Christopher Nolan is a master of executing a well-timed twist, and no twist has been more brilliantly executed than the one he secretly delivered at the beginning of The prestige. The 2006 psychological thriller, starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, and Scarlett Johansson, is typically considered one of Nolan's best films, thanks to its intriguing, well-crafted story, top-notch period visuals, and mind-melting final act. The prestige follows the rivalry between two up-and-coming magicians in 19th century London, which becomes more deadly over time as their acts become entangled in their personal lives.
Although the entire plot of The prestige is loaded with small twists and unexpected appearances from actors and historical figures, the final narrative twist came as a shock to many upon its first viewing. It's a poignant reminder of the dangers of obsession, along with the personal sacrifice that often accompanies success – and whether that success is worth what it costs. Nolan manages to keep the twist a secret until the end of the film, but once you watch it The prestige in full, it's clear that Nolan telegraphed the twist in the film's opening scene.
Prestige's opening scene reveals the film's cloning twist
One of Nolan's best twists is foreshadowed immediately
The prestige opens with an intriguing photo of what appears to be dozens of Edwardian top hats scattered across a quiet forest floor. While the connection to a movie about magicians is clear, as this was the traditional attire of a stage magician of the time, the reason for the multitude of hats and their location is a mystery. It's not explained at all, and immediately the screen pans to Michael Caine's John Cutter, who is preparing a disappearing trick involving a small bird while a monologue from Caine explaining the three parts of a magic trick plays over the top.
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The prestige – Main details |
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Release date |
Budget |
Gross box office |
RT Tomatometer Score |
RT Popcorn Meter Score |
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October 17, 2006 |
US$40 million |
US$109.7 million |
77% |
92% |
The hats secretly reveal the film's most significant twist, which is Hugh Jackman's Robert Angier was so obsessed with recreating his rival's teleportation trick that he found a scientific way to clone himself. However, the cloning was done with a machine invented by Nikola Tesla (David Bowie), and the item he tested was an Edwardian top hat. The hats in the opening scene are byproducts of Tesla's experimentation, clones of each other that he didn't know he had created, as they ended up in the forest, far from his machine.
The first scene of Prestige only makes sense after you finish the film
The opening scene makes little sense initially
The opening scene of the hats looks like nothing more than a disconnected image as the screen pans to Cutter and his explanation of constructing a magic trick. It's certainly assumed that this will be explained somehow later, but at the moment it doesn't seem to have any consequences. However, after watching the film, the dots begin to connect. In fact, once the Edwardian top hat appears on screen atop Andy Serkis' Mr. Alley's head, the wheels start turning on how it connects to the opening scene.
The prestige plays like a slow burn throughout its running time, with the rivalry between Angier and Christian Bale's Alfred Borden evolving from a professional skill to a truly deadly battle of wills and wits. This entire narrative needs to unfold to reveal that Angier's search for Borden's teleportation trick has gone from exploring every available option to manifesting something unnatural to achieve your goal. The opening photo is actually the first indicator that The prestige it's not just a period drama/mystery; is a science fiction thriller.