THE PRESTIGE Breakdown | Ending Explained, Every Twist Clue, Easter Eggs & Things You Missed

[@heavyspoilers]

Let us know if there's anything we missed in the movie. If you enjoyed this video then please subscribe to the channel kzbin.info/door/q3hT5JPPKy87JGbDls_5BQ

[@AntonioPizza]

Great work as usual Paul, though I think Nolan's twists my have caught your tongue around the 17:30 mark... I believe you may have mixed Angier's & Borden's names here. No worries. We'll blame your double.

[@rmendez6792]

Can I get a refund for using your Established Titles code?

[@bryanheilman4376]

This is a GREAT movie!

[@johndavies5582]

Yah it came out 15 years ago....I think you missed that.....and David bowie is a God

[@johndavies5582]

@@rmendez6792 he said message him on Twitter....u might get some.merch if u can show a receipt no refund mate....should have done ur own research lord mendez

[@omairmazhar]

If you watch the movie very closely, you notice that Bale actually shifts personalities while representing either of the Borden brothers. the one married to Sarah is overall more calm and composed with more focus on his family, while the brother who falls in love with olivia is more obsessed with magic, and looses temper easily. He's the brother who is later hanged, so in a way, the one who was the familyman got to be with his daughter, which to me, was very powerful moment in the final scene of the movie

[@nilsbengston2700]

The family man does indeed get to live, but that same family man stood by and watched his family being torn apart, ultimately doing nothing for the sake of the trick.

[@VidManBrien]

agreed I did notice that after my 3rd watch through lol this is one of my fave movies of all times.

[@obgynkenobi9864]

I remember watching this the first time, and was disappointed with the "inconsistencies" in Bale's acting. Then the reveal happened and I was 🤯🤯🤯

[@etherealtb6021]

That's what I looked for on my first rewatch!

[@Flordiaman1]

Nice eye man

[@joey_dangerously]

At the beginning of the film, Borden says something like "We were two men at the start of a career." You'd think he was referring to himself and Angier, but he is really referring to himself and his brother.

[@pxh6129]

No. They committed for life and wouldnt slip something like that to someone else.

[@wilmawallace3829]

Christian Bale has a Twin in real life. Look at the spot in the corner of his eye and the lines in the eyebrows and ask why use an actor with a clear blemish that would show he is not a twin. Twins do not have worts in the same place on their body so why use an actor with a blemish that would distinguish him from his twin. He could brush it out but doesn't. Therefore he is treating the viewer as an idiot by saying everyone in the movie even his wife would not see it or that is the very point. The discipline is emphasised

[@Noir0rioN]

@@wilmawallace3829 bruh. whut?

[@wilmawallace3829]

@@Noir0rioN Christian Bale has a twin/double in real life.

[@chaitanyach6868]

@@wilmawallace3829 tf bro?😂😂😂 he had a twin in real life? Nah

[@AntonioPizza]

My favorite of all Nolan's films. He blantanly spoils it several times in each act, and even explicitly tells us that even though he's revealed the twist, we the audience will CHOOSE not to believe it.

[@jessicaluk74]

The audience wants to be fooled

[@grrinc]

On my second viewing, I couldn't stop laughing at how he did this.

[@Iggystar71]

It’s sublime genius!

[@MELK0R87]

The real twist is the machine isn't real but you believe it's magic/science fiction

[@abrahamlupercio5621]

@@MELK0R87 Wait what please explain

[@markcowley1369]

In my opinion, this is one of the few complete movies; fully formed, rounded, no obvious plot holes. One of my absolute favourites.

[@jayanti2371]

i thought the same until i watched this video. it points out that jackman's character could have used Tesla's machine to make himself a twin, and then just do what Bale's character was doing. in fact it's weird that committing cloning & murder EVERY DAY was the solution Jackman arrived at when presented with Tesla's invention.

[@ronaldogonzalez6050]

@@jayanti2371 he just wasn’t willing to live half a life like the twins did

[@agentlongwood]

For me the only "plot hole" is that how Borden directs Angier to Tesla. Borden didn't know that Tesla could duplicate things. It's just dumb luck, that he wanted to send Angier on a wild goose chase... but that wild goose chase turns out to be the only person in the world who could do what Angier wanted. Which Borden wasn't aware of. It was just dumb luck. That feels a bit silly and contrived. He could have had the code word be Egypt, and send Angier to the far corners of the world. But instead he picked a person, and that person just happened to be what Angier actually needed.

[@chiefbologna5719]

Who put the water tank under the stage and why? Is it an accident or are the clones purposefully committing suicide? The biggest plot hole for me is the death of the “originals”, being him and his clones. If his consciousness is being passed, then he is willfully committing suicide each time. Even if the consciousness is passed, it’s two different people. If it is not, then there’s quite literally no explanation for that water tank trap to be under the stage. So his consciousness has to be passed, but why would the original and each clone after commit suicide, after showing the character to be willing to murder his clones? It’s either to force the comparison with the bird trick earlier in the movie, which is great and all thematically, but it doesn’t hold up plot wise. It would make more sense for the original to be killing the clones; a trap under the area where the clone appears instead of under the original. I don’t know, maybe I’m tunneling and missing something cause of it, but the original committing suicide the way his wife died doesn’t make sense to me. Maybe that’s the point? He became so twisted from using the machine that he began killing himself the way his love died

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

@@chiefbologna5719 A gigantic plot hole, if the Tesla machine isn't simply a bluff. (Or a MacGuffin, as another famous director called it).

[@Aishasiddiqa_]

The entire movie was a trick to the audience. The last line where Cutter goes “You don’t really want to work it out. You want to be fooled.” gives me chills once I spotted the explicit giveaways of the twist in my third watch. It felt like Nolan himself said that to the audience. This film, hands down, is the most brilliant psychological film ever made. He matches the pacing of the movie to the story so perfectly. He did the same with Memento and that was a masterpiece too.

[@Bodinho1992]

👏🏼👏🏼

[@kinhamid9665]

Another thing I love about this film is that all the time we see Borden and Angier compete obsessively against each other, it's hinted that Tesla and Edison might be going through the same thing, in a scientific context. Masterpiece.

[@oli.y]

OMG, brilliant!

[@BigEKc0cwp]

This movie has a special place in my heart. It was the last film my mom and I saw in theaters together before she rapidly got sick from cancer. I remember discussing it all the way home in detail, and we were so perplexed by it. Good times, miss you Mom. ❤

[@camielboerrigter8014]

Amazing how much memories movies can bring to you. Bless you❤️

[@sophiaisabelle027]

The Prestige had so much to offer in terms of the plot, the characters, and the overarching themes. We appreciate your breakdown of this.

[@heavyspoilers]

Ey thank you for the comment

[@ross-carlson]

@@heavyspoilers Agreed, awesome to see you do a breakdown of what I think is one of the greatest pieces of cinema ever created and Nolan's best by a long shot.

[@macksequeira4233]

Yeah 👍

[@ObaREX]

I like the "we should've told Fallon" bit. Implying Sarah is talking to the wrong brother and that the one posing as Fallon is the actual father.

[@jasonlam8588]

Love those little clues littered all over the movie, like the dinner scene with the brothers, Sarah and Olivia. Olivia calls him Freddie and Sarah was like "Freddie"? And Borden says well that's my name

[@CL_Engineering-h4r]

I totally do not get the Borden/Fallon charade with Sarah. There was absolutely no need for Borden to switch with his brother when being with Sarah. Why did they do that? I mean if Borden loved Sarah, why would he have to make her suspicious and suicidal?

[@lessalazar9068]

​@@CL_Engineering-h4rI believe it shows just how devoted they were to their magic. I mean, Freddie lost Olivia too and didn't tell her the truth which would've probably fixed the problem.

[@mookerz1383]

@@CL_Engineering-h4r I always took it as Al and Fred choosing the magic as priority 1 over family. Had they put family as the first priority over the magic, then sure they could tell Sarah, she could be in on it, and everything would have been hunky dory. But to them the magic was and always had been, the number 1 priority in their lives. Sure, maybe even 99.9% of Al loved and trusted Sarah, but there was still that 0.1%. What if she gets angry and slips up, telling someone the secret? In the movie, Sarah does get so distraught at one point that she threatens to tell people about the secret. The only person they could fully 100% trust with the secret, was each other. It was their choice to put the magic trick above all else, which meant family too, and that was the sacrifice they both made for the trick, that it would always have to the first priority in their lives, above all else.

[@oli.y]

​@@CL_Engineering-h4r the number one rule of magic is to never share your secret. If Borden told her the truth then she would have eventually slipped up or been blackmailed by Angier to find out the trick. In the movie itself, when she found out the truth, she tried to tell Olivia, so Borden was right all along about keeping the secret. Even though it cost him his wife's life.

[@Dom_510]

I agree, this one of Nolan’s best movies. It’s a testament to how great it is that it’s so rewatchable

[@olik136]

I personally think it is the the worst- it is obviously well made and all actors are very good. But the overall motive of sacrificing everything for a stupid magic trick kills the entire movie for me, reminding me of the movie "flash of genius". And revealing both of the absurd ways they get their tricks working doesn't even matter anymore- they already showed that their obsession destroys and kills everything... and on top of that there comes this cloning machine, that undermines the realistic setting of the entire movie. It is also completely out of proportion- imagine someone inventing a laser in the middle ages but then they use it only to play with cats...

[@acue1519]

@@olik136 oh mama's boy, go cry outside and notice human a bit

[@Dannydonkey13]

@@olik136It’s a movie not a dik dont take it too hard

[@mikespearwood3914]

@@olik136 It's based on a book you realise??

[@lizardog]

@@olik136 So, you're saying... you couldn't relate to it. Okay, then.

[@alexanderdumas-]

I think Angier knows he could never share the spotlight with a copy of himself and neither would the copy. When he looked into his own eyes he literally sees his inability to do so and in that moment they both know one must die for this trick to go on. It’s why the other is immediately afraid of what’s going to happen.

[@anthonyzullo]

Yeah, its a copy where as a twin who you have a bond with. Great movie. Saw it when it came out when there wasnt breakdowns or spoilers. Mind blowing. Masterpiece of cinema.

[@turnerjazz7872]

Yep, the second he thinks of killing the copy he knows the copy is thinking the same thing.

[@blindbrad4719]

Makes me feel the same way about the twins, the one is far more dedicated to his family and gets to raise a daughter, the second is obsessed with magic and gets to perform the "ultimate" magic trick by allowing himself to be hung knowing he'll be "brought back to life".

[@Dogman262]

He lost the coin toss

[@Pepe-pq3om]

​@@blindbrad4719He does not seem very happy about being hanged when he notices Angier is still alive

[@vincentchow6448]

Something that wasn't pointed out: at the 18:00 mark there's a reference to why Angier shoots the duplicate instead of having two - later in the movie Borden remarks that the 2 brothers were satisfied living half a life each - something Angier couldn't do. I thought it was a nice touch - the reason Angier can't do the trick, even after having a duplicate, is because he can't live that life - Angier and Borden aren't the same.

[@arustaj1673]

Angier can't have a "partner" basically which could also explain why he and Borden split up. (pluss ofcours the thing with Angier's wife)

[@darthpelvis]

When Angier 1st uses the machine, does the original stay in place OR does he get transported across the room? If he stays in place, wouldn't he have died in the tank of water, so at the end that was another clone?

[@PeterParker-vq2cz]

@@darthpelvis during his monologue he says something about it taking courage to climb into the machine, not knowing whether he'd be the man in the box or the prestige.

[@darthpelvis]

@@PeterParker-vq2cz I believe each clone has the memories of the original up to the point of the show. I think the original died and was shown in the tank at the end, but the clone wouldn't know that he is actually a clone

[@whoozyyy]

Angier never wanted to be the guy in the box

[@Cottn_]

Personally believe this is one of the best written movies of all time. Expertly crafted, acted, & executed. Thanks for the video on it, as there’s not many and this move is extremely underrated.

[@stevewibble7467]

Book’s really good as well, but Nolan was wise to remove the contemporary framing.

[@MuscleBound_withDre]

This movie was my entrance/beginning into the “Plot Twist genre.” It’s been an amazing journey and I WISH I could rewatch this for the first time.

[@heavyspoilers]

Yeah me too, such a masterpiece

[@earthfirstsammy]

@Siddharth Sriram You enjoy Arrival by Denis Villeneuve? Im sure you would/do.

[@Kinddays_rv]

@@heavyspoilers for real . Plot twists have been around well before this

[@Alipro0077]

No problem mate. I'll knock you on the head a couple times and you can thank me later, if you remember 🫠😂

[@blacklite911]

It used to be the Nolan brother’s thing until they started branching out. It could see how it can be annoying if you don’t wanna get out in a box

[@moses9647]

A real beauty of this movie is that the "twist" is foreshadowed so heavily that it's almost expected, to the point that Michael Caine repeatedly tells Angier what the trick is but he won't listen. But the foreseeable but unknown twist is basically what the theme of the movie is. I think it's represented well when Borden shows his wife the bullet catch and she's like "womp womp". Ppl would rather be tricked, ppl want to believe in the impossible. And that's what makes magic (and film) so enduring.

[@therebel4332]

He doesn't want to listen because he wants it to be more complex,, such simplicity is boring and being fooled like that is kinda of a self insult. So you look for something that isn't there.

[@savioemc2]

Agreed, this is his best film so far. And C. Bale was great in it: if you pay close attention, you can really tell when he's playing one brother and when he's playing the other one. One (Sarah's lover, and the girl's father) is "the brains" of the two, he is the ingenieur, he is the one who invents the tricks and writes and draws the diary, and has a sweeter voice and calm temper, and seems a little more shy; the other one (I call him Freddie because of Scarlett) is the angrier one; it is the "manual" one; he is the one who loves manual tricks such as the bullet-catch, and plays with the red ball, or with the ring, or with his business card in prison; he raises his voice often, gets angry when Sarah asks him to buy the house, and has a huskier, deeper voice; he's the one who asks his brother "the brain"

[@GJBedrin]

The only thing I think you might have gotten wrong there was the last part. The one who yelled "why can't you out think him" a second later gives up and says theyre done and they don't need the secret and to just let it be. Later on in the jail cell though the one that's in prison tells mr fallon that he should have listened to him when he said to let it be, meaning that the one that was yelling earlier was not the one who's k hanged at the end.

[@mirjamheijn5214]

17:13 I don't think he was acting mad because he almost lost his brother, I think he was acting mad because he had been buried alive for half a day. After all it is the ambitious/risk taking brother that followed Angier, whereas the calm/family man rescues him.

[@hamzamataiche]

such a great point !

[@kingvoho]

He's definitely the one in the coffin and the thing he almost lost was his life. No question.

[@bekt...6673]

@@kingvoho I have a question. If so, then why does ambitious brother appear in front of the Sarah in the restaraunt, like why do so if Sarah is wife of calm brothe? It makes no sense like man, why let your brother argue with your precious wife if you can avoid it by going yourself

[@kingvoho]

@bekt...6673 because at the end of the day they are humans. He just spent a day in a coffin that was buried. You think he's going to be calm after that? There's no way I'd be "Fallon" after spending a full day in a coffin. Also if he was Fallon he wouldn't be the calm one. "I almost lost something precious to me today". He's talking about Fallon yes, he's talking about the trick, but the tell is how he's raging and Fallon isn't.

[@jp3813]

@@bekt...6673 If they scheduled their roles based on how much the women spend time w/ them, then one brother would have to be Fallon WAY longer than the other. Being married to Sarah means she gets to see Borden more than Olivia does. The brothers likely switch each day regardless of who interacts w/ them.

[@Boyso5407]

This is an incredible movie. Nolan did such an awesome job of showing us Fallon and who he was yet at the same time he made sure that you didn’t notice him too much. You’re well aware of him but at the same time you almost forget about him completely. It’s always amazed me how a director knows exactly how much of a character needs to be noticed while not making the twist too obvious. It’s brilliant

[@squamish4244]

You can compare it favourably with the way The Sixth Sense was shot. Everything is right there but you can't see it.

[@JCDenton95]

@@squamish4244 🤣🤣🤣 Sixth Sense is GARBAGE….

[@Shani1997]

My favorite movie broken down so well, seen it probably 20 times and you showed me stuff I never caught. Thank you.

[@carpetbilly]

he actually made it more confusing LOL

[@louisberry4403]

This one of the most underrated movies and one of Nolan's Best. Amazing Details, Twists And Turns, And Performances especially from Christian And Hugh.

[@eddysandland58]

Plus Bowie as Tesla! Probably His Best Performance on Film For Me! Completely Agree with What You've Said! Cheers

[@louisberry4403]

@@eddysandland58 Bowie is underrated and great in this with Regina Hall.

[@eddysandland58]

@@louisberry4403, Defo Mate! It's Rebecca Hall and Yeah She's An Amazing Actor!

[@louisberry4403]

@@eddysandland58 Caine And Serkis are amazing in this too.

[@Madoc_EU]

How is it underrated? It’s one of IMDB’s best rated movies of all time.

[@quikkill1501]

This movie deserved soo much more upon its release at cinemas. I remember while working there ppl leaving angry and talking down on the movie while I sat it disbelief and awe at how they missed such a gem

[@alexanderdumas-]

People go to the movies to escape not think, plus trailers can mislead people into expectations not even a great film can match. I remember when Drive with Gosling came out it was made out to be the next fast and the furious and it was a much more thoughtful movie and I walked out hating it, but then I saw it in a film class and it’s one of my favorites. Perspective is a helluva drug.

[@heavyspoilers]

yeah I've noticed that with a lot of Nolans stuff. Always gets meh reviews when they first release and then overtime it finds appreciation. Outside of the Dark Knight and Inception its happened with all his movies.

[@tejas4567]

@@heavyspoilers that's cuz people are dumb

[@CoCotheTurtle]

I think people were angry because the twist at the end turns the movie into some kind of science fiction/fantasy movie, and they felt cheated.

[@GeorgeZimmermen]

It’s because the overall twists and turns are pretty stupid and seem to be pulled out of Nolan’s ass. “Oh it’s a double!” “Oh this guy makes copies of himself”. It’s just ridiculous

[@valmarsiglia]

Yeah, Fallon was a brilliant demonstration of misdirection, so essential to so many magic tricks. I'm a lifelong amateur magician and am usually pretty good at figuring out movie twists, but I have to admit that Fallon flew completely under the radar.

[@john.f.remedy.237]

One of the rare movies where it’s good after the first watch, but even better when you rewatch it…

[@stanley13579]

This movie, like a lot of Nolan's films, found a way of being both fast-paced, and a slow burn. There is SO much detail in his films, it's a miracle they don't implode in on themselves. His ability to jump from past to present is masterful. He did the same thing in Batman Begins, making both that movie and Prestige my favorites of his.

[@mightybatillo]

Just a few weeks ago, I saw "The illusionist", I remember people were comparing the two films because they were released at a similar time frame and had the same theme but oh boy this movie is so much better in every single aspect.

[@ncnuggetz3164]

Love that you're breaking this down. This came out when I was too young to fully grasp its greatness and as I've got older this movie has become a go to for showing people how good movies can be.

[@heavyspoilers]

Yeah it’s incredible, gets better every watch too

[@pawacoteng]

17:03 he wasn't happy about almost losing his brother - in that scene he was the brother who was in the box that was buried. He almost lost his own life!

[@masterrserch3971]

This movie is literally: ---incredible ---one that DOES get better the more you watch it ---one that if u happen upon it while channel surfing, u just watch it til the end no matter where u catch it ---such a great example of finding more and more "new" stuff with virtually every viewing One of my all time favs too

[@ThatLastofUsAddict]

Here are 2 more easter eggs that i found that weren't mentioned 1. In 12:48 the reason Borden is surprised and says : We should have told Fallon, is because Fallon is the father 2. In the dinner scene where Olivia,Sarah,Fallon and Borden are together Sarah asks : What trick? And Borden says : I am going to bury myself alive today and someone will come along and dig me up, This is a direct hint that Borden speaking here is the one who got buried by Angier

[@mebeBrianna]

The first time Tesla tests out the machine it’s on a cat that he brings out in a box. While I was thinking about the concept of Robert having to face death every night, I realized that at the moment he stepped into the machine, he was both dead and alive, exactly like Schrödinger’s cat. I am utterly blown away by Nolan.

[@noelyanes2455]

That makes no sense

[@nerdjournal]

@@noelyanes2455 Someone isn't much into thought experiments, eh? The idea fgoes to the ideological belief of the consciousness. The one on the stage on that platform seems to fear that he could accidentally kill the copy that held the consciousness and collective thoughts and memories that make the man Angier is. For the brief moment when the machine does it's magic the character is both alive and dead. Metaphorically speaking. One is going to go on from that moment and live till the next trick. The other is going to die. For the briefest of moments he is both Dead and Alive.

[@noelyanes2455]

@@nerdjournal who cares the movie sucks anyways

[@mikespearwood3914]

@@noelyanes2455 Why you here then???

[@turbo8628]

​@@nerdjournal it made perfect sense and you are correct. The final angier clone only has the memories of the predecessors who survived: tbat final angier will have guilt for shooting himself once and drowning himself 100 times. By the end of the movie you can see how much he has changed from what we get at the start.

[@MephistoStraitOutOfHell]

This movie was a very complicated but interesting one. I love the back and fourth between the two characters and the references to the end. But the funny part is the fact that there are multiple endings and nobody really knows what’s going on, but that’s just the magic of a Chris Nolan movie. You get an ending that makes you want to know more when there is nothing else to know and there is no need for a sequel

[@thedanielstraight]

This was such a great film. David Bowie was so perfect in this.

[@MalindaPC]

He was just perfect all round.

[@thedanielstraight]

@@MalindaPC Very true^^

[@kinho1251]

Hugh jackman also plays the rich playboy who uses money to buy prestige and will do anything to get it but put in the hard work and dedication that Christian Bale's characters were willing to do. And thus parallels the two roads that people in life have to choose to walk down.

[@llamalyssa9088]

This movie made my jaw drop. It's literally about perfect. This is cinema. This is why I love film. I wanna read the book now so bad. The casting was perfect! So many twists.. god this movie was so fucking interesting

[@nerdjournal]

I've been meaning to read the book for years. Dominic Noble does a series on KZbin called Lost In Translation where he compares the books to movies to see what they got right and what they changed. From what I could tell from talking to people and watching that video, this is one of those rare situations where the Movie is better than the Book.

[@Thurston86]

@@nerdjournalI’ve also heard that the movie is the better of the two, which doesn’t seem to happen very often. I tried to read the book when this movie first came out but just couldn’t get into it. Love the movie, tho!

[@mikespearwood3914]

@@nerdjournal Apparently the book is weird, and leans more towards a supernatural element of ghosts and things like that!

[@williamlusk52]

BEST OPENING LINE EVERRRRRR. Preach it Paul, Prestige is a gem, often mixed up with The Illusionist (Norton/Biel - also worth noting a great film in its own right) but I own both and this one is the superior presentation. Stronger actors, visuals and themes.

[@emreityiii6019]

I loved this movie so much. I remember seeing it in the theaters when it released. I was watching it, eyes open and attentive. When the ending credits rolled I said to myself "I know I missed something and I'm buying this on dvd." After rewatching it, I can identify which brother is leading in all the scenes.

[@SantiGNR93]

Terribly underrated film, I can't find it streaming anywhere, it deserves to be on air on every TV and streaming channel every day

[@oli.y]

Just watched it on Netflix!

[@thrilla72]

It's on Amazon prime

[@NeverLetOff]

Great breakdown! This is one of the very few movies I own physical copies of. It is such a fantastic movie!

[@1127films]

Finally!!!! I am so glad folks are giving the attention this film deserves! When I first saw it in theaters, I enjoyed it immensely.

[@leegallacher3464]

Easily my favourite Nolan movie. Incredibly interesting and a rare example of a movie that is even better AFTER you know the twist. Chuffed to bits to see what my favourite British movie reviewer thinks about one of my favourite movies of all time.

[@breannab7112]

I do believe this is one of the greatest movies of all time. Love this movie!!!

[@koolaidfoxdie9847]

this is by far is BEST film. It's always been my favorite and I'm hoping he returns to this style of filmmaking.

[@sole__doubt]

I love how all the tricks are right in our face but we dont really want to know how the tricks are done. Just like Caine's opening narration.

[@mrmtdew2001]

This was a great breakdown, I’ve watched this film several times and missed so many of these details. Nolan is so good with weaving all these tiny threads together. Truly a genius.

[@idrathernot8459]

Saw this when it was released and thought it was the best movie I had ever seen. Im still shocked it’s not much more popular than it is.

[@mikespearwood3914]

Some people are morons. I went with a few mates and watched it at the cinema, and one thought it sucked, which stunned me because I couldn't believe what a great film it was. That same mate thought shows like Friends & Family Guy were funny shows, and also enjoyed Adam Sandler "comedy" films.🤢

[@valmarsiglia]

The source novel is also really good, though very different in many ways from the film. For one thing there's an overall 20th-century framing device in which a journalist, a descendant of Borden, is investigating the Angier-Borden rivalry, which would have way overcomplicated an already complicated film. The characters and plot vary quite starkly at times from those of the film as well. Overall I like the film better, but it's definitely worth a read.

[@name_redunded]

Agree 100%. I think the movie is cleaner and overall better.

[@oli.y]

Possibly one of the only films ever made that you can confidently say is better than the book it's based on.

[@seanrichardgreen]

This movie is genius. The book it comes from is vastly different, and it is worth a read.

[@Albitacrazy]

This is one of my favorite movies because when I first saw it, I was totally blown away by the plot twists and all the entanglements. How cool that you made a video of easter eggs.

[@janef.595]

Truly one of the best Nolan movies ever! One of the few movies I'll watch over again and discover something new!

[@user-em8fq2ev4b]

Its batman vs wolverine with natasha as a spy, of course it is a good movie

[@heavyspoilers]

Cast is so good

[@mikespearwood3914]

And Alfred Pennyworth who helps out behind the scenes.

[@oli.y]

Just watched the new Deadpool movie yesterday and it has a great line towards the end comparing Wolverine's mask to Batman lol

[@davidbakerscuba]

One of the best movies ever made. Christopher Nolan is unreal. Momento is another amazing Nolan movie.

[@jonathanhansen1222]

In my top-ten favorite movies of all-time. Absolutely a masterpiece, perfectly directed, acted & executed. Have to re-watch it at least once a year just to be reminded how great it is.

[@jebusgod]

It truly is one of the best movies I've ever seen, and a forgotten gem especially when people talk about Nolan movies.

[@ravi1sinha]

I think you missed mentioning that between the 2 brothers, whoever held the rubber ball was the one who "played" Alfred (mostly).

[@itskonan69]

I think you mean borden and that makes a lot of sense

[@mikespearwood3914]

@@itskonan69 ? "Alfred Borden" is the one identity. One twin's name is Albert, the other's name is Frederick. They combined their two names: Al + Fred, to create the hybrid identity name "Alfred Borden". Not sure what the inspiration for the "Fallon" name was though?

[@sryp3055]

@@itskonan69 No, Alfred is considered one or the same person in public. Only us know they're different.

[@turbo8628]

​@@mikespearwood3914 "fallon" means "descendant of leader." Borden had a clone, not a twin. Tesla is the cipher and the method. That lone makes nonsense if borden was a twin, and is too much of a coincidence that he would send angier to tesla, the only person to have the power of cloning technology.

[@mikespearwood3914]

@@turbo8628 That literally makes no sense. If the Bordens were a result of a cloning procedure, and from Tesla at that, then they would know how Angier performs his trick. The fact that they didn't (and Fred was caught backstage trying to save a clone from drowning) shows that there was no Borden clone. They are legit natural identical twins.

[@doxy66]

I'm loving these looks at slightly older films. Great stuff!

[@dianthelion]

The Prestige is my all time favourite movie! I love this breakdown!

[@heavyspoilers]

Thanks so much, that really means a lot

[@ff55tfc]

It's great

[@andrewcurtis4907]

You caught a couple of things I missed. Here's a few you didn't mention: Cutter saying to Angier that with a little work he could make Root Anger's brother (and Angier then replying 'I don't need him to be my brother. I need him to be ME'.). Borden saying to Sarah 'Secrets are my life. Our life'. Sarah saying to Borden that she knows he really is. Borden describing Angier's double (Root) as mute and overweight - which describes Fallon. Tesla: alternating current. The Borden brothers alternated days as the magician (and as Fallon). There's a also a nice clue in the intro to the published screenplay (which is outside the scope of this video): it's written in the first person and is then 'signed' by the Nolan brothers

[@FoolishPrince]

The "Superior Alternating Current". I adore this film, have seen it countless times and have read the book and never once have I made that connection. Excellent eye, Kings to you sir! 👑

[@ericfurlong7642]

The Prestige is my favorite movie of all time, pleasantly surprised to see you break it down!

[@heavyspoilers]

Hope you enjoyed the video

[@IcemenMike45]

This is still my favorite movie of all time. I love all of Nolans movies but this one has been my absolute favorite ever since it came out

[@marcaddow7326]

I would love to own every Christopher Nolan movie on 4K Blu ray 😅. I love the Prestige and that fact that Mr David Bowie was in this movie.

[@SMSimon]

Isn't that a dream that can easily come true nowadays? I at least own this and all of his movies I love in 4K. Perhaps some of his older stuff isn't available yet?

[@SoulMusic24]

@@SMSimonhe has a Nolan 4K box set u can buy wjth never before seen and behind the scenes footage. It ain’t cheap tho lol

[@kujo1372]

Definitely my favorite of Christopher Nolan's films. Great breakdown. You're videos help to break up my day. Cheers.

[@UnleashTheGhouls]

Absolute banger of a film. A personal favourite Nolan. Not 'show-off' clever, just genuinely smart cinematic unravelling

[@heavyspoilers]

Ey cheers for watching the vid mate

[@UnleashTheGhouls]

@@heavyspoilers Always marra

[@Erni3K]

My favorite Nolan movie! It gets better every time I watch it (and it IS an improvement on the book, which is very convoluted). This AND the Thing!?! Love it!

[@sokenna]

gosh this movie is everything. i wish i could erase it from my memory and watch it again like it was my 1st time just so i could experience that plot twist again 🤩

[@dirtybaker]

The Prestige and Dark Knight are easily in my top 100 movies of all time. Christopher Nolan does some amazing work. I actually didn't even realize he was behind The Prestige!

[@jimgritty]

Im so happy you did this. this is one of my top movies of all time and you are a breakdown G! Glad I got to see you talk about it.

[@lio1788]

This just made me like you even more for covering this movie! This movie is FANTASTIC. Throughly underrated.

[@chalkmuted]

I could be wrong, but I thought that Borden really did appear in Sarah's home, and it was not the twin brother. Right before the scene cuts away from him, we see Borden looking and heading towards an open window in the stairwell. And when he appears in Sarah's house, he is right next to her window. Presumably, he climbed out the window from the stairwell and climbed into Sarah's house from her window.

[@JabroneyDirt]

I mean, I get what you are saying but I think it's much more of a foreshadowing to the trick that Borden eventually does to make you think he has the ability to do things like that . but I'm pretty sure it's just more trickery.

[@w8m4n]

Good point. It would also mean both brother would have to remain undisguised (I may have made that word up) just for that one trick they couldn't be sure they'd need to pull off

[@BrowncoatFairy]

oh please. they did that trick exactly like they did every other - they used a double. you're like Angier. Unwilling to accept the blatant, obvious truth staring you in the face.

[@chalkmuted]

@@JabroneyDirt I wouldn't be surprised if it is just more trickery, but I do think it is interesting that the camera shows Borden looking up at the window before the scene cuts away.

[@chalkmuted]

@@w8m4n That is a good point too. The brothers probably want at least one of them to be disguised at all times except when they are switching off.

[@mullaoslo]

Nolan really hit it out of the park with his in between batman movies trilogy, prestige, inseption and interstellar..

[@pmcv7]

Absolutely love this movie. Its ridiculously underrated and much like yourself I was rewatching it straight away after first seeing it. Great vid. Cheers

[@justinavery8664]

This movie truly was magic, and Bowie as Tesla was a nice touch. One of my favorite all time movies.

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

Can't imagine Tesla now without thinking of Bowie.

[@OGMillyMillz_]

My favorite KZbinr breaking down my favorite movie of all time!!! Letsss goooo

[@heavyspoilers]

Hope you enjoy it

[@Flordiaman1]

Amazing break down for such a bizzare complicated movie, absolutely love this movie, maybe the best rewatch movies I've ever seen.

[@SaintSteven67]

I love this movie. It’s one I catch something new on every watching. In fact, you pointed out several other things I haven’t noticed before. Thanks for the great video.

[@heavyspoilers]

Ey thank you for the kind words, much appreciated

[@etherealtb6021]

OMG, finally! Someone doing this movie! I've watched it so many times and always see something new and you pointed out many things I didn't see! This is my fav Nolan movie by a long shot!

[@Obi_Wil_Kenobi]

This is brilliant top 5 of all time I think Nolan's best is Memento

[@BrowncoatFairy]

listen: my favorite mental exercise is to watch this movie and in real-time figure out WHICH Borden i'm watching in each scene. I will say this: Christian Bale absolutely 100% did the work to figure it out and plays the two physically identical characters noticeably differently. The Alfred Borden who loved Sarah was more polite and refined and careful, and the Borden who loved Olivia was more edgy and boorish, and more likely to push the limits of what they could get away with. If you pay attention, you can figure out WHICH Borden you're watching in every single scene, and it makes absolute perfect sense plot-wise. All credit to Nolan for doing the work to distinguish the two, and all credit to Bale for playing the two with such subtle distinction that it's challenging but absolutely obvious to tell them apart once you know the secret. What a brilliant film. Spoiler: the happy ending is honestly a happy one -- the Borden who ends up alive and reunited with their daughter is the Borden who truly loved Sarah and the family they'd made, and is no doubt the daughter's real father, for whatever that's worth.

[@jake_gon_jinn]

I watched it recently, and it's probably one of my top 3 movies by Nolan. The movie itself is a magic trick as you also called it out. But I wonder, what was the ultimate message of this movie?! Because with Christopher Nolan and Specially in a collaboration with Jonathan there is always a core and meaningful hidden message. Other than that I totally loved it.

[@anthonyzullo]

I honestly think it was simply a vusialized self exploration of the Nolan brothers dynamic. A representation of their real world rivalry. Respectively.

[@ravi1sinha]

Obsession can be fatal?

[@theofaron961]

The movie is about how obsession can be destructive. Nolan's core theme to most of his films.

[@sentientcardboarddumpster7900]

@@ravi1sinha and hubris

[@DADela-ht6ux]

The message - aside from the danger of obsession - is that people aren't just blind to the truth, but they hate and avoid it. They want to be fooled.

[@cortfarrow5894]

Great breakdown. Has to be the most slept on movie ever made. I’ve seen all of Nolan’s films and this one has always been my favorite. Gets better every time you watch it. Most re watchable film made IMO. If anyone has something better, all ears

[@geraldgallagher1191]

Absolutely top shelf mate! I love this film, have seen it many times and I always find something new. Christopher Nolan is a true genius and has not made a bad film. I also love Memento

[@tbobbyelectric]

Fantastic work, Mang! Really enjoyed this one!

[@The_True_J]

I'd love a video talking about the theory that Alley is actually Tesla and Bowie's character is an actor. Once you see the proof laid out it's so insanely clear that that's what Nolan was doing. Tesla is the method but Angier couldn't see it because he couldn't understand living that way. Just like the Chinese magician, Borden saw Alley and knew instantly what he was doing.

[@matthewwagner4042]

That is interesting.

[@The_True_J]

@@matthewwagner4042 it's my favorite movie theory. A few key points. 1. We never actually see Bowie working. In fact the only person we see doing any technical work is Alley. 2. As soon as a problem occurs, Bowie goes silent and Alley ushers Angier out. Which is exactly what would happen if Bowie wasn't Tesla. Alley (the real Tesla) needed time to figure it out and Bowie wouldn't even know how explain it. 3. As I mentioned earlier, if fits in perfectly with the theme. The 2 scenes (the Chinese magician and the Tesla coil demonstration) mirror each other perfectly. 4. The only time Bowie does in fact do something big is when he takes Alleys cat and tries the machine on it. Alley warns him that he is responsible for anything that happens to this animal. That is a major detail because look at it from the Alley=Tesla theory. The actor (Bowie) is tired of it not working for Angier so he suggests something that Tesla doesn't like. Not wanting to give away his disguise he warns the actor that he's out of line. 5. Going along with point 4, the most important detail, the real Tesla owned a cat.

[@matthewwagner4042]

@@The_True_J I watched the movie again today. I think it is an interesting idea, but I think Tesla is played by Bowie.

[@oli.y]

Watched it again tonight and I 100% thought that Andy Serkis was the real Tesla. I've seen the prestige many times before but this is the first time I realized it.

[@ScenarioschrijverPlays]

Completely agree. Top notch story telling through cinematic language.

[@kevinkeene1593]

My favorite Hugh Jackman film. The novel the movie is based on is also a great read.

[@Mark-sd4hv]

One of my favorite movies ever. I hadn't heard of it, didn't know who made it or who was in it, I just clicked play on the first thing I saw. Now I watch it at least once a month

[@lucyvanlipton7433]

Love this movie! Didn’t catch how the wives’ deaths foreshadowed the guys’ respective deaths. Or how the line “where’s his brother” spoils the twist

[@SkillSpencer]

not just Nolans best. Jackman actually shines which is incredible to see

[@DCF234]

Couldn’t agree more, an absolute masterpiece!

[@LeftyWick]

When you started with, "Are you watching closely" omg that was perfect because this is a breakdown in which you have to watch closely. Love it

[@maladavek]

*Minor spoilers for the book ahead* One of the heartbreaking things about this movie compared to the book, is that both Angier's wife and Borden's wife live. Seeing them both die in the movie is brutal! Still though, great movie! One of my favourites of all time! Glad you did this breakdown.

[@elizabethshannon5477]

This movie is mesmerizing, brutal and beautiful. One of my most favorite films.

[@petew.7870]

Love this movie. Crazy replay value.

[@Ixions]

17:00 I think the brother at the dinner was the one who was buried. The something special to him was his life. He was eager to drink (get drunk) and was rude to his wife...

[@alphajake]

Favorite movie of all time. Thanks for the break down, you pointed out some symbolism I haven't noticed before.

[@kirandeepchakraborty7921]

Masterpiece of Nolan. His Finest. ⭐❤️

[@serwinzzalot9989]

The intro was so unlike any movie I've ever seen begin. It was jarring and a little confusing but it got my attention. I loved this movie from the first time I've seen it. Under appreciated

[@matthewwilliams9200]

It was sad he let his wife go crazy instead of letting her in on their sacrifice. The brother and Hugh's character were the same had the same passion and motivation. The brother did it for the love of his bro but didn't understand why but it was explained by hugh

[@chaosgeneration]

Great video! I love this flick. Even after several re-watches it still delivers.

[@heavyspoilers]

Thank you

[@karenthomas1456]

I adore this movie, it’s definitely my favourite of Nolan’s work, though it’s closely followed by Memento. It’s clever, gripping and with a simply brilliant cast. Btw, have you ever done a breakdown of Memento? Cos if you haven’t, that would be an excellent one to add to the list. x