's why it is so disturbing.
Yes. This is actually a core principle in theoretical physics that sounds way simpler than it is: if two things are identical, they are the same. Usually, at the macroscopic level we live in, two things are never the same. You can tell the difference between an original and a copy because of errors that occur (changing the copy) and/or damage that is done (changing the original) in the copying process. However, if Tesla's machine is actually able to perfectly duplicate someone or something, then neither can be considered a copy or an original.
This movie (like Vertigo) is one of those stories that plays three card monty with the audience. Three card monty is a game where someone shuffles three cards and uses slight of hand to show you the Queen at the beginning but makes sure you never pick the queen after shuffling the cards.
BTW, the guy from Miss Congeniality is Sir Michael Caine, yes that's right you have to say the Sir with him.
What, no one mentioned the fantastically beautiful Scarlett Johansson?
I mean, obviously C. Bale & H. Jackman. And of course, M. Caine. But a round of applause for the late, great, David Bowie.
I love how her head was spinning at the end trying to digest everything, that’s why this is one of the best movies ever. Stories that cause that level of question and discussion are marks of great narrative
Batman, Alfred, Black Widow, Wolverine and Gollum = good movie.
This is Goblin King erasure.
Yes 😂 that look when they experience something amazing for the first time, I've spent most of my life trying to capture it again, in the faces of strangers. Its a special kind of torture. I will live with it forever
The trick where the bird is actually killed foreshadows what Hugh Jackmans character eventually does to the clones
8:28
And what Christian Bale did to other Christian Bale
It’s either this or Memento as my favorite Nolan film
Nobody would believe that was Angio in the end. They didn't have broadcast news with photographs of people. He merely assumed a different identity and slightly changed his appearance.
It wouldn't matter anyway: they identified the body.
I mean cutter would have validated it too.
this is one of my favorite films
My favorite fact about this movie is that in the book, it's Albert and Frederick Borden. Albert + Frederick = Al | Fred, Alfred.
When Borden gives Sarah the key to the house, that's Albert. When Borden fights with Sarah at dinner with Olivia (when Olivia calls him 'Freddy'), that's Frederick.
If you keep in mind that Albert loves Sarah and Frederick loves Olivia, the movie will often tell you which brother you're watching. Every time Borden tells Sarah he loves her and she says that he doesn't mean it, it's the movie saying, "This is Frederick." Every time Borden is suspicious of or rude to Olivia, the movie is saying, "This is Albert."
And in the scene where Borden (I'm guessing it's Frederick; he seems to be more aggressive and hot headed) yells, "Why can't you outthink him," the movie never shows who he was talking to. Because the other brother (Albert, who seems more sensitive and more of a thinker, and who I also believe is the one who went to Julia's funeral), isn't dressed up as Fallon.
The coolest part of all this is when Borden (Frederick) is in prison and Fallon (Albert) comes to visit right before the imprisoned one is executed, the one in prison throws the other one his rubber ball. They're doing The Transported Man for the very last time.
They've LITERALLY been planning The Transported Man for their entire lives.
Never noticed until today that at 35:49 it sounds like Borden saying "They do this every night; after each performance." but it's really one asking "They do this every night?" and the other answering "After each performance."
@@SannspoofExcellent catch! I hadn’t reflected on that, even after watching this movie countless times :-)
Love that last ball transfer
It was great to see that big smile on Cassies face right at the end of this video. She's come a long way for someone who a few years ago just wanted to watch romcoms with happy endings.
4:25 No, that wasn't the Not-Hugh Jackman.
20:20 THAT is the Not-Hugh Jackman.
The man in the beginning was simply a Hugh Jackman.
And the gentleman in the X-Men and Wolverine movies is a huge, jacked man.
Or was it Huge Action?
This is the movie that movie nuts like us that sub to you find as one of the most re-watchable movies of all time. Nolan knew what he was doing when he directed this and gave us the puzzles we have to solve as viewers. He did the same thing with 'Memento'.
Give it a couple of weeks and then watch it again with the knowledge that is gifted to you at the end of the movie. It's a real eye-opener.
Sunshine is a fantastic movie as well you should still watch it
This is a fantastic movie for rewatching. Once you know the ending there’s a ton of little hints. The little boy asking where was the bird’s “brother” and Borden comments, “he’s a sharp one!”
43:00 The Dead Dantons would be a good name for a band.
Outro reactions like this is THE reason I love watching you. Man does time fly when you're having fun.
I watch this movie at least once a year. It's so great.
This entire movie is a magic trick.... The look on her face at the end says it all!
This is why Cassie is one the most popular and most followed reactionaries. Usually I'm not one for a fancy backdrop, but there's really nothing wrong with it especially if it adds to the scenery, its almost like being in a picture theatre ☺️ Also her reactions are GENUINE and not faked or over the top hypo like some. Cassie is just being herself, and best of all she actually picks interesting things to react to. These combined have super boosted her channel to warp 9 😇
Cassie reacts to movies but that doesn't make her 'a reactionary' - because she doesn't "oppose political or social progress or reform" - she just watches movies!
@@DaveBartlett Cassie is bloody ADORABLE 😁
@@andoncroft She is sweet and adorable but she doesn't know who Nikola Tesla was...that's kinda awkward and cringy tbh.
@@horsepower523 Lol you say weird things like me 😂