Of some importance in science fiction is the 2006 film “The
Prestige” by Christopher Nolan, with the title referring to the last phase of a
magic act which offers a payoff to the audience. It is based on a novel by Christopher Priest.
It is set in the 1890s in London, with two major lead
magicians, the aristocratic Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and the working class Alfred
Borden (Christian Bale).
The film invokes a speculative experiment with teleportation
when it introduces Nikola Tesla (David Bowie), the inventor (later associated
with alternating current and electrical engineering). Angier spies on Borden and wants to produce
the trick of teleportation. Eventually we learn that Borden was a pair of twins
but they seem to share an identity.
There is some question in the plot as to whether a “new” Angier gets
created by teleportation, or if there is anything in quantum physics or information
theory that makes this theoretically possible.
The film was produced with New Market Films, which was
normally an indie distributor ten years ago. It was also produced by Touchstone
Films and distributed both by Disney and Warner Brothers. But the film tended
to be shown in theater chains that prefer independent or art movies.
Picture: Reno, my visit (2018)
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