#Magic trick goes wrong woman dies professional

And The Prestige itself has been the subject of academic interest, due to the rise of neo-Victorianism as a field of study. There has been quite a lot of research into the psychology of magic and its theoretical implications, such as links to the history of advertising.

My research explores the impact of conjuring upon literature and other media during the Victorian period. Initially I resisted this comparison – even though watching The Prestige at an early age probably inspired my interest in this topic too. When people heard I was completing a PhD on Victorian magicians, it became very common for them to gasp: “Oh! Just like in The Prestige?”. This year is the 15th anniversary of The Prestige’s release, a film which continues to epitomise magic in the Victorian period for many fans. And as with any good tale of magic, all is not as it seems – although I don’t want to reveal the secret just yet. But the dispute described isn’t between Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman’s onscreen characters it is one that actually happened in France in the early 19th century. You could be forgiven for thinking these were scenes from Christopher Nolan’s classic film, The Prestige, released in 2006 and the recipient of two Academy Awards. One monologues to himself about how “exquisite” his vengeance will be, then announces publicly that his sole purpose in life is to “challenge” the other to “mortal combat”.

#Magic trick goes wrong woman dies professional

The enemies talk of a “battlefield” where they can settle all the imagined slights, and perhaps even obtain the revenge they have longed for over the course of their professional rivalry – at one point going so far as to involve the pope in their competitive European tours. The subsequent change in his act begins to gain traction with audiences.

One, bitter over the loss of his son after a bullet-catch gone wrong at his own hand, steals the other’s programme of tricks. Warning: containers spoilers for The PrestigeĪfter years of a cat and mouse chase across Europe, two magicians are ready to declare war on one another.