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''The Prestige'' is a 2006 film, directed by [[Christopher Nolan]]. It was based on [[The Film of the Book|a book of the same name]].
 
The story follows an escalating rivalry between two magicians, [[Fun Withwith Acronyms|Alfred Borden]] and [[Theme Initials|Robert Angier]]. They started their careers as partners until Angier's wife died during a performance, possibly because Borden may have tied a stronger rope knot than necessary (with the wife's permission). The rivalry extends into the magician scene as the two compete to see who is the best at their craft.
 
Told through the framing devices of the two men reading one another's journals, the plot is not shown in chronological order.
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Interestingly, the film cannot really be said to have a protagonist. Both sides are portrayed neutrally [[Grey and Gray Morality|without either getting a sympathetic point of view]]. This gives a different slant on a story instead of just the normal protagonist vs. antagonist story. Instead we get a story about two overly obsessed flawed men.
 
Also, this film has [[Nikola Tesla]] [[TV Tropes Made of Win Archive|played by]] [[David Bowie (Music)|David Bowie]].
 
'''This film is built almost entirely out of unexpected twists. You will learn them if you read any further.'''
{{examplestropelist}}
 
* [[Adult Fear]]: A particularly painful one forms [[The Reveal]] towards the end of the film.
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* [[Cycle of Revenge]]: A vicious one, at that.
* [[Darker and Edgier]]: Both Angier and Borden were considerably more sympathetic in the book.
* {{spoiler|[[Death Byby Adaptation]]: Angier.}}
* [[The Determinator|Determinator]]: Angier and Borden. {{spoiler|Angier killing himself several times is just psychotic, particularly since he never knows whether he'll be the man on the stage or the man in the box. Borden is nearly as bad, willing to have two of his fingers severed just to keep matching his twin.}}
* [[Doing It for The Art|Doing It for the Art]]: In-universe example. While Angier is after the Transported Man trick simply because it'll make a great show, Borden wants to try and push the limits of the art of magic. Arguably, the whole movie could be seen as a debate on the nature of art in general.
* [[Driven to Suicide]]: Borden's {{spoiler|wife, Sarah.}}
* [[Dueling Movies]]: One of two period pieces that focus on magicians to come out in 2006 (along with ''[[The Illusionist (Filmfilm)|The Illusionist]]'', which is actually quite different).
* [[Dueling Stars Movie]]: Unlike some films which use this trope, the chemistry between them is excellent.
* [[Mr. Fanservice]]: Oustanding performances aside, it doesn't hurt that the two leads are played by the not entirely unattractive Jackman and Bale, with Bowie on hand too.
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* [[Insufferable Genius]]: Borden's a fantastic magician, he's just a terrible performer.
** In the novel it's the other way around, with Borden pointing out several times that Angier just didn't understand showmanship. Angier also trolled magician trade publications early in his career.
* [[Irony Asas She Is Cast]]: Ricky Jay, the film's magic consultant, has a role as an incompetent stage magician.
** Also, [[David Bowie]] as the famously celibate Tesla.
* [[It Got Worse]]: And then some.
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* [[Lightning Can Do Anything]]: In this case, it can even {{spoiler|duplicate things.}}
* [[Lovely Assistant]]: Olivia is this to both of the stage magicians involved (and has affairs with both of them). Angier's wife was also this.
* [[Mad Artist]]: Angier shows more traits than his rival. In the end he explains that the magic shows's main point (and all that it implied) was to puzzle the audience and be considered the best magician ever. Judging from his popularity it was a complete success, [[Powered Byby a Forsaken Child|but the price he paid was very high]].
* [[Magical Realism]]
* [[Magicians Are Wizards]]: Subverted: the movie explains every trick, and at one point Michael Cane snaps "You're a magician, not a bloody wizard! If you want to do magic, you've got to get your hands dirty." {{spoiler|Perhaps more specifically, Tesla is the wizard, having created Angier's cloning device.}}
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* [[Obfuscating Disability]]: Chung Ling Soo, the ancient Chinese performer with stiff legs.
* [[Obfuscating Stupidity]]: Arguably, Borden's disguises: they start out seeming very transparent and obvious until we find out that {{spoiler|Borden had also been disguising himself as Fallon the entire time.}}
* [[Once More, Withwith Clarity]]: The biggest [[The Reveal|reveal]] of all is accompanied by one of these.
* [[One-Scene Wonder]]: [[David Bowie]] only appears in a handful of scenes, but he absolutely ''nails'' them.
* [[Out-Gambitted]]: Both Angier and Borden time and time again. {{spoiler|At the end though, Borden comes out on top.}}
* [[People Jars]]: {{spoiler|Angier's many drowned copies of himself, stored in a warehouse.}}
* [[Powered Byby a Forsaken Child]]: Tesla knows how twisted his {{spoiler|teleporter}} is, and even tries to warn {{spoiler|Angier}} by letter after it is delivered to him.
* [[Red Herring]]: {{spoiler|Angier spends a great deal of time deciphering his way through Borden's journal for his secrets, only to find a message from Borden near the end, which explains how he just got him to waste months deciphering nothing.}}
* [[The Reveal]]: The secrets to both Borden's and Angier's Transported Man tricks.
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