The Prestige - alternative theories SPOILER

Stabshauptmann

No point reading this is you've not seen the movie (you'll also just be ruining the movie for yourself).

At the end, the simple explanation is that Boden (Bale) has a twin and Angieres (Jackman) makes a clone every night.

Ok, the twin - no questions, no problems.

We were watching the film on RTE tonight and a someone made a good point. The whole film is about how the tricks are done, and things being simpler than they are.

In fact the last line in the film is by cutter saying things are simple. The world is solid. People choose to make them complicated.

What my friend was saying is that perhaps there is a very simple explanation for the real transporter man, one that doesnt involve a clone.


What we can be certain about is that a man drops into the water tank.
This man dies and is identified by Cutter as Angieres.
We see for certain one body in a tank at the end (though we see many tanks).

One explanation that doesnt require clones or wizardry is that Angieres uses a double, possible the same double as before, possibly not.

Somehow he predicts that Boden will sneak back stage on a particular night - possibly the last night - and this night something different happens; this night the double dies.

Having 100 performances might have 2 effects, it entices Boden to sneak back stage on presumably the last night, and hes learnt from experience the problem of using doubles.

This double is identified as Angieres by Cutter in the morgue and somehow ends up in the tank in Caldlow's theatre - we only actually see one body.

What do you think?
Trying too hard
Any theories of your own?

niallon

Would need more of an explanation as to how he could predict what night Boden would go backstage, that's the main flaw there and I don't think Chris Nolan would leave that much up to the imagination. That being said, that's really what films are all about isn't it? Using your imagination! I dunno, I could go with it if it wasn't for the above point.

Driver 8

Kinda nullifies the point of the film. I think the idea is that Angier doesn't realise the simplicity of Borden's trick, and therefore falls for Borden's diary entry about Tesla. However, Tesla does in fact offer him the means to perform his version of the Transported Man.

It's definitely Angier that Cutter identifies. They wouldn't have used the same double as before because of how easily he'd been compromised by Borden.

I think if your theory were right, it would render void one of the most important ideas of the film, of the sacrifice Angier makes-his speech before he's killed about how hard it was to perform the trick each night would be fairly hollow, and the limited sympathy you feel for his character for going to such lengths wouldn't be there. Borden's trick is the simple one, and it's Angier who is duped by this simplicity.

BlitzKrieg

What do you think?
Trying too hard
Any theories of your own?

Yes, trying too hard and also falling into the same pitfalls of many on the film's imdb page who try to argue the same point.

As Driver 8 points out, beyond any practical issues it simply nullfies the film's message. (the practical issue is of course the shot with 50+ hats at Tesla's ranch.)

A part of which is the film enforces again and again is that a large part of the work for the magician is immense personal sacrifice, there is the obvious example given in the first part of the film with the chinese magician. A later one is Angiers being trapped beneath the stage for his own act, sacrificing the applause for the prestige. Of course the big ones are the two revealed in the climax

THe real question is who committed the greatest self sacrifice.

Borden who sacrificed his life and the life of his only brother completely to their magic act.

Or Angiers who nightly killed himself again and again.


Was it an extension on his earlier act under the stage that he now kills himself every night for the act?

Or was it that he refused to over any form of sacrifice instead commiting horrible crimes against nature and his own soul so that he could have it all.

Was he a monster or the tragedy. His actions at the end of the film in my opinion say to me that he was the monster, there was no sacrifice in what he did* and his motives in its use show the depth he had sunk to (he didnt need to clone himself again and again and again and kill the clones, he could have just done it once, but his goal of framing borden made him do something monstrous). But it is a point open to debate.

A more fun (imo) theory is that it is possible to work which Borden is which in each scene. If you watch the film they give hints on how you can tell (the most obvious being the one that says *I dont know* is not the one who tied the ropes in the opening act. I think this is also not the one that is hanged at the end) Its fun if you are bored and anal like me...so not very fun.




*The original book is similar to my position because

there is no true sacrifice as the original body dies

and also confirms that the cloning element was an actual part of the act rather then a trick http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_prestige

Hrududu

Also if Angier only killed his double on that last night then why the need for all the blind stage hands? And why transfer a tank of water back to the warehouse night after night. We saw many tanks there. What would be the explanation for having loads of empty tanks?

Watching it the second time was great for spotting which Borden was which.

humanji

And he also shoots the first clone he makes, so that's a bit of a giveaway.

quickbeam

And Cutter's remark about how drowning is an agonising way to die has more resonance if it is Angier dying night after night instead of a random double dying once at the end.

I love trying to figure out which Borden is which too. I think in nearly every scene you can spot it. Agree that the one who survives at the end is not the one who tied the knot in the beginning. It seems like the Borden who died was the one more open to taking risks like trying a new knot (though Angier's wife was complicent in allowing him to).

Brilliant film!