The Prestige (film)

Last updated

The Prestige
Prestige poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Screenplay by
Based on The Prestige
by Christopher Priest
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Wally Pfister
Edited by Lee Smith
Music by David Julyan
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • October 17, 2006 (2006-10-17)(El Capitan Theatre)
  • October 20, 2006 (2006-10-20)(United States)
  • November 10, 2006 (2006-11-10)(United Kingdom)
Running time
130 minutes [1]
Countries
  • United Kingdom [2]
  • United States [2]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$40 million [3]
Box office$109.7 million [3]

The Prestige is a 2006 psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan, written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan and based on the 1995 novel by Christopher Priest. It stars Hugh Jackman as Robert Angier and Christian Bale as Alfred Borden, rival stage magicians in Victorian London who feud over a perfect teleportation trick.

Contents

The cast also featuresMichael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Andy Serkis, and David Bowie as Nikola Tesla. The film reunites Nolan with actors Bale and Caine from Batman Begins and returning cinematographer Wally Pfister, production designer Nathan Crowley, and editor Lee Smith.

The Prestige was released on October 20, 2006, to positive reviews and grossed $109 million worldwide against a production budget of $40 million. It received Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography.

Plot

In 1890s London, Robert Angier and Alfred Borden work as shills for a magician, under the mentorship of John Cutter, an engineer who designs stage magic. During a water tank trick, Angier's wife Julia fails to escape and drowns. Angier, devastated, accuses Borden of causing her death. The two become bitter enemies and part ways. Borden begins a solo act while Cutter helps Angier launch his own career. In retaliation for his wife's death, Angier sabotages Borden's bullet catch trick and shoots off two of the latter's fingers. Borden, in turn, sabotages a performance of Angier's and later develops a trick he calls "The Transported Man", in which he appears to travel instantly between two wardrobes on opposite ends of the stage.

Unable to discern Borden's method, Angier hires a double, Gerald Root, to perform his own version of the trick. The imitation is a greater success, but Angier is dissatisfied, as he ends the trick hidden under the stage while Root basks in the applause. Borden then approaches Root and explains that he has high leveraging power over Angier, causing him to act more and more arrogant. In return, Angier has his assistant Olivia spy on Borden to learn how he performs The Transported Man. However, Olivia falls in love with Borden and becomes his assistant. With her help, Borden sabotages Angier's act, crippling him. Confronted by Angier, Olivia gives him a copy of Borden's encoded diary. Angier acquires the keyword to decode it, "TESLA", by threatening to kill Borden's stage engineer, Fallon. The diary takes Angier to America to meet scientist Nikola Tesla, who supposedly built a machine for The Transported Man trick.

Angier realizes the diary is fraudulent but Tesla still manages to create a machine for him. However, instead of teleporting objects, Tesla's machine creates a duplicate of them a short distance away. Tesla is driven from Colorado Springs by agents of his rival, Thomas Alva Edison, but has the machine delivered to Angier. He advises Angier to destroy it, saying it will bring him nothing but misery. Borden's wife, Sarah, is driven to suicide by his contradictory personality. Borden reveals to Olivia that he never loved Sarah and that he loves her more. Disgusted by Borden's inhumanity over his wife's death and the two magicians' feud, Olivia leaves. In London, Angier debuts "The Real Transported Man" using Tesla's machine.

Borden witnesses Angier fall through a trapdoor and drown in a water tank. Borden is discovered by Cutter and turned over to the police. He is found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. Lord Caldlow, an aristocrat, offers to adopt Borden's soon-to-be-orphaned daughter, Jess, so she is not sent to the workhouses, in exchange for Borden's tricks. However, on meeting Caldlow, Borden realizes that it is Angier in disguise, come to gloat. When Cutter realizes that Angier is still alive, he is disgusted that Angier allowed Borden to be sentenced but agrees to help dispose of Tesla's machine. Borden is hanged for Angier's murder. Back at the theatre, Angier is shot by a stranger who reveals himself as Borden.

How each man performed the Transported Man act is revealed: "Alfred Borden" was an identity shared by a pair of identical twins; offstage when one was "Borden", the other was disguised as "Fallon". When Angier had shot off one twin's fingers, the other amputated his own fingers to maintain the disguise. The surviving twin loved Sarah while his brother had loved Olivia.

Meanwhile, when Angier used Tesla's machine, every performance created a new Angier, while the original drowned in a tank beneath the stage. Angier dies from his gunshot and drops his lantern, setting the theatre on fire. Borden picks up Jess at Cutter's workshop. In the burning theater, rows of tanks hold dead Angiers.

Cast

Production

Julian Jarrold's and Sam Mendes's producer approached Christopher Priest for an adaptation of his novel The Prestige . Priest was impressed with Nolan's films Following and Memento , [10] and subsequently, producer Valerie Dean brought the book to Nolan's attention. [11] In October 2000, Nolan traveled to the United Kingdom to publicize Memento, as Newmarket Films was having difficulty finding a United States distributor. While in London, Nolan read Priest's book and shared the story with his brother while walking around in Highgate (a location later featured in the scene where Angier ransoms Borden's stage engineer in Highgate Cemetery). The development process for The Prestige began as a reversal of their earlier collaboration: Jonathan Nolan had pitched his initial story for Memento to his brother during a road trip. [12]

A year later, the option on the book became available and was purchased by Aaron Ryder of Newmarket Films. [11] [12] In late 2001, Nolan became busy with the post-production of Insomnia , and asked his brother Jonathan to help work on the script. [12] The writing process was a long collaboration between the Nolan brothers, occurring intermittently over a period of five years. [13] In the script, the Nolans emphasized the magic of the story through the dramatic narrative, playing down the visual depiction of stage magic. The three-act screenplay was deliberately structured around the three elements of the film's illusion: the pledge, the turn, and the prestige. "It took a long time to figure out how to achieve cinematic versions of the very literary devices that drive the intrigue of the story," Christopher Nolan told Variety : "The shifting points of view, the idea of journals within journals and stories within stories. Finding the cinematic equivalents of those literary devices was very complex." [14] Although the film is thematically faithful to the novel, two major changes were made to the plot structure during the adaptation process: the novel's spiritualism subplot was removed, and the modern-day frame story was replaced with Borden's wait for the gallows. [11] Priest approved of the adaptation, describing it as "an extraordinary and brilliant script, a fascinating adaptation of my novel." [11]

The historic Tower Theatre in Los Angeles was used as the location for the Pantages Theatre in London Tower Theater (Los Angeles).jpg
The historic Tower Theatre in Los Angeles was used as the location for the Pantages Theatre in London

In early 2003, Nolan planned to direct the film before the production of Batman Begins accelerated. [6] [16] Following the release of Batman Begins, Nolan started up the project again, negotiating with Jackman and Bale in October 2005. [17] While the screenplay was still being written, production designer Nathan Crowley began the set design process in Nolan's garage, employing a "visual script" consisting of scale models, images, drawings, and notes. Jonathan and Christopher Nolan finished the final shooting draft on January 13, 2006, and began production three days later on January 16. Filming ended on April 9. [18]

Crowley and his crew searched Los Angeles for almost seventy locations that resembled fin de siècle London. [15] Jonathan Nolan visited Colorado Springs to research Nikola Tesla and based the electric bulb scene on actual experiments conducted by Tesla. [12] Nathan Crowley helped design the scene for Tesla's invention; It was shot in the parking lot of the Mount Wilson Observatory. [15] Influenced by a "Victorian modernist aesthetic," Crowley chose four locations in the Broadway theater district in downtown Los Angeles for the film's stage magic performances: the Los Angeles Theatre, the Palace Theatre, the Los Angeles Belasco, and the Tower Theatre. [19] Crowley also turned a portion of the Universal back lot into Victorian London. [20] Osgood Castle in Colorado was also used as a location. [21]

Nolan built only one set for the film, an "under-the-stage section that houses the machinery that makes the larger illusions work," [22] preferring to simply dress various Los Angeles locations and sound stages to stand in for Colorado and Victorian England. [23] In contrast to most period pieces, Nolan kept up the quick pace of production by shooting with handheld cameras, [23] and refrained from using artificial lighting in some scenes, relying instead on natural light on location. [6] Costume designer Joan Bergin chose attractive, modern Victorian fashions for Scarlett Johansson; cinematographer Wally Pfister captured the mood with soft earth tones as white and black colors provided background contrasts, bringing actors' faces to the foreground. [24] Editing, scoring, and mixing finished on September 22, 2006. [18]

Themes

The rivalry between Angier and Borden dominates the film. Obsession, secrecy, and sacrifice fuel the battle, as both magicians contribute their fair share to a deadly duel of one-upmanship, with disastrous results. Angier's obsession with beating Borden costs him Cutter's friendship, while providing him with a collection of his own dead clones; Borden's obsession with maintaining the secrecy of his twin leads Sarah to question their relationship, eventually resulting in her suicide when she suspects the truth. Angier and one of the twins both lose Olivia's love because of their inhumanity. Finally, Borden is hanged and the last copy of Angier shot. Their struggle is also expressed through class warfare: Borden as The Professor, a working-class magician who gets his hands dirty, versus Angier as The Great Danton, a classy, elitist showman whose accent makes him appear American. [25] Film critic Matt Brunson claimed that a complex theme of duality is exemplified by Angier and Borden, that the film chooses not to depict either magician as good or evil. [26]

Angier's theft of Borden's teleportation illusion in the film echoes many real-world examples of stolen tricks among magicians. Outside the film, similar rivalries include magicians John Nevil Maskelyne and Harry Kellar's dispute over a levitation illusion. [27] Gary Westfahl of Locus Online also notes a "new proclivity for mayhem" in the film over the novel, citing the murder/suicide disposition of Angier's duplicates and intensified violent acts of revenge and counter-revenge. This "relates to a more general alteration in the events and tone of the film" rather than significantly changing the underlying themes. [28]

Nor is this theme of cutthroat competition limited to sleight of hand: the script incorporates the popular notion that Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison were directly engaged in the war of the currents, a rivalry over electrical standards, which appears in the film in parallel to Angier and Borden's competition for magical supremacy. [29] [30] In the novel, Tesla and Edison serve as foils for Angier and Borden, respectively. [31]

Den Shewman of Creative Screenwriting says the film asks how far one would go to devote oneself to an art. The character of Chung Ling Soo, according to Shewman, is a metaphor for this theme. [11] Film critic Alex Manugian refers to this theme as the "meaning of commitment." [32]

Nicolas Rapold of Film Comment addresses the points raised by Shewman and Manugian in terms of the film's "refracted take on Romanticism":

Angier's technological solution—which suggests art as sacrifice, a phoenix-like death of the self—and Borden's more meat-and-potatoes form of stagecraft embody the divide between the artist and the social being. [33]

For Manugian the central theme is "obsession," but he also notes the supporting themes of the "nature of deceit" and "science as magic." Manugian criticizes the Nolans for trying to "ram too many themes into the story." [32]

Release

Touchstone Pictures opted to move the release date forward by a week, from the original October 27, to October 20, 2006. [34] The film earned $14.8 million on opening weekend in the United States, debuting at #1. It grossed $109 million, including $53 million from the United States. [3] The film received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Art Direction (Nathan Crowley and Julie Ochipinti) and the Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Wally Pfister), [35] as well as a nomination for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form in 2007. [36]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 76% based on 202 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Full of twists and turns, The Prestige is a dazzling period piece that never stops challenging the audience." [37] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [38] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. [39]

Claudia Puig of USA Today described the film as "one of the most innovative, twisting, turning art films of the past decade." [40] Drew McWeeny gave the film a glowing review, saying it demands repeat viewing, [41] with Peter Travers of Rolling Stone agreeing. [42] On At the Movies with Ebert and Roeper, Richard Roeper and guest critic A.O. Scott gave the film a "two thumbs up" rating. [43] [44] Todd Gilchrist of IGN applauded the performances of Jackman and Bale whilst praising Nolan for making "this complex story as easily understandable and effective as he made the outwardly straightforward comic book adaptation ( Batman Begins ) dense and sophisticated... any truly great performance is almost as much showmanship as it is actual talent, and Nolan possesses both in spades." [45] CNN.com and Village Voice film critic Tom Charity listed it among his best films of 2006. [46] Philip French of The Observer recommended the film, comparing the rivalry between the two main characters to that of Mozart and Salieri in the highly acclaimed Amadeus . [47]

On the other hand, Dennis Harvey of Variety criticized the film as gimmicky, though he felt the cast did well in underwritten roles. [48] Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter felt that characters "...are little more than sketches. Remove their obsessions, and the two magicians have little personality." [49] Nonetheless, the two reviewers praised David Bowie as Tesla, as well as the production values and cinematography. On a simpler note, Emanuel Levy has said: "Whether viewers perceive The Prestige as intricately complex or just unnecessarily complicated would depend to a large degree on their willingness to suspend disbelief for two hours." He gave the film a B grade. [50]

Roger Ebert gave the film three stars out of four, describing the revelation at the end as a "fundamental flaw" and a "cheat." He wrote, "The pledge of Nolan's The Prestige is that the film, having been metaphorically sawed in two, will be restored; it fails when it cheats, as, for example, if the whole woman produced on the stage were not the same one so unfortunately cut in two." [51] R.J. Carter of The Trades felt, "I love a good science fiction story; just tell me in advance." He gave the film a B−. [52] Christopher Priest, who wrote the novel the film is based on, saw it three times as of January 5, 2007, and his reaction was "'Well, holy shit.' I was thinking, 'God, I like that,' and 'Oh, I wish I'd thought of that.'" [53]

The film has grown in stature since its release. [54] [55] [56] In 2009, The A.V. Club named The Prestige as one of the best films of the 2000s. [57] The film was included in American Cinematographer's "Best-Shot Film of 1998-2008" list, ranking at 36. More than 17,000 people around the world participated in the final vote. [58] In 2020, Empire magazine ranked it among "The 100 Greatest Movies Of The 21st Century". [59]

Music

The film score was written by English musician and composer David Julyan. Julyan had previously collaborated with director Christopher Nolan on Following , Memento and Insomnia . Following the film's narrative, the soundtrack had three sections: the Pledge, the Turn, and the Prestige. [60]

Track listing

All music is composed by David Julyan

No.TitleLength
1."Are You Watching Closely?"1:51
2."Colorado Springs"4:15
3."The Light Field"1:50
4."Borden Meets Sarah"2:11
5."Adagio for Julia"2:03
6."A New Trick"4:29
7."The Journal"2:55
8."The Transported Man"2:36
9."No, Not Today"2:31
10."Caught"1:39
11."Cutter Returns"2:13
12."The Real Transported Man"2:28
13."Man's Reach Exceeds His Imagination"2:08
14."Goodbye to Jess"2:53
15."Sacrifice"5:15
16."The Price of a Good Trick"5:05
17."The Prestige"1:40
18."The Tesla"1:30

Some critics were disappointed with the score, acknowledging that while it worked within the context of the film, it was not enjoyable by itself. [61] [62] Jonathan Jarry of SoundtrackNet described the score as "merely functional," establishing the atmosphere of dread but never taking over. Although the reviewer was interested with the score's notion, Jarry found the execution was "extremely disappointing." [61]

Christopher Coleman of Tracksounds felt that though it was "...a perfectly fitting score," it was completely overwhelmed by the film, and totally unnoticed at times. [62] Christian Clemmensen of Filmtracks recommended the soundtrack for those who enjoyed Julyan's work on the film, and noted that it was not for those who expected "any semblance of intellect or enchantment in the score to match the story of the film." Clemmensen called the score lifeless, "constructed on a bed of simplistic string chords and dull electronic soundscapes." [63]

The song "Analyse" by Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke is played over the credits. [64]

Home media

The Region 1 disc is by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, and was released on February 20, 2007, and is available on DVD and Blu-ray formats. [65] The Warner Bros. Region 2 DVD was released on March 12, 2007. [66] It is also available in both BD and regionless HD DVD in Europe (before HD DVD was canceled). Special features are minimal, with the documentary Director's Notebook: The Prestige – Five Making-of Featurettes, running roughly twenty minutes combined, an art gallery and the trailer. Nolan did not contribute to a commentary as he felt the film primarily relied on an audience's reaction and did not want to remove the mystery from the story. [67]

The film was released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Ultra HD Blu-ray on December 18, 2017, in the United Kingdom. [68] The film was also released by Touchstone Home Entertainment on Ultra HD Blu-ray on December 19, 2017, in the United States. [69]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Caine</span> English actor (born 1933)

Sir Michael Caine is an English retired actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over a career spanning eight decades and is considered a British film icon. He has received numerous awards including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. As of 2017, the films in which Caine has appeared have grossed over $7.8 billion worldwide. Caine is one of only five male actors to be nominated for an Academy Award for acting in five different decades. In 2000, he received a BAFTA Fellowship and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Nolan</span> British and American filmmaker (born 1970)

Christopher Edward Nolan is a British and American filmmaker. Known for his Hollywood blockbusters with complex storytelling, Nolan is considered a leading filmmaker of the 21st century. His films have grossed more than $6 billion worldwide, ranking him amongst the highest-grossing directors. His accolades include two Academy Awards. In 2015, he was listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time, and in 2024, he was honoured with the British Film Institute Fellowship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Jackman</span> Australian actor (born 1968)

Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor. Beginning in theatre and television, Jackman landed his breakthrough role as Wolverine in the X-Men film series, a role that earned him the Guinness World Record for "longest career as a live-action Marvel character", until his record was surpassed by Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier in May 2022. Prominent on both screen and stage, he has received various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award and two Tony Awards, along with nominations for an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award. Jackman was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Bale</span> English actor (born 1974)

Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Forbes magazine ranked him as one of the highest-paid actors in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricky Jay</span> American magician and actor (1946–2018)

Richard Jay Potash was an American stage magician, actor and writer. In a 1993 profile for The New Yorker, Mark Singer called Jay "perhaps the most gifted sleight of hand artist alive". In addition to sleight of hand, he was known for his card tricks, card throwing, memory feats, and stage patter. He also wrote extensively on magic and its history. His acting credits included the films The Prestige, The Spanish Prisoner, Mystery Men, Heist, Boogie Nights, Tomorrow Never Dies, Heartbreakers, State and Main, House of Games and Magnolia, and the HBO series Deadwood. In 2015 he was the subject of an episode of PBS's American Masters, the only magician ever profiled in the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese linking rings</span> Magic trick

The Chinese linking rings is a classic of illusion magic in which solid metal rings appear to link and unlink, pass through each other, and form chains and other complex patterns and configurations. The rings may even be handed out to audience members for examination. Sometimes an audience member is invited onto the stage to perform alongside the magician as part of a "do as I do" routine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Serkis</span> English actor (born 1964)

Andrew Clement Serkis is an English actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his motion-capture roles comprising motion capture acting, animation and voice work for computer-generated characters such as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003) and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), King Kong in the eponymous 2005 film, Caesar in the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy (2011–2017), Captain Haddock / Sir Francis Haddock in Steven Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin (2011), Baloo in his self-directed film Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018) and Supreme Leader Snoke in the Star Wars sequel trilogy filmsThe Force Awakens (2015) and The Last Jedi (2017), also portraying Kino Loy in the Star Wars Disney+ series Andor (2022).

<i>Batman Begins</i> 2005 American superhero film by Christopher Nolan

Batman Begins is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman, with Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe, and Morgan Freeman in supporting roles. The film reboots the Batman film series, telling the origin story of Bruce Wayne from the death of his parents to his journey to become Batman and his fight to stop Ra's al Ghul and the Scarecrow from plunging Gotham City into chaos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Priest (novelist)</span> British author (1943–2024)

Christopher Mackenzie Priest was a British novelist and science fiction writer. His works include Fugue for a Darkening Island, The Inverted World, The Affirmation, The Glamour, The Prestige, and The Separation.

<i>The Prestige</i> 1995 novel by Christopher Priest

The Prestige is a 1995 science fiction novel by British writer Christopher Priest. It tells the story of a prolonged feud between two stage magicians in late 1800s England. Its structure is that of a collection of diaries that were kept by the protagonists and later collated. The title derives from the novel's fictional practice of stage illusions having three parts: the setup, the performance, and the prestige (effect).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Nolan</span> British-American screenwriter (born 1976)

Jonathan Nolan is a British-American screenwriter, producer and director. He is the creator of the CBS science fiction series Person of Interest (2011–2016) and co-creator of the HBO science-fiction/Western series Westworld (2016–2022).

<i>Magicians</i> (2007 film) 2007 British film by Andrew OConnor

Magicians is a 2007 British comedy film released on 18 May 2007. It stars comic duo Robert Webb and David Mitchell as stage magicians Karl and Harry. The two magicians compete together in a magic competition, despite their personal differences. Parts and ideas of the film have been taken to parody the 2006 film The Prestige by Christopher Nolan, though this had not been released when Magicians was filmed. The film is directed by Andrew O'Connor and written by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, who are also the writers of the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show, which stars Mitchell and Webb. Other principal cast members include Jessica Hynes, Darren Boyd, Steve Edge, Peter Capaldi, and Andrea Riseborough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikola Tesla in popular culture</span>

Nikola Tesla is portrayed in many forms of popular culture. The Serbian-American engineer has particularly been depicted in science fiction, a genre which is well suited to address his inventions; while often exaggerated, the fictionalized variants build mostly upon his own alleged claims or ideas. A popular, growing fixation among science fiction, comic book, and speculative history storytellers is to portray Tesla as a member of a secret society, along with other luminaries of science. The impacts of the technologies invented by Nikola Tesla are a recurring theme in the steampunk genre of alternate technology science-fiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syncopy Inc.</span> British and American film production company

Syncopy Inc. is a British and American film production company founded and operated by Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas. The name of the company is a play on syncopation and was suggested to Nolan by his late father, who was a classical music fan. It has offices in London and Los Angeles.

<i>Is Anybody There?</i> 2008 British film by John Crowley

Is Anybody There? is a 2008 British drama film starring Michael Caine and directed by John Crowley. It was written by Peter Harness and produced by David Heyman, Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf. The film premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival under its original title Is There Anybody There? It garnered a nomination from the London Film Critics' Circle for Bill Milner as the Young British Performer of the Year.

The 27th London Film Critics Circle Awards, honouring the best in film for 2006, were announced by the London Film Critics Circle on 8 February 2007.

<i>The Dark Knight Rises</i> 2012 superhero film by Christopher Nolan

The Dark Knight Rises is a 2012 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan, and the story with David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the final installment in Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy, and the sequel to The Dark Knight (2008). The film stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman, alongside Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Michael Caine. Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, the terrorist Bane forces Bruce Wayne to resume his role as Batman and save Gotham City from nuclear destruction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Bale filmography</span>

Christian Bale is an English actor who has starred in various films. Bale's role in Empire of the Sun, as a young boy interned in China by the Japanese, received praise from most film critics. Two years later, Bale had a minor role in Henry V, a drama film based on William Shakespeare's play The Life of Henry the Fifth. It has been considered one of the best Shakespeare film adaptations ever made. In 1992, Bale starred as Jack Kelly in the Walt Disney musical drama Newsies, which was a critical and commercial failure; however, it gained a cult following. He received a role in the 1994 drama Little Women, which garnered positive reviews. Bale lent his voice to the Disney animated film Pocahontas in 1995; it received a mixed reception, but attained box office success. He starred as British journalist Arthur Stuart in the Todd Haynes-directed drama Velvet Goldmine (1998). Although critics were divided on the film, Bale's role was "eagerly anticipated". Bale portrayed Demetrius in the critically praised 1999 film A Midsummer Night's Dream, an adaptation of Shakespeare's play of the same name, directed by Michael Hoffman. The same year, he portrayed Jesus of Nazareth in the television movie Mary, Mother of Jesus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Nolan filmography</span>

Christopher Nolan is a British-American film director, producer, and screenwriter. His feature directorial debut was the neo-noir crime thriller Following (1998) which was made on a shoestring budget of $6,000. Two years later, he directed the psychological thriller Memento (2000) which starred Guy Pearce as a man suffering from anterograde amnesia searching for his wife's killers. Similar to his debut feature it had a non-linear narrative structure, and was his breakthrough film. It was acclaimed by critics and was a surprise commercial success. For the film Nolan received his first nomination for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film, and for writing its screenplay he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He next directed the mystery thriller remake Insomnia (2002) which starred Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank. It was his first film for Warner Bros., and was a critical and commercial success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinematic style of Christopher Nolan</span> Filmmaking style of Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan is a British-American filmmaker known for using aesthetics, themes and cinematic techniques that are recognisable in his work. Regarded as an auteur filmmaker, Nolan is partial to elliptical editing, documentary-style lighting, hand-held camera work, natural settings, and real filming locations over studio work. Embedded narratives and crosscutting between different time frames is a major component of his work, and his films often feature experimental soundscapes and mathematically-inspired images and concepts. Nolan prefers shooting on film to digital video and advocates for the use of higher-quality, larger-format film stock. He favours practical effects over computer-generated imagery, and is a proponent of theatrical exhibition.

References

  1. ↑ "The Prestige". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on October 28, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Film: The Prestige". Lumiere. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Prestige (2006)". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2007.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Carle, Chris (October 12, 2006). "Casting The Prestige". IGN. Archived from the original on September 3, 2009. Retrieved March 5, 2007.
  5. ↑ White, Cindy (October 18, 2006). "Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman square off as rival magicians in Christopher Nolan's The Prestige". Sci Fi Weekly. Archived from the original on October 29, 2006. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Jolin, Dan (September 29, 2006). "You Won't Believe Your Eyes". Empire. pp. 134–140.
  7. ↑ Roberts, Sheila. "Interview: Michael Caine, 'The Prestige'". MoviesOnline.ca. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Tricks of the Trade". IrishTimes.com. November 10, 2006. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2008.
  9. ↑ Carnevale, Rob. "The Prestige – Andy Serkis interview". IndieLondon.co.uk. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  10. ↑ Toy, Sam (September 29, 2006). "Magic marker". Empire. p. 137.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Shewman, Den. (September/October 2006). Nothing Up Their Sleeves: Christopher & Jonathan Nolan on the Art of Magic, Murder, and 'The Prestige'. Creative Screenwriting. Vol. 13:5.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Jeff Goldsmith (October 28, 2006). "The Prestige Q&A: Interview with Jonathan Nolan". Creative Screenwriting Magazine Podcast (Podcast). Creative Screenwriting. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  13. ↑ McGurk, Stuart (March 12, 2007). "How I made... The Prestige: Christopher Nolan". TheLondonPaper.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2009. Retrieved March 13, 2007.
  14. ↑ Cohen, David S. (December 18, 2006). "Adapted Screenplay". Variety.
  15. 1 2 3 Wada, Karen (February 1, 2007). "Tricked Out: How production designer Nathan Crowley transformed modern Los Angeles into Victorian London for The Prestige". Los Angeles Magazine . 52 (2): 94–97.
  16. ↑ Fleming, Mike (April 16, 2003). "Nolan wants 'Prestige'". Variety. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2007.
  17. ↑ Fleming, Mike; Cohen, David S. (October 2, 2005). "Meet the men of magic". Variety. Archived from the original on July 13, 2009. Retrieved March 5, 2007.
  18. 1 2 Nolan, Christopher (Director) (October 17, 2006). The Prestige (Motion picture). USA: Touchstone Pictures. Event occurs at "Resonances" bonus feature.
  19. ↑ Nelson, Steffie (January 9, 2007). "Magic pics pull conjuring tricks". Variety. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2007.
  20. ↑ Idelson, Karen (November 13, 2006). "H'wood back lots still work magic". Variety. Vol. 404, no. 13. pp. A4.
  21. ↑ "The Historic Redstone Castle". Redstone Castle. 2011. Archived from the original on April 23, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  22. ↑ Lawson, Terry (October 17, 2006). "'Batman' stars team in 'Prestige': Actors learned to perform magic for their roles". Detroit Free Press.
  23. 1 2 Carle, Chris (September 20, 2006). "The Prestige Edit Bay Visit". IGN. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2006.
  24. ↑ Nolan, Christopher (Director) (October 17, 2006). The Prestige (Motion picture). USA: Touchstone Pictures. Event occurs at "Conjuring the Past" bonus feature. Archived from the original on February 7, 2007.
  25. ↑ Murray, Rebecca. "Christian Bale Talks About "The Prestige" - Page 2". About.com . Archived from the original on March 21, 2007. Retrieved November 1, 2006.
  26. ↑ Brunson, Matt. "Trick and Treat". Creative Loafing Charlotte. Archived from the original on January 19, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  27. ↑ Kawamoto, Wayne. "Film Review: The Prestige". About.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2006. Retrieved November 1, 2006.
  28. ↑ Westfahl, Gary. "Seeing Double: A Review of The Prestige". Locus Online . Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2007.
  29. ↑ Difrancesco, Teresa (October 20, 2006). "Jonathan Nolan on writing The Prestige". MovieWeb . Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2006.
  30. ↑ "'Prestige' is magical". Arkansas Times . October 26, 2006. Archived from the original on July 10, 2009. Retrieved October 31, 2006.
  31. ↑ Langford, David. "The Prestige". Ansible.co.uk. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2006.
  32. 1 2 Manugian, Alex (November 3, 2006). "Movie Review: Not dazzling, but still fascinating". The Harvard Post. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2006.
  33. ↑ Rapold, Nicolas (January–February 2007). "Dueling-Magician Pick:The Prestige". Film Comment: 77.
  34. ↑ "'The Prestige' Changes the Date". CanMag.com. July 23, 2006. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2006.
  35. ↑ "79th Oscar Nominations Announced". EmpireOnline.com. January 23, 2007. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2007.
  36. ↑ "Nippon 2007 Hugo Nominees". Nippon 2007. April 1, 2001. Archived from the original on April 10, 2007. Retrieved May 20, 2007.
  37. ↑ "The Prestige (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  38. ↑ "The Prestige (2006)". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  39. ↑ "CinemaScore". CinemaScore . Archived from the original on January 19, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  40. ↑ Puig, Claudia (October 20, 2006). "'The Prestige': Magical, marvelous filmmaking". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2007.
  41. ↑ McWeeny, Drew (October 13, 2006). "Moriarty conjures up AICN's first review of The Prestige!". Ain't It Cool News. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2006.
  42. ↑ Travers, Peter (October 20, 2006). "The Prestige". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2011.
  43. ↑ Richard Roeper and A.O. Scott (October 20, 2006). Ebert & Roeper .
  44. ↑ A.O. Scott (October 20, 2006). "Two Rival Magicians, and Each Wants the Other to Go Poof". The New York Times . Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2007.
  45. ↑ Gilchrist, Todd (October 15, 2006). "Elevating movie magic to new artistic heights". IGN. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2006.
  46. ↑ Charity, Tom (December 28, 2006). "The best (and worst) films of the year". CNN.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2006. Retrieved December 30, 2006.
  47. ↑ French, Philip (November 12, 2006). "The Prestige". The Observer . Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved May 14, 2007.
  48. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (October 13, 2006). "The Prestige". Variety. Archived from the original on October 18, 2006. Retrieved October 15, 2006.
  49. ↑ Honeycutt, Kirk (October 16, 2006). "The Prestige". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 29, 2006. Retrieved October 15, 2006.
  50. ↑ Levy, Emanuel (October 15, 2006). "The Prestige". EmanuelLevy.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2009. Retrieved October 15, 2006.
  51. ↑ Ebert, Roger (September 7, 2007). "Atmospherically lovely, 'Prestige' is, alas, a cheat; Christopher". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on July 10, 2009. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
  52. ↑ Carer, R.J. (February 20, 2007). "The Prestige". The-Trades.com. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
  53. ↑ Dawn, Randee (January 5, 2007). "Source material". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
  54. ↑ Ruimy, Jordan (May 23, 2020). "Critics' Poll: 'Mulholland Drive' Named Best Film of the 2000s". World of Reel. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  55. ↑ Pearson, Ben. "10 Years Later, THE PRESTIGE Is Still Christopher Nolan's Best Film". Geektyrant.com. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  56. ↑ Pirrello, Phil. "Why 'The Prestige' Is One of Christopher Nolan's Best Films". Collider.com. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  57. ↑ Phipps, Keith; Robinson, Tasha; Rabin, Nathan; Tobias, Scott; Murray, Noel (December 3, 2009). "The best films of the '00s". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on July 12, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  58. ↑ "American Cinematographer Poll Names Amélie Best-Shot Film of 1998-2008". The American Society of Cinematographers. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  59. ↑ "The 100 Greatest Movies Of The 21st Century: 70 - 61". Empire. January 11, 2020. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  60. ↑ Vincentelli, Elisabeth. "The Prestige: David Julyan: Music". Amazon.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2008.
  61. 1 2 Jarry, Jonathan (December 15, 2006). "'The Prestige' Soundtrack". Soundtrack.net. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  62. 1 2 Coleman, Christopher. "'The Prestige' by David Julyan". Tracksounds.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2008.
  63. ↑ Clemmensen, Christian. "'The Prestige' (David Julyan)". Filmtracks.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2008.
  64. ↑ Henriksen, Erik (October 19, 2006). "Ye Olde Dueling Magicians". The Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved October 23, 2006.
  65. ↑ Woodward, Tom (January 8, 2007). "The Prestige". DVDActive.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2007.
  66. ↑ Gould, Chris (January 16, 2007). "The Prestige". DVDActive.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2007.
  67. ↑ Gilchrist, Todd (February 20, 2007). "The Pledge, The Turn, The Prestige, The DVD". IGN. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2007.
  68. ↑ The Prestige 4K Blu-ray , retrieved September 17, 2022
  69. ↑ The Prestige 4K Blu-ray, archived from the original on July 11, 2020, retrieved May 11, 2018

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.