The Prestige

[sobrique]

I have just been to see 'The Prestige'.

This is a very good film.
It's about two rival magicians, and includes Michael Cane, Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale.

It's very well meshed together with a nice plotline to it. I'm impressed.
Actually, I think I should go watch that again. It was very cool.

Go and see this film. Just not when you're tired or anything, because the plot _isn't_ a no-brainer :)

Comments

[forest-rose.livejournal.com]

Seconded. Go and watch this immediately.

[jorune.livejournal.com]

The film is made by Christopher Nolan and it continues his oeuvre of 'Identity and Reality'. His previous films on this topic are primarily Memento and Insomnia. One of the key features of this genre is that there is a second story to tell after the film has ended (As a confession I have not seen Insomnia so I cannot be 100% sure of that films provenance).

Of his previous films, this included, I think we can draw out some common themes. Female characters provide perspective, trauma and the potential to resolve the male characters mental crisis, be it to full health or total breakdown. Male characters suffer from clinical conditions, he did psychotic delusion in Mememto and Neurotic obsession in The Prestige and then there was Batman, who has as the Americans would say has 'issues'. Given the focus on mental health, the films narrative is teased out to the audience in an ambiguous manner allowing us to experience the conditions the character is going through. Upon watching and rewatching a different story is told as we more informed about the protagonist i.e. Memento and its disjointed timeline.

In truth I found this film a touch slow paced, though the payoff at the end is well executed.

[jorune.livejournal.com]

As a final thought I just wanted to say that Neurotic disorders are common in life but it doesn't mean that they will resort to the methods used in The Prestige. They just need our understanding and support. In 2000 a study of the nation's mental health was published, the Psychiatric Morbidity Survey. This graph shows how prevalent the condition amongst adults, to quote the page:

"In 2000 one in six adults in Great Britain had a neurotic disorder (such as anxiety and depression), while one in seven had considered suicide at some point in their lives. One in 200 had a psychotic disorder such as psychosis and schizophrenia.

The most common mental disorders were: mixed anxiety and depression (7 per cent for men, 11 per cent for women), anxiety (4 per cent for men, 5 per cent for women) and depression (2 per cent for men, 3 per cent for women). All neurotic disorders were more common in women than men, except for panic disorder which was equally common in both sexes."