The director skillfully fooled the audience around his finger.
“The Illusionist” was released in the same year as “The Prestige” by Christopher Nolan, and Neil Berger’s work, compared to his colleague, is considered rather flat and simple in meaning, although of high quality. But if you watch a movie with Edward Norton at least a few times in a row, you will want to look at the plot from a different angle.
What does The Illusionist mean to most viewers? A romantic story where the good heroes reunite and start a family, and the bad ones are defeated. But are the characters of Norton and Jessica Bill really good, and does Crown Prince Leopold really deserve such a fate? Believe me, the answer to both questions is a resounding ‘no’.
The audience is told that Leopold has killed his mistress and dreams of taking his father’s place, and the main characters want to get rid of him, as he reportedly plans to deal with them as well. Only in the plot of the film there is no indication that Rufus Sewell’s character is really such a ‘bad guy’.
He is always rational, restrained, does not abuse power and does not allow negative emotions to prevail, even when faced with major problems head-on. Either the filmmakers simply made a mistake by not giving Leopold the characteristics of an antagonist, or… we were deliberately fooled for the entire 110 minutes of running time.
What’s on the other end of the scale? The arrogant Eisenheim, who does not hesitate to go to any lengths for the sake of the Countess and put on terrifying performances and ruin the lives of innocent people – can he really be called a hero? Answer these questions for yourself by rewatching The Illusionist this weekend.
Author: Alexey Pletkin
Source: Popcorn News
Kenneth Weaver is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He focuses on writing about celebrity-related news, keeping his readers up to date with the latest happenings in the entertainment industry. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for writing, Kenneth brings his unique perspective to every article he writes, making him a trusted source for all things celebrity.
