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The Prestige

Director Christopher Nolan's dark 2006 thriller about the fierce rivalry between two magicians.

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Buena Vista / Touchstone DVD review

Jul 1, 2011

by rbuchanan
posted in Forbidden Planet - Sci-Fi Books & Films!

Exclusive to the Lunch Network

Rating:

I've not much to type of Christoper Nolan's finest accomplishment that hasn't been stated before. At this juncture, it wouldn't be unfair for the Nolans to abandon non-linear plotting; they've exploited the conceit so thoroughly here in conjunction with numerous interrelated visual metaphors in order to fully explore a variety of Victorian themes: the thrill of technology-driven entrepreneurship during the onset of modernity, science as magic explained and the nature of dualistic identity, among others.

This DVD's menu design - typeface, colors, animation, etc. - assumes a distinctly Victorian style. The main menu features a spinning picture that frames one of four sets of images based on the most prominent magic tricks in the film; the displayed picture can be selected from a set of icons beneath the menu options.

I saw The Prestige once in theater, though I would have gladly attended another screening or two, had I an opportunity to do so. The theatrical soundtrack irked me for the same reasons why this disc's 5.1 Dolby Digital track does: certain sound effects and swells in passages of the score are deafeningly loud, while much of the narrative dialogue is nearly inaudible. Some difficulty is suffered to tweak EQ in order to facilitate this mix. French and Spanish dubbed dialogue tracks are quite good here, as are English, French and Spanish subtitles. As I expected, the picture is impeccable; anything less would be an offensive treatment of Wally Pfister's beautiful photography.

The disc's picture gallery contains images of photos shot on set during and between takes, many of which focus on the production's lavish costumes and sets. Other selections include publicity shots and the painted advertisement posters seen in the movie.

Nolan opted not to record a commentary track for The Prestige, concerned that such a feature might diminish the mystique of its proceedings. Instead, a nineteen-minute documentary featurette is included here, consisting of interviews with the principal cast and crew in addition to quite a lot of behind-the-scenes footage.

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Count_Orlok_22 July 02, 2011

But the DVD was released via Touchstone Home Entertainment. Warner only handled the theatrical distribution.

rbuchanan July 03, 2011

This information is much appreciated; I've revised my review's title accordingly!

Incidentally, a brief overview of those Warner Video discs in my collection indicate that WV has improved the quality of its releases as I described below; that this disc was produced and distributed by Disney's most profitable home market label slipped my notice, and was a result of their now-defunct co-production deal with WB. Their present commitment to thirty-odd Dreamworks features will likely result in similar DVD and Blu-Ray releases of that inherently bloated beast.

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Scotman July 01, 2011

Good review of the DVD. I just finished reading the book!

rbuchanan July 01, 2011

Thanks! Will you post a review of it? If so, I'd very much like to read it.

In the late '90s and early aughts, WB's DVD editions were a stream of bare-bones presentations bettered by those of Paramount and Something Weird, among many others. This is a good example of how they're changing for the better.

Scotman July 01, 2011

Here you go: http://lunch.com/t/73ja It's shorter than my usual reviews -- the book sorta goes on and on you know!

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More The Prestige reviews

review by Lopez15. December 30, 2009

A mind bending and twist a minute thriller....

I've seen some movies that try to blow your mind, I've seen some movies that try to challenge you and make you believe in the unimaginable. The Prestige does both, it challenges you while making you think you know what is going on and just when you have it all figured out it throws a Monkey wrench into your plans and leaves you totally baffled and dumbfounded even after the ending, so the real question is what is true in this film? and what is a lie? The Prestige … more

Comments (2) Compliments (27)

Quick Tip by bmcintire4. July 27, 2010

posted in Movie Hype

A Quick Tip by bmcintire4

A few flaws, however a great , great film. Chris Nolan has yet to make a bad film. Christian Bale is oscar-worthy is this movie.

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review by Husher315. May 15, 2009

Abra-Cadabra! Underrated Yet Truly Amazing! "The Prestige" Revisited!

The Prestige is probably one of the most underrated films of this this past decade. With such a great cast that included Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson, this great drama/thriller did not get all the attention it deserved. This probably had a lot to do with the fact that The Illusionist was released around the same time of The Prestige. One thing is for sure, this film was pure magic. The Prestige follows two magicians, … more

Comments (6) Compliments (42)

review by MichaelN. September 09, 2009

The Twists and Turns Never End!

Two rival magicians in the late 1800’s. Each trying to sabotage each other, outdo each other, and decode the secrets of each others tricks. The twists and turns in this movie never seem to end. The story even brings in Houdini’s water closet escape trick as well as the great scientist Tesla. The story does exaggerate a lot about Tesla but it seems to work in this film. The acting is first class and Michael Caine puts in another great supporting spot. … more

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review by vemartin. January 13, 2008

Bale and Jackman are Spellbinding in the Prestige

Pros: Great story-line and performances; outstanding direction. Cons: Hard to wrap your mind around at first... The Bottom Line: In the final analysis The Prestige is a complicated intelligent tale that genuinely beguiles and entertains. Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie''s plot. According to The Prestige (2006) there is difference between a magician and a wizard; the former entertains with gimmickry, … more

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review by newtonooi. April 18, 2007

The most under-rated movie of 2006

There were many surprises at this year's Academy Awards. One of the biggest was the absence of nominations for several films, most noticeably this one. Containing no sex, no nudity, no bad language, no gore, no grand action scenes, minimal comedy, a non-descript sountrack, and only several seconds of violence, this movie has none of the hallmarks of a top movie. But a top movie it is; it sat atop the box office charts for a month and everyone who has seen it comes away impressed. This is one of … more

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review by MzJen_2_review. April 17, 2007

Well now, I was enchanted by these dark illusions

This movie has certainly captured the art of magic, its complexities and wonder. As two friends' different philosophies on magic set tensions in motion, it is a tragic death that forever puts a wedge between them. A rivalry ensues between the more penetrating Borden (Bale) and the showman Angiers (Jackman). With three different time lines moving all at once through most of the movie, there's really never a moment's boredom. This storytelling is efficient and compelling. The characters are rich--they … more

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review by ssjakira1. March 31, 2007

posted in Movie Hype

.noitceridsiM

Pros: Probably the single most...different movie plot I've ever seen. Cons: Sometimes hard to follow the heavy English accents The Bottom Line: Don't look away... Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot. Are you watching closely? I’d heard all sorts of good things about The Prestige so one day when my mother and I were out running errands, we decided to pop into the … more

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review by MichaelN. March 29, 2007

The Twists and Turns Never End!

Two rival magicians (Jackman and Bales) in the late 1800's. Each trying to sabotage each other, outdo each other, and decode the secrets of each others tricks. The twists and turns in this movie never seem to end. The story even brings in Houdini's water closet escape trick as well as the great scientist Tesla. The story does exaggerate a lot about Tesla but it seems to work in this film. The acting is first class and Michael Caine puts in another great supporting spot. Scarlett … more

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review by cyclone_march. March 17, 2007

posted in Movie Hype

Dueling obsessions

Pros: Outstanding performances, very tightly controlled story and imagery Cons: One romp into the unreal that is a little hard to accept The Bottom Line: One of the best DVD's I've seen in a long time. Worth the time and effort (attention is required). Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie''s plot. The Prestige (latest movie by the Nolan brothers who gave … more

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About the reviewer

Robert Buchanan (rbuchanan)
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About this movie

Wiki

The Prestige represents the second film that Christopher Nolan directed that Christian Bale starred in; the first was Batman Begins.

Christian Bales character in The Prestige was named Alfred. Alfred is the name of the Michael Canes character in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Cane has co-starred with Bale in all three of these films, coincidentally directed by the same director of all three, Christopher Nolan.

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Details

Cast: Christian Bale, Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Andy Serkis, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Russ Fega, Ricky Jay, Jim Piddock, Ron Perkins, Chao-Li Chi, Scott Davis, Ezra Buzzington, Roger Rees, Edward Hibbert, James Lancaster, James Otis, Mark Ryan, Daniel Davis, Jamie Harris, Rebecca Hall, Samantha Mahurin, Christopher Neame, Monty Stuart, J. Paul Moore, Anthony Demarco, Gregory Humphreys, John Crye, W. Morgan Sheppard, Sean Francis Howse, Julie Sanford, Olivia Merg, Zoe Merg, Johnny Liska, Kevin Will, Christopher Judges, Sam Menning, Brian Tahash, Jodi Bianca Wise, Nikki Glick, Enn Reitel, Clive Kennedy, Rob Arbogast, Bob Arbogast, Chris Cleveland

Director: Christopher Nolan

Genre: Thriller

Release Date: October 20, 2006

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Screen Writer: Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan

Runtime: 2hrs 10min

Studio: Syncopy Films, Newmarket Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, Touchstone Pictures

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