The Illusionist (film)

"Nothing is what it seems."

A 2006 Period Drama loosely based on Steven Millhauser's story "Eisenheim the Illusionist".

The Illusionist tells the story of Eisenheim, a magician in Vienna in the late 1800's and the childhood promise he made to a girl that someday, they would both disappear. The film begins near its climax and most of the film takes place in a Flash Back.

No relation to the 2010 animated film.


 * Ambiguously Jewish: Eisenheim, aka Eduard Abramowitz, has a Jewish surname, and is a stage magician in the early twentieth century. If so, it adds another reason why he and Sophie aren't allowed to be together.
 * Adaptation Expansion: Heck yes.
 * Black and Grey Morality: The Villain is a murderous asshole planning a coup d'etat, while the hero is somewhat....extreme in the methods that he uses to get what he wants.
 * Butterfly of Death and Rebirth/Butterfly of Doom/Butterfly of Transformation: All three are in play, sometimes simultaneously.
 * California Doubling: 19th century Vienna was shot in present day Czech Republic.
 * Cassandra Truth:
 * Chekhov's Gunman:
 * Childhood Marriage Promise: Implied with the locket.
 * Conspicuous Trenchcoat: Sophie is followed everywhere "for her protection."
 * Death Glare: The prince is a master.
 * Dueling Movies: With The Prestige.
 * Happily Ever After
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: John Adams is investigating the Narrator.
 * Max Branning is a mook.
 * How We Got Here
 * Inspector Javert: Inspector Uhl is a cross between this and an Obstructive Bureaucrat.
 * This at least appears to be the case. In the end, he's revealed as one of the few truly moral characters in the film.
 * Magicians Are Wizards: While The Prestige justified its use of this trope, this film handwaves it.
 * Offstage Villainy: We get told the prince is violent towards women and a cruel manipulator, but never really see it.
 * Although we do see him backhand Sophie once, and be generally unpleasant. And plan a coup d’état.
 * Pet the Dog: Eisenheim, after his first successful show, playfully and quietly giving a windfall of coins to a few urchins.
 * Prince Charmless: Then again...yeah.
 * The Reveal
 * Rebellious Princess: Well, duchess, at least; she wants desperately to run away with Edward despite the fact that he's the lowborn son of a cabinetmaker.
 * Shadow Archetype: Eisenheim and the prince are this to each other. Both are well-intentioned extremists in love with Sophie who did what they had to do in order to get what they wanted. Eisenheim, while the prince is a drunk and a wife beater who is planning a coup because he genuinely thinks it's better for the country.
 * "Shut Up" Kiss: Spectacularly.
 * Stage Magician
 * Surrounded by Idiots: The prince certainly thinks so.
 * Utopia Justifies the Means
 * Victorious Childhood Friend
 * What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic: The recurring motif of the butterfly - secrecy, a double life, ... nicely handled.
 * Who Dunnit to Me?: Sophie's ghostly appearances at Eisenheim's shows seems to be trying to get the public to figure this one out.
 * Would Hit a Girl: The prince
 * Xanatos Roulette
 * Who Dunnit to Me?: Sophie's ghostly appearances at Eisenheim's shows seems to be trying to get the public to figure this one out.
 * Would Hit a Girl: The prince
 * Xanatos Roulette