Review of the Film: Prestige (2006)

Basic facts about the movie:

Title:

The Prestige

Director:

 

Christopher Nolan

Lead actors:

Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine

Genre:

Mystery thriller film

Plot overview:

In the end of the Nineteenth Century, in London, Robert Angier, his beloved wife Julia McCullough and Alfred Borden are friends and assistants of a magician. When Julia accidentally dies during a performance, Robert blames Alfred for her death and they become enemies. Both become famous and rival magicians, sabotaging the performance of the other on the stage. When Alfred performs a successful trick, Robert becomes obsessed trying to disclose the secret of his competitor with tragic consequences.

Consider the mechanics of the movie.

Direction

The director of the film, Christopher Nolan chose a right way to portray the events of the story. If I am not mistaken, he wanted to explain us the situation which actors faced that time – misunderstanding of the government and love of viewers. I am sure that the way of presenting the movie to the audience is on the high level. They have opportunity to be involved in the center of events. Though the film is not slow, but sometimes it is difficult to understand what that is and who is he – the intricate subject. Truly speaking I have not seen any other movies by this director, but I am going to watch them, because his work impressed me greatly.

Writing

Having evaluated the script, including dialogue and characterization I came to the conclusion that these things absolutely show us what we want to see. These elements absolutely satisfy the idea of the film. As I have already said, I felt the plot was inventive and unpredictable then boring and weak. We only realized at the end of the movie what has happened. It is a great director’s work, who makes us feel this. The characters' words seemed credible to me as they have been spoken as if it is an internal true.

Editing

The movie was choppy with lots of flashbacks why helped us to understand what has had our hero in his life. If a movie flows smoothly from scene to scene it is boring one. Speaking about using of lighting and other ambient effects we are to say that they are present on top level. The move has computer-generated graphics, and I think they looked realistic and fit some situations in the film in with the rest of the film.

Costume design

The clothing choice fit the style of the movie very well. It depicts the atmosphere of that time – England of the end of the 19^th c. They absolutely contributed to the overall tone, rather than digressing from it.

Set design

It is an open secret that the setting of the film influenced its other elements greatly. London is the city of prestige: there are lots of luxury shops and hotels their. It is the capital and live in the capital is the prestige for everybody. The movie was filmed in a real place, this location was well-chosen.

Background music

Background music worked with the scenes especially when artist made tricks. It was under-used. It was suspenseful, amusing and irritating at the same time. A soundtrack can make or break a movie, especially if the songs have a particular message or meaning to them but it is not our story. The music, which was all classical, mixed well with the eighteenth-century setting. This gives us a good sense of both "what" and "how" (in the sense of how good or bad something was).

 
The movie was intriguing and exciting, I recommend you to watch it. It is also pity that today the special technique of the illusionists as a class is substituted by computer effects.