Fact check: Is The Prestige film based on a true story? Explained

The Prestige, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, is widely considered one of the director's best works. The details of the film, including the magic tricks, and the specific nature of the rivalry between the film's protagonists led many during the time of its release, to believe that the film's story was taken from real events.

However, this is not true. While the film may have drawn inspiration from magician rivalries during the Victorian period, it is not entirely based on specific real-life characters.

Based on Christopher Priest's 1995 science fiction novel of the same name, the film chronicled the lives of two rivaling magicians Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, who left no stone unturned to upend each other.

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The Prestige is not based on a true story

The Prestige based on Christopher Priest's book of the same name may be fictional but that does not imply that Nolan and Priest were not influenced by real-life stories. As fans of the film and the book have found over the years, magician rivalries were pretty common during the Victorian era in which the film is based.

According to an article published in The Conversation on October 14, 2021, the feud between Angier and Borden came closest to the real-life feuds between magicians Torrini and Joseph Pinetti, and Robert-Houdin and John Henry Anderson.

While Torrini and Pinetti were engaged in a public feud that was extensively written about by Robert-Houdin, Houdin's biographer, Jean Chavigny, argued that Torrini was a fictional character created by Houdin to project his own nature. Houdin and Anderson were involved in a similar but relatively less intense feud.

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Who is in the cast of The Prestige?

The central characters of the film are played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. They play Robert Angier, and Alfred Borden, respectively. They also play Lord Caldlow and Bernard Fallon, later on in the film. Others to be included in the film's cast are:

• Michael Caine as John Cutter
• Scarlett Johansson as Olivia Wenscombe
• David Bowie as Nikola Tesla
• Rebecca Hall as Sarah Borden
• Samantha Mahurin as Jess Borden
• Ricky Jay as Milton the Magician
• Piper Perabo as Julia McCullough
• Andy Serkis as Mr. Alley
• Roger Rees as Owens
• W. Morgan Sheppard as Merrit
• Daniel Davis as a judge

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What is the key to a successful magic trick according to The Prestige?

According to the film, a successful magic trick can be broken into three acts:

The Pledge: The First act of a magic trick is called "The Pledge" in which the magician shows the audience something that looks extremely ordinary but in reality, isn't.

The Turn: The Turn is the second act of a magic trick where a magician turns something ordinary into something extraordinary. At this point, the audience is curious to know what happened and how it happened but is unable to find answers. To add to their confusion and continue the trick a third act is required.

The Prestige: The Prestige is the final and most important part of a magic trick. It includes incorporating multiple surprising twists and turns that can be too much for the audience to follow. It features shocking events that leave a lasting impression on people's minds, causing them to overlook any subtle deception that may have been involved.

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The Prestige is available for viewing on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV Plus, Fandango at Home, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. While some of these platforms will allow users to watch the movie with a standard subscription, some will require them to pay additional fees for renting and purchasing.