Christopher Nolan is a master at executing a well-timed twist, and no twist was more brilliantly executed than the one he secretly gave away at the beginning ofThe Prestige. The 2006 psychological thriller starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, and Scarlett Johansson is typically regarded as one ofNolan’s best overall moviesthanks to its intriguing and well-crafted story, top-notch period visuals and mind-melting final act.The Prestigefollows the rivalry between two up-and-coming magicians in 19th-century London, which grows deadlier over time as their acts become entangled with their personal lives.
While the entire plot ofThe Prestigeis loaded with minor twistsand unexpected appearances from both actors and historical figures, the final narrative turn came as a shock to many upon their first viewing. It’s a poignant reminder of the dangers of obsession, along with the personal sacrifice that often comes with success–and whether that success is worth what it costs. Nolan manages to keep the twist under wraps until the very end of the movie, but once a person watchesThe Prestigein its entirety, it becomes clear that Nolan telegraphed the twist in the movie’s opening shot.
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The Prestige’s Opening Shot Gives Away The Movie’s Cloning Twist
One Of Nolan’s Best Twists Is Foreshadowed Right Away
The Prestigeopens with a puzzling shot of what appear to bedozens of Edwardian top hats scattered across a quiet forest floor. While the connection to a movie about magicians is clear, as that was the traditional attire of a stage magician at that time, the reason for the multitude of hats and their location is a mystery. It isn’t explained at all, and right away the screen pivots to Michael Caine’s John Cutter, who is preparing a disappearing trick involving a small bird while a monologue of Caine explaining the three parts of a magic trick plays over the top.
October 17th, 2006
$40 million
$109.7 million
77%
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The hats are secretly revealing the movie’s most significant twist, which is thatHugh Jackman’s Robert Angier was so obsessed with recreating his rival’s teleportation trick that he found a scientific way to clone himself. However, the cloning was done with a machine invented byNikola Tesla (David Bowie), and the item he tested was an Edwardian top hat. The hats in the opening shot are the by-products of Tesla’s experimentation, clones of each other that he didn’t know he had created, given that they wound up in the woods far from his machine.
The Prestige’s First Scene Only Makes Sense After You Finish The Movie
The Opening Shot Makes Little Sense Initially
The opening shot of the hats seems like nothing but a disconnected imageonce the screen pivots to Cutter and his explanation of the construction of a magic trick. It’s certainly assumed that it will be explained in some way later, but in the moment it doesn’t seem consequential. However, after watching the movie, the dots begin to connect. Indeed, once the Edwardian top hat appears on the screen atop the head of Andy Serkis' Mr. Alley, the wheels begin spinning as to how it connects to the opening shot.
David Bowie initially turned Christopher Nolan down when offered the role of David Bowie, but relented after Nolan personally flew out to convince him in person, claiming that nobody else could play the role but him.
The Prestigeacts as a slow burn for its entire runtime, with the rivalry between Angier and Christian Bale’s Alfred Borden evolving from professional one-upsmanship to a truly deadly battle of wills and wits. That entire narrative needs to unfold to reveal that Angier’s pursuit of Borden’s teleportation trick crossed from exploring every available option tomanifesting something unnatural to accomplish his goal. The opening hat shot is actually the first indicator thatThe Prestigeisn’t just a period drama/mystery; it’s a science-fiction thriller.
The Prestige
Cast
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, The Prestige follows the lives of two stage magicians in Victorian London. Once colleagues, Robert Angier and Alfred Borden become hated rivals after a tragedy involving Angier’s wife tears them apart. The two magicians each go on to have their own lives and careers while competing to see who can pull off a seemingly impossible teleportation trick. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale star as Angier and Borden.
