"The Prestige" wtf? (spoilers)

[CrazyEyez]

Oh and further support that "You don't want to know the secret, you'd rather be fooled" means you (the audience) don't want to know there are a bunch of dead bodies: Vanishing bird = pancake bird.

[daryn]

i am with crazyeyez and i will need some proof from GoT before i even think about another possible explanation

[gumpzilla]

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I'm not sure what you mean. What I mean is that the last scene of the movie is a room full of dead guys in tanks. That's the secret to the trick. "You don't really want to know the secret, do you?" See what I mean?

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But from the standpoint of movie as magic trick, it's not the secret - it's the misdirection, the patter. It's a movie about stage magic, and tricking people into believing that illusions are real, and then ends with something that cannot be real. You don't think this is suggestive at all? Both Following and Memento were also very carefully put together movies. I have to think Nolan was going for something here other than the giant copout. At least I hope so, because the first time I saw the movie before considering this possibility I hated it for the ending.

[GuyOnTilt]

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Oh and further support that "You don't want to know the secret, you'd rather be fooled" means you (the audience) don't want to know there are a bunch of dead bodies: Vanishing bird = pancake bird.

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I gotta run out right now so I don't have time to think/post about this more, but I think you're getting leveled.

[xxThe_Lebowskixx]

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i am with crazyeyez and i will need some proof from GoT before i even think about another possible explanation

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i want to hit GoT over the head with one of those gigantic carnival hammers.

[Taso]

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i am with crazyeyez and i will need some proof from GoT before i even think about another possible explanation

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i want to hit GoT over the head with one of those gigantic carnival hammers.

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lol

I was really like this movie and am also looking forward to GOT's theory.

[Misfire]

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Oh and further support that "You don't want to know the secret, you'd rather be fooled" means you (the audience) don't want to know there are a bunch of dead bodies: Vanishing bird = pancake bird.

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Using the the pancake bird to foreshadow the tesla machine was brilliant.

I thought this was a great movie, and the ending didn't bother me at all. My only complaint was that the dead clones were too easy to figure out. Also, (and I know it would ruin this as a movie) but why did he not think of making one clone to use as a perfect double, swapping the man-in-the-box/prestige roles like the twins did?

[Bork]

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Also, (and I know it would ruin this as a movie) but why did he not think of making one clone to use as a perfect double, swapping the man-in-the-box/prestige roles like the twins did?

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If I was a crazy murderous guy prone to shooting/drowning my clones, I wouldn't trust my clone to play along and not kill me.

[DLizzle]

im in the crazyeyez camp on this one, others i think are reading too much into it. i don't see how the ending sucks even if there's no crazy, trickery going on that no one has figured out. I really don't get all this 'cop out' talk. If someone presented a believable theory i would gladly change my mind, but right now I'm satisfied with the movie as it is in my mind.

ps, does anyone have thoughts on what i posted earlier in this thread?

[gumpzilla]

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im in the crazyeyez camp on this one, others i think are reading too much into it. i don't see how the ending sucks even if there's no crazy, trickery going on that no one has figured out. I really don't get all this 'cop out' talk. If someone presented a believable theory i would gladly change my mind, but right now I'm satisfied with the movie as it is in my mind.

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The entire movie is about deception and misdirection in the service of performing illusions that look as if they are magical. In no way has the rest of the movie set this up as a reality where real magic actually takes place. (If a movie does this, then of course all bets are off, as long as it feels consistent with the rest of the film. This movie doesn't.) In this light, you really don't think that's a huge cheat if the only explanation is "yep, there's magic. Bet you didn't see THAT one coming?" Or, if that is an acceptable solution, why isn't it an acceptable solution in other movies? Most heist/escape movies would suck if the heroes could, say, just unexplainedly walk through walls.

I agree with the rest of the thread that it would be nice if GoT would actually discuss his theory instead of wagging his finger in people's faces; I want more support in the rational explanation camp.