The Illusionist (2006 film): Difference between revisions

The Illusionist
The Illusionist
	Nothing is what it seems.
Directed by	Neil Burger
Written by	Steven Millhauser; (Short story); Neil Burger; (Screenplay);
Produced by	Brian Koppelman; David Levien; Ted Liebowitz
Starring	Edward Norton; Paul Giamatti; Jessica Biel; Rufus Sewell; Eddie Marsan
Cinematography	Dick Pope
Edited by	Naomi Geraghty
Music by	Philip Glass
Distributed by	Yari Film Group Releasing
Release dates	August 18, 2006 ; (limited); September 1, 2006 ; (nationwide);
Running time	110 min.
Language	English
Budget	$17 million

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The Illusionist is a 2006 period drama written and directed by Neil Burger and starring Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, and Paul Giamatti. Music is by Philip Glass. The film comes from the producers of Crash and Sideways. The Illusionist premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, opened the 2006 Seattle International Film Festival, and had a limited release in theaters on August 18, 2006 (followed by a nationwide expansion on September 1).

Cast

File:Norton in The Illusionist.jpg

Norton as Eisenheim in The Illusionist

Actor	Role
Edward Norton	Eisenheim
Paul Giamatti	Inspector Uhl
Jessica Biel	Duchess Sophie
Rufus Sewell	Crown Prince Leopold
Eddie Marsan	Josef Fischer

Plot outline

Template:Spoiler Based loosely on the Steven Millhauser short story "Eisenheim the Illusionist", The Illusionist tells the story of Eisenheim (Norton), a magician in turn-of-the-century Vienna. The film begins in medias res as chief inspector Uhl (Giamatti) recounts the history of Eisenheim for Crown Prince Leopold, following Eisenheim's arrest during what appears to be necromancy passed off as a magic show.

After falling in love as a teenager with Sophie (Biel), a duchess well above his social standing, Eisenheim leaves his village to travel the world and perfect his magic. He returns a master illusionist, only to find that Sophie is expected to marry the ruthless Crown Prince Leopold (Sewell). After humiliating the crown prince during a private show, Eisenheim finds his hit performance shut out of Vienna. Eisenheim and Sophie, having recognized each other at a performance, meet privately and finally consummate their love. Their romance begun anew, they plan to elope; but first, Sophie points out, something must be done to stop Leopold, who, she reveals, is planning a coup d'etat to take control of Austria from his aging father, the emperor. When Leopold finds out from Uhl, who was following the couple, he kills Sophie in a drunken rage. Unfortunately, Leopold's aristocratic social standing makes any accusations against him unthinkable. As Eisenheim plunges into despair and the citizens of Vienna begin to suspect Leopold of murder, Uhl begins to observe Eisenheim's actions more closely.

Racked with grief, Eisenheim prepares a new kind of magic show, using mysterious equipment and Asian stagehands. Eisenheim purchases a run-down theater and opens a new performance. During his show, Eisenheim apparently summons spirits, leading many to believe that he possesses supernatural powers. Uhl attempts to stop his show but is unsuccessful.

Leopold decides to attend one of Eisenheim's shows in disguise. During this show, Eisenheim summons the spirit of Sophie, who says someone in the theater murdered her, panicking Leopold. Uhl pleads with Eisenheim to stop, but Eisenheim refuses; he is bent on being with Sophie and ruining the crown prince and the ruling Habsburg house. Finally, Leopold orders Eisenheim's arrest, but when Uhl tries to arrest him during a live show, Eisenheim's body fades and disappears, implying that he did not perform the show as a corporeal human being that night but, rather, as a "spirit".

At this point, we return to the first scene of the movie. Uhl reveals to Leopold that he has found evidence which points to the crown prince as Sophie's murderer. After ordering, then begging Uhl to keep silent, Leopold discovers that Uhl has already informed the emperor's general staff of his findings. When the general staff arrives at his palace, Leopold shoots himself in despair after sadly reflecting on the state of Austria's corrupt government.

In the next scene, Uhl is shown leaving the imperial castle. After he takes a few steps, a boy runs up to hand him a folio labeled "Orange Tree" – the name of one of Eisenheim's illusions which had intrigued Uhl. Uhl demands to know where the child found the folio and is told that Eisenheim had given it to him. Uhl spots Eisenheim wearing a disguise and follows him to the train station. During his chase, Uhl begins to make mental connections, shown in the form of flashbacks.

The first shows Eisenheim surreptitiously arranging travel plans for Sophie. This is followed by a quick flash of the conversation between Sophie and Leopold – this time, though, we are shown that Sophie had drugged Leopold so that he would pass out for a short time in the stables. She is then seen taking a green gem from his sword (which Uhl would find later and mark as evidence) and leaving it on the stable floor.

The next flashback shows Sophie putting blood on Leopold's sword and collapsing on her horse as if she were injured. Uhl then recalls that the royal family's doctor, who had told him Sophie was dead and had "found" a red gem in her clothing, looked extremely similar to a man he had spotted helping Eisenheim plot Sophie's escape. This quickly cuts to a shot of Eisenheim giving Sophie a potion that makes her suddenly wake from a deathlike state, in the same fashion as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.

Another flashback follows, at the private show Eisenheim performed for Leopold and his guests. During one trick, Eisenheim re-created the story of King Arthur, using Prince Leopold's sword in the role of Excalibur. While handling it, Eisenheim surreptitiously removed a red gem embedded in the sword – the gem later found on Sophie's "dead" body.

Uhl realizes the truth: everything was an illusion. Sophie's death was staged, to prevent Leopold from pursuing the lovers and from executing his coup; by arranging the "murder" of Sophie and his own "magical" escape, Eisenheim fulfilled Sophie's wish of fifteen years prior – to "make us disappear".

Uhl is shown laughing at his epiphany, delighting in Eisenheim's clever and complicated ruse (it is implied that he believes Eisenheim is the greatest illusionist ever). The final scene shows Eisenheim arriving at a secluded cottage in the mountains where Sophie is waiting. The lovers embrace and share a kiss, ready to begin their new life together.

Template:Endspoiler

Filming locations

Although the film is set in Austria, it was mostly filmed in the Czech Republic. Eisenheim's childhood village is represented by Český Krumlov, and Vienna by Tábor and Prague. The castle of the Crown Prince is Konopiště near Benešov that actually used to belong to the heir of the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. Interiors were created at the Barrandov Studios, Prague.

Reviews

The Illusionist received mostly positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes classified it as 74% "fresh" with 149 reviews (as of December 31, 2006).[1] Jonathan Rosenbaum's review in The Chicago Reader praised Paul Giamatti's performance of "a character who feels sympathy for the magician but owes allegiance to Leopold and is therefore divided and compromised. He’s also the story’s only narrator. Giamatti’s performance is subtle, expressive, and richly nuanced." Stephen Holden in his review for The New York Times, praised Edward Norton's role "that perfectly fits his disturbing inscrutability. His face, with obsidian eyes that take in everything but reflect nothing, and a tight little mouth, is an impenetrable mask of either innocence or cunning; you’re never sure which. Only the corners of his eyes glint like icicles."

Trivia

For the role, Norton trained with UK magician James Freedman. Norton learned sleight of hand and stage magic techniques to avoid CGI where possible. [2]
The Illusionist is one of three 2006 films to feature the topic of magic and to have magicians as main characters. The other two are The Prestige and Scoop, which share two actors: Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johansson. The Prestige and The Illusionist are both set in the past; Scoop is set in modern times. Scott Penrose and James Freedman were among the magic consultants to the movie.
Edward Norton describes a trick in the film, telling Paul Giamatti's character how it is done. The method Norton describes actually works. He tells the character to hold a ball to his forehead and palm it as he has Norton's back to him. He then guesses which hand Giamatti is holding it with. Norton explains that the palming of the fist and raising of the arm reduces blood flow; therefore the concealing hand is always paler.
The doctor, portrayed by Philip McGough, is shown in the credits to be named Dr. Hofzinser, after the somewhat prominent magician of the same name.
Although fictitious, the character "Crown Prince Leopold" bears some resemblance to the actual Crown Prince Rudolf, who was the heir of the Austro-Hungarian throne until his suicide in 1889. Like Rudolf, Leopold is the only son of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, who has a brief appearance in the film. There is also a brief appearance of a young cousin of Leopold who has a close resemblance to Emperor Karl I

External links

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-'''''The Illusionist''''' is a [[2006 in film|2006]] [[period drama]] directed by [[Neil Burger]] and starring [[Edward Norton]], [[Jessica Biel]], and [[Paul Giamatti]]. [[Music]] is by [[Philip Glass]]. The film comes from the producers of ''[[Crash (2004 film)|Crash]]'' and ''[[Sideways]]''. ''The Illusionist'' premiered at the [[2006 Sundance Film Festival]], opened the [[2006]] [[Seattle International Film Festival]], and had a limited release in theaters on [[August 18]], [[2006]] (followed by a nationwide expansion on [[September 1]]).
+'''''The Illusionist''''' is a [[2006 in film|2006]] [[period drama]] written and directed by [[Neil Burger]] and starring [[Edward Norton]], [[Jessica Biel]], and [[Paul Giamatti]]. [[Music]] is by [[Philip Glass]]. The film comes from the producers of ''[[Crash (2004 film)|Crash]]'' and ''[[Sideways]]''. ''The Illusionist'' premiered at the [[2006 Sundance Film Festival]], opened the [[2006]] [[Seattle International Film Festival]], and had a limited release in theaters on [[August 18]], [[2006]] (followed by a nationwide expansion on [[September 1]]).
 ==Cast==