The Prestige Literary Elements

The Prestige Literary Elements

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.

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