It's Magic!

I watched the film "The Prestige" the other day. Now what a film that was! Fantastic, Intelligent and very witty, filled with all the elements of a good magic trick. There were no wands, spells or big flowing capes. These magicians were simple, modern, but just as effective.

Apart from showing the story of two magicians looking to constantly out- do one another at every possible opportunity, this film holds some truth. The way the truth is presented makes the film sophistocated, witty and clever. I doubt there are few who could watch this film and not agree. The truth "The Prestige" reveals about the audience of a magic show is that we are always seeking to be amazed. Searching for the one who can do something that will makes us want to see it again and again until we find the secret. This obsession is one of the main themes of the movie. Wanting to know, to be better. This truth isn't insinuated, or alluded to. It is put forward in the most sophistocated manner, it makes it hard for the audience not to agree.

"Every magic trick consists of three parts, or acts. The first part is call "the Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary...He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it, to see that it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But, of course, it probably isn’t.
The second act is called "the Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. But you wouldn’t clap yet, because making something disappear isn’t enough. You have to bring it back. That’s why every magic trick has a third act. The hardest part. The part we call "the prestige".
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 know. You want to be fooled."

It's simple, and straight forward. In my opinion, (which may not be worth much, seeing as i'm no film critic, or anything of sorts), i don't think there is a better way of explaining why people are so fascinated by the idea, and notion, of "Magic". It's also no wonder we are always told to "Watch closely". Throughout the film this phrase is used quite a bit. Particularly in moments when the audience "knows" that something will occur. The action itself is a magic trick, and the audience, like trained automatons, watches the screen carefully, not wanting to miss the moment. What we probably fail to notice, is that by watching closely, we've once again been fooled. So the film itself, thus, becomes a magic trick!

Viola! and Hey- Presto...Magic! This is an intelligent film. Masterfully directed and produced. The actors do a fantastic job of role- playing each character. The story itself is captivating and appealing. Whilst the setting of the time- period may make some think of the themes as inconsistant, or irrelvant, i think it is something of a ploy, or trick, (if you wish to put it as such), by the crew. A distraction which attempts to conceal, in a way, the truth that the film contains.

I don't think that i am quite so good as to not fall for the same trick twice. I don't even think that this film has helped me, in a way. Though i know now that secret to the trick is all in the observation of the audience, i don't think i am so good, that i still won't be mesmirised. Undoubtedly, i think i will be the first to applaud a good trick. I don't think it will be an easy feat to try and remain unfazed by a magician who "knows his stuff". In this sense, i won't try to take the fun out of being fooled. Isn't that part of the fun anyway? Sure knowing "How" would be cool too. Although, that is the "art", if you will, of magic. No matter how hard you try not to look, you will look, and because you look, you will be fooled!

So...Watch Closely