Director
Christopher Nolan
Leading Actors/Actresses
Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, and David Bowie
Genre
Psychological Thriller
Language
English
Awards
Nominated for Academy Award for Best Cinematography and Academy Award for Best Art Direction
Date of Release
October 20th, 2006
Producer
Emma Thomas, Aaron Ryder, and Christopher Nolan
Setting and Context
Primarily set in 1890's London; also has some scenes that are set in America
Narrator and Point of View
Told from the point of view of Robert Angier and Alfred Borden
Narrator: John Cutter
Tone and Mood
Mysterious, Magical, Mystical, Perplexing, Violent, and Sad
Protagonist and Antagonist
Depending on how the film is viewed, the protagonist and antagonist could change. For example, one reading of the film could be that Borden is the protagonist and Angier is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
The conflict between Angier and Borden as the two obsessively race against each other to create the best illusion possible, something that they will do at any cost.
Climax
When we learn that Angier was Lord Caldlow and that he uses the death of the real Angier to frame Borden.
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing can be found countless times in The Prestige. Perhaps the most famous -- and best -- instance of foreshadowing can be found in the film's twist. Believe it or not, the twist is heavily foreshadowed as early as the opening scenes of the film (Nolan, however, cleverly misdirects the audience).
Understatement
Tesla's eccentricity is understated throughout the film (he was more eccentric in real life).
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
N/A
Allusions
History, Geography (Of London + America + the World), 1998's Following, 1997's The Game, 2002's Catch Me If You Can, 2006's The Illusionist, 1995's The Usual Suspects, and 1996's Primal Fear.
Paradox
Some of the tricks that the magicians perform in the film are, at their cores, paradoxical.
Parallelism
The lives of two magicians -- Borden and Angier (both of whom have have double and an ingénieur) are paralleled in the film.
