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A Synopsis of the Movie The Prestige

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A Synopsis of the Movie The Prestige
Taylor Skoglund
Mrs. Knudson
Writing 102
27 September, 2010

The Prestige Do you like movies? If so, do you like movies in the drama/mystery genre? Well there is one movie in particular that I would like to talk to you about. This movie is full of drama, suspense and mystery. It is titled The Prestige. This is my favorite movie of all-time and is based on the Christopher Priest novel with the same title. This film is engaging and keeps the audience guessing throughout just like a magician would do during a show. This movie uses flashbacks to perfection. At first you come into the movie confused and not knowing what is going on, but after the first few moments a flashback happens which gets you interested. Bit by bit the movie starts making complete sense “until by its end the film’s brilliant, complete picture is crystal clear” (The Prestige Movie Review). This story takes place in the beginning of the 20th century in London and follows two rival magicians named Robert Angier and Alfred Borden. Both main characters in the movie are deceiving, obsessed, are full of jealousy, and are only looking for fame to become the better of the two magicians. Both men enter the movie as friends but leave as enemies, because of at he accidental death of Roberts’ wife, and ultimately tragedy. Both magicians are searching for the ultimate magic trick “The Transported Man“ and will do anything to sabotage the other mans tricks. In the end Robert figures out the trick with the help of famed scientist Nikola Tesla. In the end Alfred Borden ends up killing Robert Angier in a twisted ending that nobody saw coming. The climax of the story is not until almost the very end of the movie. Alfred Borden is being sentenced to death by hanging for the “staged” murder of Robert Angier. When asked his final words he replies, “Abra Ca Dabra.” The screen switches to the still alive Robert Angier and a bouncing red ball in a basement full of his cloned dead bodies in water tanks. The



Cited: "The Pledge, the Turn And...the Prestige!" The K-Files. 24 Jan. 2007. Web. 20 Sept. 2010. http://kaylias.blogspot.com/2007/01/pledge-turn-andthe-prestige.html. "The Prestige (2006)." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 20 Sept. 2010. . “The Prestige Movie Review." Entertainment News, Movie Trailers, Movie Reviews, and Opinions from Cinema Blend. Web. 20 Sept. 2010. .

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