Cinema began as a vibrant recreation in which the spectator found value just in the production of the film itself. The audience was blown away at the ability to watch an event at a later time than it originally occurred. Cinema relied on this never-before-seen experience as the driving force behind its early success. This could obviously only last for so long because once you had experienced the never-before-seen experience you have fulfilled that desire. As the Cinema was forced to evolve from its early stages, the effects that Cinema had on its spectators too had to evolve. Now, the Cinema uses film as a venue to express "ideas about how the world is or should be seen" instead of just relying on the 'awe of the cinema'. Films express ideas and beliefs found throughout our society. To look at film in such a light is called the Ideological Theory.
Christopher Nolan uses his 2006 film, "The Prestige", as a venue to express his ideas about our society's obsession with getting to the top. The film portrays two magicians battling in a race to the top of the magician world. The two men try to win at any cost, losing loved ones and friends along the way. Nolan is commenting on our society's obsession with professional success, despite the repercussions that might come along with it. He uses their feud throughout the film as an example that could be found in our society. Nolan selects specific loses that the men must endure on their path to the top, such as loved ones and even their sanity at times. These loses represent things we highly value in our society. Nolan's film depicts many views of society and by analyzing this film with the Ideological Theory one can find commentary on ideas and beliefs.
Nolan absolutely does use The Prestige to comment on greed in our society. By illustrating the utter losses experienced by each magician, Nolan conveys a message about greed and its ability to conquer an individual’s will power.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, Bale consistently struggles with balancing his love for magic along with his love for his woman. However, his greed fuels his desire for fame in the magician world, and such fuels his love for magic, so much so that magic becomes more important to Bale than those he loves. The imminent clash between his two worlds arise, and Bale’s family life becomes decimated by his obsession, leaving us, the spectator, to question Bale’s sanity. For how can a sane man be so driven to reach the top that he is willing to discard his family to do so?
Greed also conquers Hugh Jackman’s character in The Prestige. Just like Christian Bale, Jackman’s world of magic and his real world begin to distance themselves as Jackman becomes increasingly more obsessed with “the best trick in London”. On not being able to understand Bale’s trickery, Jackman transforms into person not his own. His morals become second priority to the trick, and Jackman quite literally sacrifices his second chance at a normal life in order to outdo Bale. When Jackman sends his assistant to Bale immediately after a successful show, it becomes clear to the spectator that Jackman is totally immersed in besting his magician counterpart, and will not be satisfied until such is complete. By sending away his assistant, the assistant he is in love with, Jackman is actively rejecting his second chance at a normal life, a normal life that is untarnished by the overwhelming greed associated with the magic race throughout the film.
While Nolan certainly does use The Prestige to comment on many of society’s ills, there is a very apparent distrust towards fame and its ability to wholly and fully contort an individual’s moral character. Nolan exhibits said distrust and its power via each character’s massive life upheavals. The race for fame destroys Jackman and Bale’s life, leaving their reality outside of magic in shambles.