The Prestigemarks Christopher Nolan’s first sci-fi venture, and though I hold the director’s bigger productions in high regard,The Prestige’s particular enchantment makes it stand out in Nolan’s body of work. With an incredibly diverse filmography, Nolan has earned his reputation asone of Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers. The director has demonstrated his ability to turn original ideas into huge cinematic successes, as well as lending a hand in established franchises such asThe Dark Knighttrilogy. Though some ofChristopher Nolan’s moviesare thematically linked, he explores a range of genres, andThe Prestigedelivers a particularly unique experience.
The 2006 thriller is commended for its skillfully constructed narrative that demands your full attention, as well as the extensive number ofmind-bending twists inThe Prestige. The film follows the rivalry between two magicians in pursuit of the same illusion — The Transported Man.The movie’s stellar cast contributes significantly to its reputation as one of Nolan’s finestworks and features names like Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Rebecca Hall, and Scarlett Johansson. Nolan is well-adept at executing major twists andThe Prestigeis certainly no exception, though the film’s sci-fi themes are not revealed until its final moments.
The Prestige Was (Secretly) Christopher Nolan’s First Sci-Fi Movie
The Prestige’s Sci-Fi Elements Are Not Apparent From The Outset
The Prestigeis arguably Nolan’s most captivating genre piece. Similar to each Nolan project,The Prestigeengages with various philosophical concepts while providing an intricate character study.The movie’s brilliance lies in its deceptive presentation— much like the illusions within the film.The Prestigeappears to be a magic-laden mystery, yet at its very core is a fundamentally and meticulously crafted work of science fiction. That being said, these elements are not introduced in full until the film’s final act, or perhaps earlier, when Tesla (David Bowie) is brought into the narrative to build a teleportation device for Angier (Jackman).
Tesla’s role inThe Prestigeis crucial in shifting the narrative into the realm of science fiction. Tesla’s creation becomes indispensable toThe Prestige’s unpredictable final twist, and the invention is definitively not based on scientific principles of the period — placing it firmly in the sci-fi genre. Although these elements are not immediately clear, some viewers have made a case thatThe Prestige’s opening shotforeshadows these thematic alterations. Be that as it may,the science fiction components only serve to deepen the exploration of obsession and identity, making it a thoroughly unique entry in Nolan’s work.
The Prestige Was Made On A Much Smaller Budget Than Nolan’s Other Sci-Fi Movies
The Prestige Has The Smallest Budget Out Of All Nolan’s Blockbusters
Typically, Nolan’s films are made on big budgets on a very large scale. With that in mind,The Prestigeis remarkably disparate from the rest with an exceptionally modest budget. Released betweenBatman BeginsandThe Dark Knight, Nolan’s psychological thriller cost $40 million to produce. This is a notable reduction from the major production budgets of Nolan’s Batman films, which were released amidThe Prestige. It was Nolan’s intention, however, to make a conscious effort to strip away the scale.The Prestigemade more than twice its budget and has since become a standout amongNolan’s four sci-fi projects.
2006
$40 million
$109 million
2010
$160 million
$839 million
2014
$165 million
$759 million
2020
$205 million
$363.7 million
AlthoughThe Prestigewasn’t a major box office hit, it is one that Nolan is happy with nonetheless. Speaking withEmpire, Nolan said “wedidn’t build any sets, we shot it all on location. And there are scenes we didn’t even light, and everything’s predominantly shot with a handheld camera.“Needless to say, the most important aspect ofThe Prestigeis thateveryone on set was satisfied with the final result, which the director claimed to be a “delightful” response.
The Prestige Remains One Of The Most Unique Movies In Christopher Nolan’s Filmography
The Prestige Stands The Test Of Time In Nolan’s Sci-Fi Collection
WhileThe Prestigewas made on a small budget, the movie still has the aura of a large-scale production thanks to its ambitious concepts and huge twists. Though not uncommon in Nolan’s films,my favorite element ofThe Prestigeis its non-linear narrative, which is cleverly enacted by directly mirroring the structure of the film’s main illusion— the pledge, the turn, and the Prestige. It is the complexity of such ideas that renders the film so ambitious, particularly considering a large proportion of Nolan’s more recent films are known for very large-scale set pieces.
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Oppenheimerperhaps acts as the prime example of Nolan’s large-scale productions.The Prestigefeels like a far more intimate production, though, that is still able to remain relatively small in terms of scale. While the genre-blending in the feature creates a compelling atmosphere, this is not the only element crucial to its individuality.The Prestigerelies on the period in the late 1800s, as well as the practical effects of illusions, over other large-scale set pieces. This has become somewhat of a rarity in Nolan’s recent body of work, especially when placed alongside his three other science fiction films:Inception,Interstellar, andTenet.
