The Prestige | First Time Watching | REACTION - LiteWeight Reacting

[@Legushka]

Bale is such a great actor. If you watch this movie a second time, you will notice that he plays both brothers differently. One brother is strict, careful, responsible, he plays by the rules, never smiles, and the other brother is more carefree, venturesome, willing to take the risk, push the boundaries, he's having a bit more fun doing what they're doing, he's more emotional. You don't notice it on your first watch, but you can clearly see that the brothers constantly switch places throughout the movie and you can easily tell one from the other just by looking at them and noticing all the little nuances. Christian Bale is one of my favorite actors of all time. And his acting in The Machinist is just phenomenal.

[@darkphoenix2]

"I don't understand how it can be bleeding again, it's as bad as the day it happened" so many good little hints

[@lordhoot1]

One i've just noticed - at 8:02 when Angier is panicking about his wife his accent slips and he sounds English

[@crimson_nimbus]

The foreshadowing of the bird getting crushed in the cage and the kid crying and saying "He killed it" and then asks "but where's his brother?" Brilliant.

[@JoseDanielZuniga]

Dude what, Nolan always amazes me with new things

[@RobertJ-vo4bk]

Funny how hindsight works. Especially since foreshadowing isn't foreshadowing if it relies on hindsight.

[@diptanshusingh1813]

Didn't thought about that.. good work

[@jestbone89]

The movie kept showing and telling us what is gonna happen since it started. And it tricked us into not believing it. It is genius.

[@main9613]

Please watch Godzilla minus one pleaseeeee. I cant wait for u to watch itt

[@joey_dangerously]

"We were two young men at the start of a great career. Two young men devoted to an illusion. Two young men who never intended to hurt anyone..." You originally think Borden was talking about himself and Angier, but he was really referring to his brother.

[@jonathanimler9745]

I’ve watched this movie dozens of times and never caught that one. It makes a lot of sense!

[@jeevarj23]

Got chills man!!

[@dogawful]

@@jonathanimler9745 Same here. My favorite movie, but that hadn't occurred to me.

[@MrDevintcoleman]

This is a great example of “the protagonist doesn’t have to be a good person, they just have to be compelling.”

[@austindmilligan]

The movie itself is a literal magic trick! When bordens voiceover in the beginning says, “are you watching closely?” He’s literally talking to us as the audience telling us that this whole movie is a trick! It’s another Nolan masterpiece!!!

[@vincentdesjardins1354]

So true. This movie breaks the 4th wall so many times without the audience even realizing it. The first watch is just raw pleasure and the thrill of the twists but The Prestige is a film that need to be rewatch a couple times to fully understand the brilliance of it.

[@evanwakelin7944]

And yet people still miss the ACTUAL trick! Which is that the Tesla machine doesn't do shit. It's just misdirection. Magic tricks are tricks to make you think something impossible (magic) is happening. And isn't it a little convenient / co-incidental for a magic cloning machine to all of a sudden exist?

[@davidaltamirano7672]

Nolans best one!

[@vasanthkumarvkr]

​@@evanwakelin7944Well..it was some kind of tribute to Tesla and hence the machine was indeed working. But whether really Angier used it in the way it is supposed to or not, not used at all, used it just as a misdirection is still left to the viewers to imagine. We might think he had let his clones die every night but the final scene doesn't clearly show if all the tanks have his clone. We see just one copy. This movie is the biggest mind play on the audie

[@Nimzzeee]

​@@evanwakelin7944 You're the only one in the comments who clocked tesla's machine doesn't work. All those Tesla scenes are in Angiers diary, which we know is an unreliable narration.

[@macross25]

By far one of Christopher Nolan's best films. The Prestige is one of my Top 15 favorite films ever, I saw this 4 times in theaters. That opening line from Christian Bale... masterpiece.

[@Rizky-Gumilar]

This movie is a freaking masterpiece. The way it's seamlessly moving genres smoothly is just brilliant from period drama to mystery thriller to steam punk sci-fi proves how a great master director Nolan is.

[@roderick8167]

I love The Prestige in my opinion this is Christopher Nolan's most underrated movie ever 🔥💯, also I gotta say it's a little hilarious that this whole movie is basically Wolverine and Batman go head to head trying to outdo the other while getting help from Alfred and Black Widow

[@LiteWeightReacting]

Ha! You’re so right!

[@roderick8167]

@@LiteWeightReacting I just could never see pass this everytime I watch this movie lol

[@vincentdesjardins1354]

@@roderick8167 I like this movie as much as you do but calling it "most underrated ever" seems like a big stretch : The Prestige got an IMDb rating of 8.5 and 77%-92% on Rotten Tomatoes. That isn't underrated at all, if anything it's actually praised and acclaimed by both critics and audience. As it should be, it's a masterpiece.

[@kelvinmeneely3116]

@@LiteWeightReacting please give some clue too your tattoo?

[@thiagosestini29]

The writing and direction is as brilliant as Inception, Interstellar or The Dark Knight. There's just one factor separating The Prestige from those movies, and that is Hans Zimmer.

[@austindmilligan]

The fact that Borden doesn’t but also does know certain things is because you don’t know which brother is there! Like when Angier ask him which knot he tied, it’s the other brother who did it so he literally doesn’t know because he wasn’t the one on stage that night! Christian Bale deserved an Oscar for this performance!!

[@CosmicCyberYT]

It's also possible that his brother isn't telling him upon asking i.e. in reference to his dialogue "I keep asking myself that and...I'm sorry, I just don't know"

[@JusAn.P]

I love Nolan's logic behind casting Tesla. He specifically wanted someone who was larger than life to play someone who was larger than life.

[@tykjenffs]

It was the one and only time Nolan actually begged someone to play the part. He wrote it with Bowie in mind and nobody else.

[@hkaayaakuu]

I am really surprised

[@PurushaDesa]

Rebecca Hall’s performance in this film is among my favourites in Nolan’s entire canon. She’s so real in this role and yet so criminally underrated.

[@xeroeddie]

Yes!

[@Darkstar72SR]

I’d like to just point out that Angier’s wife, Julia, agrees and petitions for a more difficult knot along with Borden. So she assumes part of the blame for her own death.

[@ConstantChanger1000]

There's a single moment that Nolan directly gives away the game that Fallon and Borden are playing, and it's so easy to miss, it's brilliant. Lots of little hints, Fallon having only two speaking lines in the entire movie, "I don't understand how it's bleeding" "Today you don't love me" etc. But the one time he gives it away is the final conversation between Fallon and Borden. As "Borden" is being lead away, he says "I'm sorry about Sarah, I didn't mean to hurt her. I didn't!" According to us as the audience, HE (Borden) is the one who was married to Sarah, so why is he apologizing to Fallon? Because they're the same person. It's so easy to miss, and it's so perfect the first time you see it.

[@inventsable]

My favorite Nolan film! A few of my notes and takeaways: 1) When Angier and Borden discuss the "old" magician and Borden says his life/depiction of himself is the trick, of course Borden can see that. It's the same trick he and his brother use, the idea there's only one of them is the trick. The movie tells us right at the beginning but its so woven into the story it feels organic and natural despite it being massive foreshadowing. 2) Before he's hanged, Borden admits to the brother that he was wrong and should have left Angier alone. Implies that both brothers were obsessed with magic, but the one who tied the knot was more vindictive and probably the same one fucking with Angier every time. 3) There was no original Angier any more imo. The easiest answer is that the clone is the transported one -- the Angier who was transported the very first time was shot. After this, each 100 shows would result in a clone getting the prestige, so the original Angier would have drowned on the very first show. 4) Angier was so self-absorbed that he couldn't do what Borden and Fallon did. Think about it -- all Angier needed to do was *make a single clone*. With two Angiers, the trick would have worked exactly the same! They could have taken turns getting the prestige like Borden and Fallon, but he refused to share it and opted into the absolutely wild conclusion to kill the other every single night. What is wrong with you Angier?! 😂 If you like the obsession theme of the movie, check out Whiplash. Also echo on Denis Villeneuve as another incredible director via films like Prisoners. And a personal favorite I'd love you to consider is Children of Men. No editing notes this time lol. Great job, your channel is going to continue to blow up if you keep this up.

[@aaronbeatdown]

I think you're right, that the transported one is the clone. Which means technically that clone's "birth" is to applause and "death" is quietly drowning. Angier chooses to kill himself each time rather than share the spotlight, which is a level of narcissism that's almost too much to think about.

[@Jamie__1]

The thing is though, remember when angier asks tesla which one is his (original) hat, and angier replies they are all his hat, the device literally clones exact replicas molucule for molecule. So when angier first cloned himself and he shot himself, the one who got shot was in the process of saying 'I'm the real Angier' because in fact they both were, exact replicas of each other with the same conciousness/memories/experiences up to the point of cloning, in my opinion they were all 'original' as tesla said.

[@inventsable]

@@Jamie__1 Sure, I get that. But if a clone weren't an identical copy then it wouldn't be a clone, lol. They're all Angier, but one is physically manifesting out of nothing and that's the distinction.

[@Jamie__1]

@@inventsable Yes one is physically manifesting out of nothing but my point is to even debate which one is 'the original' is missing the point, we dont know how tesla designed this machine for all we know the 'original' angier could get transported and the 'manifestation' could end up in the box or it could be the other way round, even angier himself admitted at the end he didnt know which one would go into the box. My point is theres literally no way of knowing which one is the 'manifestation' and as they are identical anyway its pointless to ask which one is 'original'. Nolan himself wrote that dialogue in the script that they were all angiers hats when angier asked which one was his which i think is Nolans way of saying its a pointless question.

[@SchulzEricT]

3 - I would argue that the brother who loved ScarJo was *obsessed* while the brother who loved Rebecca Hall loved magic but wasn't obsessed. Also: I'm not a big Nolan fan, but I appreciate the talent. I'd argue that his most interesting, singular, brilliant movie is "Memento"; his most fun is "Dark Knight"; his *best* written, tightest movie is "The Prestige". Pretty impressive top-3, the order of which is perfectly subjective, even more so than usual. Entirely about what criteria you're using.

[@XghostXfaceX2]

“No one cared about the man in the box, the man who disappears.”

[@Venkman406]

All of the character foils make this film an extra level of masterpiece. Borden is to Tesla as Angier is to Edison. Two are legit geniuses without marketing and stage presence. Two have wonderful marketing and stage presence but depend on others’ genius. Also, Angier dies by drowning as his wife does. Borden dies by hanging as his wife does. Amazing symmetry.

[@johnk.gr8esthits753]

Furthermore, Borden's trick involves alternating brothers representing alternating current [AC] while Angier's trick uses a lineage of clones representing direct current [DC].

[@Venkman406]

Just when I think this film has no more new gems to offer me. That is fantastic, thanks for sharing!

[@bigdream_dreambig]

@@johnk.gr8esthits753 😲🤦‍♂

[@IntenseSarcasm]

"He came in to demand an answer and I told him the truth. That I have fought with myself over that night, one half of me swearing blind that I tied a simple slipknot, the other half convinced that I tied the Langford double. I can never know for sure." I love this quote because you only fully understand it when you figure out the twist.

[@Stuffthatsfunny1]

So happy you are doing this, continuing on the Nolan train 🚂.

[@LiteWeightReacting]

Woo woo all aboard the Nolan train!

[@claytalian9091]

This is my favorite Nolan film. There are so many good twists. It's funny how obvious that Fallon is Alfred because he clearly is Christian Bale when you rewatch it.

[@kellyturner920]

"You have to bring it... back." That moment where his daughter runs to Alfred, I burst into tears every time in such a swelling of emotion. It's one of Nolan's most powerful moments and is so much sadness and joy all at once.

[@remyrimmm3123]

Its like you said though; the movie is telling you plain and simple what the brothers are doing, how the trick is done and all that. But ''YOU WANT TO BE FOOLED'' which they say at the beginning and at the end. It really fascinates me how Nolan(s) created this story knowing that the audience would constantly (almost like Robert) look for the trick, or for clues when really it was right there in front of us the whole time.

[@kengruz669]

But the Nolans didn't create the story. Christopher Priest did. It's based on his book. Jonathan Nolan adapted it, with a number of deletions and changes. Christopher directed it.

[@benmason9755]

You: "But is he the man in the box or the one who gets transported?" Nolan: "Yes."

[@nerulon089]

I watched it so many times, and I was talking with my friend about this movie, and still, we have new things to discover in it. Insane writing and directing, 10/10 acting.

[@Carlos-Dangerous]

THE ILLUSIONIST w Edward Norton and Jessica Biel is worth checking out as well

[@ieyke]

Angier was Lord (Robert) Caldlow all along. Robert Angier was just his stage name. The Great Danton was a stage name for his stage name. He uses aliases to distance himself from his family name, to protect his family's reputation, and not embarrass his family as a magician. But that's why he has basically infinite money to pay Tesla however much he needs.

[@DavidSmith-mt7tb]

Yeah, his life, like Borden's, was also an act. All these magicians are hiding secrets. Their personas are part of the magic.

[@Darkstar72SR]

It’s only creepy if he’s a creep. That’s where “charm” enters the picture. And body language and facial (micro) expressions. As a man practiced in the art of reading these subjects, Borden knows when and how much charm to apply to Sarah and by her reactions, whether he should double down or call it quits. She was obviously so taken with him she doesn’t see his exploits as creepy but endearing.

[@ChadVital]

This movie is in my top 10 favorite movies based on how fucking amazing it is. The dialogue, story, and twists/reveals, and meaning behind everything are things that get me. Chef's kiss material.

[@BostonTeacup]

definitely worth watching TENET as well! Underrated.

[@romeywirtz1219]

Something some don’t remember since it’s at the beginning of the movie - when Borden says he doesn’t know what knot he tied, he ACTUALLY doesn’t know, because it wasn’t him who tied it, it was his brother

[@bigdream_dreambig]

11:17 "Why does that feel like foreshadowing too?!" Because this whole blasted movie is foreshadowing! 🤣

[@ronbeekiii781]

This one is my favorite Nolan film, I think. Every time I watch it I notice a little bit more. It’s so intricately plotted and endlessly rewarding to mine.

[@bossfan49]

David Bowie was awesome as Tesla. Andy Serkis was awesome as Angier's top hat. You don't even recognize him. 😀

[@Darkstar72SR]

I find it funny that she thinks Angier is the victim of the piece 🫣🤔🤫🤗

[@viralmedia]

I think Tesla said it best (Bowie) "They're all your hats". . . I took it to mean, take "original" and "clone" concept out of your head and assume 'Which is the original Algier and which is the clone?' They both are and aren't, it simply is both simultaneously which makes it a bit more heartbreaking. Understand that both come with the entirety of life and experience as one shoots the other. Self-destruction symbolism taken to another level!

[@todd8398]

This. I've seen a lot of comments on which Angiers are "real" and which are "just clones". These kind of comments miss the point: they're all Angier. The machine just "copypastes" them. The book is very different in how the machine works, but suffice to say: in the book there is only one Angier at a time, and it's as a the result of the machine's workings, not because Angier planned ahead to dispose of duplicates.

[@preston_s.]

My favorite book is the one this movie is based on. They're both equally good, in my opinion, and different enough that they don't spoil each other.

[@robertjohnson5796]

I knew there was a movie that I just really wanted to see again, but I had forgotten what movie it was. And now, here it is. Thank you in advance.

[@ArienRiley]

The clones were transported, just like the hats. It wasn't that type of cloning like with sea creatures or whatever. This was story magic cloning. He was an exact replica, He killed the first clone (If I remember correctly, your video has that part chopped up) but then each one standing in the machine would die and the clone would spawn in the back. He was only going to do one hundred shows to entice Boden into coming to the show because he would have a limited time to figure out the trip. He knew he couldn't resist.

[@verkpunk]

I believe that the original is killed every time and the clone is away from the machine. So, when Caine talks about how agonizing drowning is, it means he is dying an agonizing death every night he does the trick.

[@lei5962]

Caine didnt know there was a wharehoue full of dead clones. He wasnt talking about the original or the clones drownng. He had said the sailor told him iy was like going home so that Angier would think his wife didnt suffer when she died. but after he framed an innocent man and took his daughter over a trick he didnt like him anymore and told him it was terrible suffering so that he WOULD feel bad that his wife suffered terribly as she died

[@Schrodinger_]

It doesn't matter who is the "original" and who is "the clone". They're "all your hat", as Tesla said. They're both the exact same person, with the same history, memories, personality, etc. Being slightly displaced in space doesn't make you less "you". That's what "the clone" tried to say before he got shot originally. That's also what he meant at the end when he said he never knew if he'd be the one in the tank, or the one in the Prestige. Because, from both their point of view, they were both the exact same person who just introduced the trick and walked into the box.

[@callmeshaggy5166]

Reminds me of the double-slit experiment. In short, both consciousness exists simultaneously, so long as neither are being observed.

[@jabecker21]

It’s cool that Angier and Borden both treat each other the exact same way at the end. The Borden that’s in jail finally offers Angier his secret and Angier tears it up because at that point he doesn’t care anymore, all he cares about is that he got his revenge on Borden. Then when they are in the theater at the very end Angier tries to get Borden to look around and see his secret, all of the dead duplicates in the boxes, and Borden doesn’t care anymore, he just cares about getting his revenge on Angier and getting his daughter back. They both gave up on knowing the others secret when it was finally offered to them.

[@chrisadraheim]

I think you mention most of the big foreshadowing clues that I can think of, but one more I can remember offhand is after the scene where Borden points out the secret of the magician with the fishbowl trick. Angier is practicing holding the fishbowl, and he tells his wife (or possibly Olivia) that "Borden spotted it right away, but I couldn't fathom it". Borden sees it because he's doing the same thing, living his trick his entire life. And just like with the fishbowl trick, Angier can't fathom that.

[@chrisadraheim]

It's always embarrassing to rewatch this movie and realize that the first time through it never once occurred to wonder what the deal with this Fallon guy is. Never mind the fact that the movie is constantly telling you its own spoilers outright, over and over again.

[@kengruz669]

More like thrilled, than embarrassed.

[@DavidSmith-mt7tb]

Both Angiers are the "real" Angier in that they're exact copies. It would make sense that the one who started the act would be the same one that died, but no one knows how consciousness works or how the machine works, so he wonders if he will be the on that survives or not, but the one that does survive has all the memories of the other one. So to him, he was the person who did that whole show, and the body he's in has the wear and tear on it from that show. An Angier always dies, yet his stream of consciousness continues, unbroken, through every show. There's some fun theories on quantum consciousness that might have interesting interactions with this concept.

[@lm3513]

In the part where Borden says goodbye to his girl on the date and then appears inside her place the next moment, most reactions just let that scene fly by and self-explain that as of course he could that because he's a magician. This scene is just one great example of the movie's magic themes that it presents so well in the beginning and the end of the film with Michail Caine's voiceover. "Are you watching closely", "You don't really want to work it out, you want to be fooled."

[@est1977santosLA]

Genuine 🤯 reactions! Your statement that the movie itself is a magic trick sums it up best! Looking forward to your Memento reaction.

[@LiteWeightReacting]

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed the reaction 😊

[@bigdream_dreambig]

You're exactly right that, whether the copy is the person who shows up in a new place or the copy ends up in the machine, the original Angier/Danton is long dead by the end of the film. He either died the very first time he tested out the machine, or he died the first time he did the actual trick. My own scientific intuition tells me the person in the machine at the end is the original, which would mean that your question about copies of copies of copies is relevant. In the other scenario, the first copy would keep being replicated to create the clone destined for death -- but, even in that case, we should also ask if the transportation itself is without defect. Tesla, with his statement that "They're ALL your hat, Mr. Angier," clearly thinks of them all as perfect copies indistinguishable from the original... Maybe he's right, or maybe not. 🤷‍♂

[@gimmethunder]

I think, for understanding character, it's important to understand that both Borden and Angiers wife were in favor of the Langford double knot. She didn't die because he was acting reckless, but because the two of them thought the Langford double was a better knot.

[@ECDabbeljuh]

Masterpiece of a movie. Brilliantly written.

[@orarinnsnorrason4614]

This is my favorite of Christopher Nolan's movies. It has all his themes in it. Time manipulation, love, all that jazz. But I think the pacing and how it's structured is the thing that separates it from the rest, its simply brilliant film making.

[@davidminken4094]

The Illusionist, also released in 2006, is another excellent magic/mystery period film.

[@Ddarke11]

Love how dark this movie goes with the obsession and willing to do anything for their "craft".

[@charlese2714]

One thing to remember is the rigid class structure that existed in England at that time. There were very few ways for normal people to escape a lifetime of poverty. This fact is what drove the Borden twins to share a life in anticipation of pulling off the Transported Man trick. It is why he recognized the trick in the beginning that the Oriental magician was faking being crippled. It is also why when Borden and Fallon are meeting in jail they discuss how the daughter will be sent to a workhouse. Their combined prior experience and desire to save her from that life is why agreed to sell their secrets to Lord Caldlow in the beginning.

[@fanvaism]

So you decided to rewatch all my favorite films, thank you!) Excellent as always!

[@judon4908]

Both of them were the original; it was a defective transport machine, not a cloning machine. That being said, it's crazy how he was not only willing to kill 100 men in a most agonizing way order to one up his adversary but he was also willing to die 100 times.

[@duckydewer]

Several takeaways from the portions envolving Tesla. One, the light bulbs giving off light being screwed into the Snow. Tesla also experimented with the Cat in regard to "Time Travel," sending it back in forth in time. Tesla also invented what now makes up your "Cell Phone," or at least the technology for it. He also had a patient ripped off by Marconi's so called invention of "Wireless Transmitions," used to send distress signals from the Titanic.

[@commsense1979]

There's not just foreshadowing there's Nolan literally telling you how the trick works through the canaries, then showing him "appearing" in her apartment right after he (his twin) was just outside the door. We KNOW its not possible, but we WANT to be fooled. Hands down my favorite Nolan film.

[@TheDaringPastry1313]

Once you know the twist, one of the biggest clues of him living the trick is foreshadowed when he talks about the old man and the fish bowl faking his limp because he carries the bowl 24/7. It's exactly what the brothers do, it's not a trick, it's their life.

[@ryanj5993]

I don't think he actually carries the bowl 24/7. It's that he does the "weak old man" walk any time he's in public, to hide when he *is* carrying the bowl.

[@TheDaringPastry1313]

@@ryanj5993 I know this comment is 13 days ago, but that's what I was inferring.

[@Nimzzeee]

"Now, you're looking for the secret. But you won't find it because, of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled." - this monologue right at the end is given with scenes of the "clone" hats on the ground, the silhouettes inside the tanks and finally the "clone" of Angiers. Here Nolan is speaking directly to us, those of us that think the trick has been revealed at the end of the movie are being misdirected. The trick for us wasn't the borden twins. We hear this monologue once more at the beginning of the film too but there's a part that comes right before it. "The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary" - the TURN in this film is Angiers diary. Everything in that diary is a fiction or a ruse, so all of the Colorado scenes, the Nikola Tesla scenes, cloning scenes are made up while Angiers is plotting his revenge. Tesla's machine in Angiers diary is the something extraordinary. - "But here, at the TURN, I must leave you Borden. Yes, you, Borden, sitting there in your cell, awaiting your death. For my murder." Watch the movie again, this time keeping in mind that Angiers diary is a misdirection so all scenes associated with the narration of the diary are very likely fabricated. In the world of magic, everything is illusion. There is no "real" magic and so while you're keeping yourselves distracted, adamant that tesla's machine is "real"....... "you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled."

[@PhilospherStoned]

this movie literally started a magic trick phase in my life and more specifically just card tricks and i will forever love this movie for that. something about magic tricks that creates a strong sense of wonderment for me lol.

[@Frost640]

In regards to the genetics and cloning, Komodo Dragons are genetically all identical to each other, their DNA doesn't suffer from degradation like most mammals since they have a few hundred million years of evolution than we do. The process to have babies without a partner is called Parthenogenesis, there's other creatures that are capable of doing it as well.

[@maujo2009]

The coin Borden flips to show Sarah's nephew the magic trick is the same coin Harvey Dent flips in The Dark Knight

[@inventsable]

Yes! Nice, I recommended this from your first video. Thanks for going through with it 👍

[@LiteWeightReacting]

Nice! Hope you enjoyed it!

[@AnotherFacelessDigitalNoOne]

My fav movie of all time. 50 views snd im still in awe of it. Nolan always does a perfect job. Ego at the centre. Its one that, when you watch it again... makes so much more sense

[@bleybourne1]

When they both go and see the old Chinese magician who was living the secret life, and Hugh Jackman says "Borden worked it out right away" that's another hint. Of course Borden worked out that it was a secret life, because he was living one too.

[@eddielong8663]

In addition to 'Memento', 'Insomnia' is another great Nolan film to check out.

[@dmthandmade5674]

The layers of the magic trick the movie does on you are what I find especially pleasing. The distraction and misdirection. It lays out the fat trail of breadcrumbs for us to figure out who the mysterious Lord Caldlow is, so we think we've figured out the twist...then WHAMMO, we get the other thing.

[@abovewater6918]

Just wanted to thank you for your genuine reactions. Appreciate the emotions and insight you provide and your in the moment reactions to things. I also think you talk the right amount. Not that you should feel the need to talk a certain amount but I think you have found a nice balance of listening/watching and reacting/talking

[@Lmauoo90]

Another great Nolan movie and one of my favourite performances by Hugh Jackman!

[@LiteWeightReacting]

He was so good!!

[@jessebutler1728]

It's amazing how people talk so much about Nolan movie while not talking about "Insomnia". It's amazing!!

[@philsmithsmith3979]

"it was the look on their faces" also explains why Hugh Jackman's character didn't like being underneath the stage during the first trick using a clone. Because he didn't get to see the look on the audiences faces. It wasn't about pride and getting the adoration above the stage. It was about getting to see the shock on their faces. That's the reason he does magic, and that's the reason he didn't like taking bows from beneath the stage

[@arkarmoethouk2445]

Some of my own thoughts about this film. (Not those commonly known facts) 01. The Borden who loved Olivia was abit more reckless, meaner and angrier. He tied the knot and probably never told the other one. 02. 'The look on their faces' kinda referred to the audience's reaction at the end of the movie. 03. The whole movie is sorta like a portrayal of 'Edison vs Tesla' rivalry. Angier was like Edison and Borden was like Tesla.

[@CharlesVanNoland]

If only they'd known CPR back then, he could've revived Julia and the whole story wouldn't've happened!

Thanks for another awesome movie choice. Another one is Reign of Fire, a Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale pairing. It's a post-apocalyptic movie. Also, since you've played Assassin's Creed games, the movie is really good and I highly recommend it.

[@Diegesis]

you're right on your critique about brother swapping but in the book they hit it home harder that borden thinks of himself as one and the same with fallon. they're both fully borden so to them it doesn't feel like cheating even though their tastes in women are clearly different. that's why he says when asked what knot he tied: I keep asking myelf and i don't know. meaning i've been asking fallon and he doesn't know

[@kengruz669]

Yes, Diegesis. Finally, someone who puts the film (which I adore) in context with its origin novel (which I also love.) The use of the written word to create a mystery and convey a sense of oddness in how Borden talks about himself and his life and experiences, rather than the visual story-telling and dialogue of the filmmaking portraying his reality, give you a heightened sense of the life commitment Borden has set upon for the Ultimate trick. You hit it home in saying they are both Borden, "he" thinks of himself and Fallon as one.

[@PierreDennis]

Your next Nolan film should be Insomnia! That is a great film as well. Insomnia & Prestige are my top two Nolan films outside of his DC projects.

[@icepee9252]

One foreshadow that is often missed is one of the earliest: "Two young men devoted to an illusion." It's famed as him writing about Angers and Bordon. But in fact he was talking about him and his twin. And the illusion was the transported man. I guess also the crippled man is a sly relection of the expirence that Bordon and his brother. The way I see it if you make a perfect clone then it really ceases to be just a clone. I guess that's little consolation to the man in the box, though.

[@chriscoombes6751]

Bloody love this film!! - you can watch & re-watch over & over and still pick up bits you missed each time!! The knot, the 'affair', everything makes sense when you realize there were 2 of them! - but both 'Bordens' & Angier were truly fanatical, obsessed & just not very nice people! - Borden says he loved Sarah & his twin loved Olivia, but he allowed the trick/the switching to drive her to suicide, so..... This is one of those films that came out the same sort of time as another film considered similar/the same - in this case, a great film called 'The Illusionist' - if you enjoyed this, I'd thoroughly recommend watching that too! (if you've not already seen it!) 😀❤

[@bijibadness]

someone down there in the comments mentioned the foreshadowing of the poor, doomed wife's nephew saying "where's his brother?" about the twin bird, and that's a good catch. I also for the first time noticed that Danton's pride - ripping up Borden's method for his Transported Man would have likely saved him from being surprised and shot in the end. if he had bothered to look at it, he'd have seen there was 'another' Borden. Pride - the downfall in many tragedies, most often I find to male characters. (sounds about right. we can be a pretty Prideful bunch.) some movie suggestions for my favorite* (*my only) KZbin movie Reaction channel: _Pan's Labyrinth, Grave of the Fireflies_ (this one's EXTREMELY sad; a straight 10/10 on "sad" ... frankly maybe too sad), _A River Runs Through It, Moneyball, Hugo_ and one of the all-time great modern love stories AND my pick for best martial arts movie ever made, _Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon._ which, like _Fireflies_ is a foreign movie with subtitles. so I don't know how that would play on this channel. might be interesting to see, might not be. who knows. all the best to everyone!

[@captainofdunedain3993]

Oh another Nolan movie! This one's good one for me. I remember we had long conversations about this movie long time ago with friends. Now I see on comments some similar ideas after like 20 years. Gives me a bitter smile. Angier's character dramatically transformation and Hugh Jackman's great acting just like in the Prisoners. This movie thought me that never become too ambitious about anything or for anyone.

[@tigerjonn]

It takes nothing to steal another man's work... IT TAKES EVERYTHING...

[@irnp6125]

Another low-key Hugh Jackman movie I'd recommend is " The Fountain". (Disclaimer, one of my favorite movies but not as well known and definitely a bit more "artsy" than mainstream movies)

[@bossfan49]

AWWWW HERE WE GOOOOO !!! YUSSSS. The gleeful giggle when the dove was still alive. ❤

[@dylanwillmott5586]

It should also be mentioned that Angier's wife was ok with the knot that Borden tied. That is why she nod's to Borden before he ties the knot.

[@Elephant2024-wi2li]

Stellar cast in this Christopher Nolan offering. The overriding theme to me is one of duality because neither magician is portrayed as either being completely good or evil.

[@ericcouch]

your first reaction ("The movie itself is a magic trick") was incredibly insightful. I'm not sure that most people get that even their second time through. you're some kind of genius.

[@TheOtherNormie]

The book by Christopher Priest is outstanding! It's alot more complex but Nolan nailed it's tone in the film.

[@TeeZee22]

Knew you would be perfect for these reactions because of your emotions, how you connect and express yourself, and your intelligence! You're not going to miss much and I love hearing your observations and thoughts during and after the movies! However, the welcome addition is how good you are with the editing. You do such a masterful job of showing the right parts to accurately portray the movies eventhough you can only show a small percentage of the movie scenes! You clearly put a lot of thought into it and it shows!

[@d4nj0n35]

Mate she ain't gna fuck u stop giving her money and level urself up no this dumb bitch

[@Morteza_Jahan]

"Arrival, 2016" is another space movie. Can't reccommend enough. And soundtrack produced by R.I.P Johann Johannsson.

[@VonRichtburg]

What is brilliant about the movie is it tells you, right from the start, how it is mapped. Nolan pulled the whole pledge-turn-prestige. The movie tells a story about magic, but at the same time the movie is also a magic trick on the audience. "Are you watching closely", indeed. Pay attention.

[@Sorarse]

In similar vain - magician and illusions - but not so dark, is The Illusionist, starring Edward Norton, Jennifer Beale and Rufus Sewell.

[@JP-cc6yn]

The "Twins" switched places with each other to give the other a chance to have a life rather than be in hiding. As for Angier, the new clone is always the one that lives.

[@AnotherFacelessDigitalNoOne]

"Abracadabra from arabic means "i create what i speak"... while avada kedavra means (in harry potter lore and arabic) means "Let the thing be destoyed"

[@gluuuuue]

Questions like "Which one is the original and which the clone?" presume only one can be an original and the other must be a copy. Just like the Will and Thomas Riker episode of TNG, there're philosophical explorations on all these questions in the Transporter Problem. In the same way you're not the same person now than you were 10 years ago, you're also different from an hour ago, a month ago, a year ago. What I enjoy the most about this film is how much of a multilayered metaphor the magic tricks are with not only the plot of the film itself, but for filmmaking in general. Making a movie, especially the way Nolan does, is much like the same sort of illusion, with a hint of horror story in that it all seems utterly delightful until you peek enough behind the curtain and see how the sausage gets made..!

[@callmeshaggy5166]

5:27 and here we are just dropped the nugget as a side comment that proves Lord Caldlow was always his real name. This is why price is never an issue, his family is wealthy.

[@christopher201]

Subscribed based on this reaction alone. Tesla's machine seems to transport the clone some distance away. Angier went into it for 100 shows knowing what was beneath him. I hope you've watched it again, it's almost like watching a different movie when you know the trick.

[@musicaleuphoria8699]

Say what people will Dark Knight, Dunkirk, or Oppenheimer. Great movies of sheer craft. But this has got to be the best Nolan movie to this day.

[@MarxInMars]

It took me maybe 4 or 5 viewings to realize that the movie itself was a magic trick. Though I watched it first when I was a teenager, it just goes on to show you how smart you are! Loved your reaction. Can't wait for Memento

[@mrzugpug]

Batman vs Wolverine: The Clone Wars

[@utf59]

"Which is the clone and which is the...?" TESLA: "They are all your hat, Mr. Angier."

[@MarvinC18]

I also saw this movie as an analogy to filmmaking. Almost as if Nolan is commenting on the obsession with art. The need to make something original instead of selling out to a major studio. To see the “look on their faces” (audience). The magic of cinema.