The Prestige

The Prestige (2006)

7 mistakes - chronological order

(7 votes)

The Prestige mistake picture

Visible crew/equipment: When Angier goes to Tesla's laboratory and walks to the gate, on the far right side of the fence a figure can be seen, apparently holding something ahead. It seems to be one of the film crew holding a boom mike upright. (00:09:59)

Factual error: When Angier and Cutter are looking for a new workshop they enter a room, with a fully glassed wall on one side. A very modern white radiator is in the room. (00:35:00)

Goekhan

Visible crew/equipment: In the final shot where Angier lies dead on the ground with the theatre on fire, the camera can be slightly seen reflected on the glass box with one of many Angier's doubles inside once it does a tracking shot. (02:04:52)

Revealing mistake: When one twin (presumably Alfred) is removing the other twin's fingers, "Alfred's" upper arm passes through his twin's head as "Alfred" reaches for the hammer. [Fixed on DVD.]

Phixius

Continuity mistake: When the hotel clerk show Angier Tesla's machine in its box, he has his hands behind his back, and then moves them in front of his body. Yet when the camera cuts to behind the clerk, his hands are still held behind him.

Other mistake: This mistake occurs when Borden crashes Angier's act. Borden emerges from the trick door for the Transported Man trick, feigns surprise, and then "discovers" the bound and gagged double suspended above the stage. When Borden says "Ah, the Great Danton" you can see the ring and pinkie fingers on his left hand moving, even though he had already lost them by this time in the movie. We know that it has to be after the time BOTH twins lost their fingers because Olivia observed Borden's trick and says that "it is the same man" because she was fooled by both Bordens having their gloves stuffed.

Olivia Wenscombe: He wants me to come work for you and steal your secrets.
Alfred Borden: What does he need my secrets for? His trick is top-notch. He vanishes, and then he reappears instantly on the other side of the stage - mute, overweight, and unless I'm mistaken, very drunk. It's astonishing, how does he do it?

More quotes from The Prestige

Trivia: During Borden's performance which ends with Angier shooting him, on at least two occasions the bill for the show can be seen off to one side. About halfway down is the name "Harry Dresden", the name of the wizard protagonist from the Dresden Files book series by Jim Butcher.

Tailkinker

More trivia for The Prestige

Question: In the very last shot before the credits, the camera has pulled back to reveal a row of tanks containing dead Jackmans. Does this imply that not only did the Tesla machine replicate Angier, but also the tank? One assumes then that Angier has had the forethought to place a floor between where he materializes and the newly replicated tanks appear.

Answer: As we see when Borden goes down under the stage to try to learn how the trick is performed, the tank is already in place before the machine is activated. Angier is using a large number of identical tanks, which is probably one of the deciding factors in only performing the trick a limited number of times.

Tailkinker

More questions & answers from The Prestige

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.