The Illusionist
Encyclopedia
The Illusionist is a 2006
period drama written and directed by Neil Burger
and starring Edward Norton
, Jessica Biel
, and Paul Giamatti
. Based loosely on Steven Millhauser
's story "Eisenheim the Illusionist", The Illusionist tells the story of Eisenheim, a magician
in turn-of-the-20th-century
Vienna
.
The film premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival
and opened the 2006 Seattle International Film Festival
; it was distributed in limited release to theaters on August 18, 2006, and expanded nationwide on September 1.
as Chief Inspector Walter Uhl (Paul Giamatti
) moves to arrest Herr Eisenheim (Edward Norton
) during what appears to be necromancy
passed off as a magic show. He then begins to recount the story of Eisenheim for Crown Prince Leopold.
Eisenheim was born the son of a cabinetmaker in Vienna
, Austria-Hungary
. One day as a teenager, Eisenheim (played as a young man by Aaron Johnson) meets a traveling magician along a road who performs several tricks for him. Eisenheim becomes obsessed with magic tricks after this.
He also falls in love with Sophie, the Duchess von Teschen (Jessica Biel
, played as a teenager by Eleanor Tomlinson
), a noblewoman
well above his social class. Although the two are forbidden to see each other, they meet secretly for a time until at last they are caught and forcefully separated.
Eisenheim then leaves home and travels the world, perfecting his craft. He returns to Vienna years later as a master illusionist. He meets Sophie again at one of his performances, when she is volunteered by Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell
) as a reluctant participant in an illusion. He soon learns that Sophie is expected to marry the Crown Prince, who purportedly has a history of abuse towards women. After humiliating the Crown Prince during a private show, Eisenheim finds his hit performance shut out of Vienna
. When Sophie comes to offer him help, the two consummate their relationship and realize that they are still in love. They plan to flee the Empire together, but first something must be done to stop Leopold, who Sophie reveals is planning a coup d'etat
to usurp the Crown of Austria from his aging father, the Emperor Franz Joseph I
while using his engagement to her to win the Hungarian half of the Empire as well. She also knows that the Crown Prince will view her as disposable if she leaves him for another man and that he will have both her and Eisenheim followed and killed.
Leopold finds out from Uhl, who was following the couple, that Sophie has met with Eisenheim. While drunk, Leopold confronts Sophie and accuses her of being unfaithful. She tells him that she will not marry him or have anything to do with his plan. When she attempts to leave, it appears that he murders her in the stables, with a sword cut across her neck. Unfortunately, Leopold's royal status makes any accusations against him unthinkable. As Eisenheim plunges into despair and the citizens of Vienna
begin to suspect Leopold of Sophie's murder, Uhl observes Eisenheim's actions more closely on behalf of Leopold.
Wracked with grief, Eisenheim prepares a new kind of magic show, using mysterious equipment and Chinese stagehand
s. During his show, Eisenheim apparently summons spirits
, leading many to believe that he possesses supernatural powers.
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 such performances, but Eisenheim refuses. Finally, Leopold orders Eisenheim's arrest. We then return to the opening scene of the movie, but now we see that when Uhl tries to arrest him during the performance, Eisenheim's body fades and disappears like his summoned spirits.
Uhl soon reveals to Leopold that he has found evidence that links the Crown Prince to Sophie's murder: a jewel from the prince's sword and a locket that Eisenheim had given Sophie when they were children. After ordering, then begging Uhl to keep silent, Leopold discovers that Uhl has already informed the Emperor and the General Staff of Leopold's conspiracy to usurp the Austro-Hungarian throne. As the Army arrives at his Palace to arrest him, Leopold shoots himself in despair.
As Uhl leaves the Imperial Palace, a boy runs up to hand him a folio explaining one of Eisenheim's magic tricks. Uhl demands to know where the child obtained the folio; the child reveals that Eisenheim had given it to him. Uhl then reaches down into his pocket, to discover that he has been pick-pocketed by a disguised Eisenheim, while distracted by the boy, and gives chase following him to the train station. As the train leaves, a montage shows Uhl putting the pieces together in his mind and discovering how Eisenheim faked Sophie's death and framed Leopold for the murder. Eisenheim is then seen walking up to a house in the country where Sophie is waiting for him.
by Steven Millhauser
from Millhauser's 1990 collection The Barnum Museum
.
Magic consultancy and technical advice during the production was supplied by James Freedman
, Ricky Jay
, Michael Weber
and Scott Penrose
. Director Neil Burger
wrote, "Starting in pre-production, James (Freedman) became a major collaborator; brainstorming, designing and refining everything from small sleight of hand tricks to major narrative set pieces. He worked with Edward Norton
preparing him for his stage performances and acted as a hand double in various scenes. His contribution was enormous." Aaron Johnson, who plays the teenage Eduard in the beginning of the film, also learned how to do the ball trick seen in those scenes.
The original story on which the movie is based does not include the artifice of the protagonist framing the Duke for murder.
Although the film is set in Austria, it was filmed mostly in the Czech Republic. The city of Vienna
is represented in the movie by those of Tábor
and Prague
, while the scenes set in Eisenheim's childhood village were shot in Český Krumlov
. The Crown Prince's castle is actually the historical fortress of Konopiště
(located near Benešov
), formerly the home of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
. The front gates of Leopold's Vienna palace were actually the front gates of Prague Castle
. All other shots were at Barrandov Studios
in Prague.
The Illusionist received mostly positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes
classified it as 74% "certified fresh" with 184 reviews (as of November 20, 2011). 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 ... Giamatti’s performance is subtle, expressive, and richly nuanced." Stephen Holden
, in his review for The New York Times
, praised Edward Norton's role, which, according to him, "perfectly fits his disturbing inscrutability". Variety wrote that Jessica Biel
"is entirely stunning enough to fight to the death over."
Director of Photography Dick Pope
earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography
, losing at the 79th Academy Awards
to Guillermo Navarro
, cinematographer for Pan's Labyrinth
.
and was released on the 15th August 2006.
. The character Leopold somewhat resembles Crown Prince Rudolf, who committed suicide after killing his mistress. This incident
caused an international scandal and has attracted much subsequent conjecture.
Iris fades and the final montage sequence in The Illusionist, as well as Eisenheim's name, suggest a nod to director Sergei Eisenstein
(1898–1948). The iris fade and montage were used prominently in Eisenstein's famous Bolshevik propaganda film The Battleship Potemkin
. The "Odessa Steps" sequence in that film proved so powerful that many audiences believed they were viewing actual newsreel footage, prompting Eisenstein to label himself an "illusionist".
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
period drama written and directed by Neil Burger
Neil Burger
Neil Burger is an American film director who has filmed the pseudo-documentary, Interview with the Assassin , the period drama, The Illusionist, and the 2011 thriller Limitless.-Life and career:...
and starring Edward Norton
Edward Norton
Edward Harrison Norton is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and producer. In 1996, his supporting role in the courtroom drama Primal Fear garnered him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor...
, Jessica Biel
Jessica Biel
Jessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven...
, and Paul Giamatti
Paul Giamatti
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti is an American actor. Giamatti began his career as a supporting actor in several films produced during the 1990s including Private Parts, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon, before earning lead roles in several projects in the...
. Based loosely on Steven Millhauser
Steven Millhauser
Steven Millhauser is an American novelist and short story writer. He won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel Martin Dressler. The prize brought many of his older books back into print.-Life and career:...
's story "Eisenheim the Illusionist", The Illusionist tells the story of Eisenheim, a magician
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
in turn-of-the-20th-century
Fin de siècle
Fin de siècle is French for "end of the century". The term sometimes encompasses both the closing and onset of an era, as it was felt to be a period of degeneration, but at the same time a period of hope for a new beginning...
Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
The film premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival
2006 Sundance Film Festival
The 2006 Sundance Film Festival was held from 19 January to 29 January 2006. It was held in Park City, Utah with screenings in Salt Lake City, Utah; Ogden, Utah; and the Sundance Resort. It was the 22nd iteration of the Sundance Film Festival, and the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the...
and opened the 2006 Seattle International Film Festival
Seattle International Film Festival
The Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
; it was distributed in limited release to theaters on August 18, 2006, and expanded nationwide on September 1.
Plot
The film, which contains both fictional and historical characters, begins in medias resIn medias res
In medias res or medias in res is a Latin phrase denoting the literary and artistic narrative technique wherein the relation of a story begins either at the mid-point or at the conclusion, rather than at the beginning In medias res or medias in res (into the middle of things) is a Latin phrase...
as Chief Inspector Walter Uhl (Paul Giamatti
Paul Giamatti
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti is an American actor. Giamatti began his career as a supporting actor in several films produced during the 1990s including Private Parts, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon, before earning lead roles in several projects in the...
) moves to arrest Herr Eisenheim (Edward Norton
Edward Norton
Edward Harrison Norton is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and producer. In 1996, his supporting role in the courtroom drama Primal Fear garnered him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor...
) during what appears to be necromancy
Necromancy
Necromancy is a claimed form of magic that involves communication with the deceased, either by summoning their spirit in the form of an apparition or raising them bodily, for the purpose of divination, imparting the ability to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...
passed off as a magic show. He then begins to recount the story of Eisenheim for Crown Prince Leopold.
Eisenheim was born the son of a cabinetmaker in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. One day as a teenager, Eisenheim (played as a young man by Aaron Johnson) meets a traveling magician along a road who performs several tricks for him. Eisenheim becomes obsessed with magic tricks after this.
He also falls in love with Sophie, the Duchess von Teschen (Jessica Biel
Jessica Biel
Jessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven...
, played as a teenager by Eleanor Tomlinson
Eleanor Tomlinson
Eleanor May Tomlinson is an English actress. She was born in London, but at a young age, she moved with her family to Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England.-Career:...
), a noblewoman
Austrian nobility
Historically, the Austrian nobility was a privileged social class in Austria. The nobility was officially abolished in 1919 after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Former noble families and their descendants are still a part of Austrian society today, but they no longer retain any specific...
well above his social class. Although the two are forbidden to see each other, they meet secretly for a time until at last they are caught and forcefully separated.
Eisenheim then leaves home and travels the world, perfecting his craft. He returns to Vienna years later as a master illusionist. He meets Sophie again at one of his performances, when she is volunteered by Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell
Rufus Sewell
Rufus Frederik Sewell is an English actor. In film, he has appeared in The Woodlanders, Dangerous Beauty, Dark City, A Knight's Tale, The Illusionist, Tristan and Isolde, and Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence. On television, he starred in the 2010 mini-series The Pillars of the Earth...
) as a reluctant participant in an illusion. He soon learns that Sophie is expected to marry the Crown Prince, who purportedly has a history of abuse towards women. After humiliating the Crown Prince during a private show, Eisenheim finds his hit performance shut out of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. When Sophie comes to offer him help, the two consummate their relationship and realize that they are still in love. They plan to flee the Empire together, but first something must be done to stop Leopold, who Sophie reveals is planning a coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
to usurp the Crown of Austria from his aging father, the Emperor Franz Joseph I
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
while using his engagement to her to win the Hungarian half of the Empire as well. She also knows that the Crown Prince will view her as disposable if she leaves him for another man and that he will have both her and Eisenheim followed and killed.
Leopold finds out from Uhl, who was following the couple, that Sophie has met with Eisenheim. While drunk, Leopold confronts Sophie and accuses her of being unfaithful. She tells him that she will not marry him or have anything to do with his plan. When she attempts to leave, it appears that he murders her in the stables, with a sword cut across her neck. Unfortunately, Leopold's royal status makes any accusations against him unthinkable. As Eisenheim plunges into despair and the citizens of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
begin to suspect Leopold of Sophie's murder, Uhl observes Eisenheim's actions more closely on behalf of Leopold.
Wracked with grief, Eisenheim prepares a new kind of magic show, using mysterious equipment and Chinese stagehand
Stagehand
A stagehand is a person who works backstage or behind the scenes in theatres, film, television, or location performance. Their duties include setting up the scenery, lights, sound, props, rigging, and special effects for a production.-Types of stagehand:...
s. During his show, Eisenheim apparently summons spirits
Necromancy
Necromancy is a claimed form of magic that involves communication with the deceased, either by summoning their spirit in the form of an apparition or raising them bodily, for the purpose of divination, imparting the ability to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...
, leading many to believe that he possesses supernatural powers.
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 such performances, but Eisenheim refuses. Finally, Leopold orders Eisenheim's arrest. We then return to the opening scene of the movie, but now we see that when Uhl tries to arrest him during the performance, Eisenheim's body fades and disappears like his summoned spirits.
Uhl soon reveals to Leopold that he has found evidence that links the Crown Prince to Sophie's murder: a jewel from the prince's sword and a locket that Eisenheim had given Sophie when they were children. After ordering, then begging Uhl to keep silent, Leopold discovers that Uhl has already informed the Emperor and the General Staff of Leopold's conspiracy to usurp the Austro-Hungarian throne. As the Army arrives at his Palace to arrest him, Leopold shoots himself in despair.
As Uhl leaves the Imperial Palace, a boy runs up to hand him a folio explaining one of Eisenheim's magic tricks. Uhl demands to know where the child obtained the folio; the child reveals that Eisenheim had given it to him. Uhl then reaches down into his pocket, to discover that he has been pick-pocketed by a disguised Eisenheim, while distracted by the boy, and gives chase following him to the train station. As the train leaves, a montage shows Uhl putting the pieces together in his mind and discovering how Eisenheim faked Sophie's death and framed Leopold for the murder. Eisenheim is then seen walking up to a house in the country where Sophie is waiting for him.
Cast
- Edward NortonEdward NortonEdward Harrison Norton is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and producer. In 1996, his supporting role in the courtroom drama Primal Fear garnered him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor...
as Eisenheim the Illusionist (born Eduard Abramovich) - Paul GiamattiPaul GiamattiPaul Edward Valentine Giamatti is an American actor. Giamatti began his career as a supporting actor in several films produced during the 1990s including Private Parts, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon, before earning lead roles in several projects in the...
as Chief Inspector Walter Uhl - Jessica BielJessica BielJessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven...
as Duchess Sophie von Teschen - Rufus SewellRufus SewellRufus Frederik Sewell is an English actor. In film, he has appeared in The Woodlanders, Dangerous Beauty, Dark City, A Knight's Tale, The Illusionist, Tristan and Isolde, and Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence. On television, he starred in the 2010 mini-series The Pillars of the Earth...
as Crown Prince Leopold - Eddie MarsanEddie MarsanEdward Maurice C. "Eddie" Marsan is an English actor.-Early life:Marsan was born in Stepney, London to a working class family; his father was a lorry driver and his mother a school dinner lady and teacher's assistant...
as Josef Fischer, Eisenheim's manager - Jake WoodJake WoodJake Dylan Wood is an English actor, best known in his homeland for playing Max Branning on "EastEnders" and in the United States as the current voice of the GEICO gecko.-Biography:...
as Jurka - Aaron Johnson as Young Illusionist (Eduard Eisenheim)
- Eleanor TomlinsonEleanor TomlinsonEleanor May Tomlinson is an English actress. She was born in London, but at a young age, she moved with her family to Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England.-Career:...
as Young Sophie
Production
The script was based loosely on "Eisenheim the Illusionist", a short storyShort story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Steven Millhauser
Steven Millhauser
Steven Millhauser is an American novelist and short story writer. He won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel Martin Dressler. The prize brought many of his older books back into print.-Life and career:...
from Millhauser's 1990 collection The Barnum Museum
The Barnum Museum
The Barnum Museum is a 1990 collection of fantasy themed short stories by Steven Millhauser perhaps most notable for its closing story, 'Eisenheim the Illusionist', which was filmed in 2006 as The Illusionist.- Short stories :* A Game of Clue...
.
Magic consultancy and technical advice during the production was supplied by James Freedman
James Freedman (magician)
James Freedman is a British pickpocket entertainer and magician. He is most well known for his skill as a pickpocket and his ability to secretly pick the pockets of volunteers. For this reason, he is also known as 'The Man of Steal'....
, Ricky Jay
Ricky Jay
Richard Jay Potash , better known by the stage name Ricky Jay, is an American stage magician, actor, and writer. He is a sleight-of-hand expert and is notable for his card tricks, card throwing, memory feats, and stage patter.-Life and career:...
, Michael Weber
Michael Weber
Michael Weber was the lead guitarist of the Seminal Rats from 1984 until his death from an accidental heroin overdose. Weber also worked as a technician at the Maton guitar facility...
and Scott Penrose
Scott Penrose
Scott Penrose is an English magician and magic consultant and is the son of magician John Penrose.Scott is the Vice President of The Magic Circle and a Gold Star member of the Inner Magic Circle. He was awarded the title The Magic Circle Stage Magician of the Year in 2000.He also works as a magic...
. Director Neil Burger
Neil Burger
Neil Burger is an American film director who has filmed the pseudo-documentary, Interview with the Assassin , the period drama, The Illusionist, and the 2011 thriller Limitless.-Life and career:...
wrote, "Starting in pre-production, James (Freedman) became a major collaborator; brainstorming, designing and refining everything from small sleight of hand tricks to major narrative set pieces. He worked with Edward Norton
Edward Norton
Edward Harrison Norton is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and producer. In 1996, his supporting role in the courtroom drama Primal Fear garnered him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor...
preparing him for his stage performances and acted as a hand double in various scenes. His contribution was enormous." Aaron Johnson, who plays the teenage Eduard in the beginning of the film, also learned how to do the ball trick seen in those scenes.
The original story on which the movie is based does not include the artifice of the protagonist framing the Duke for murder.
Although the film is set in Austria, it was filmed mostly in the Czech Republic. The city of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
is represented in the movie by those of Tábor
Tábor
Tábor is a city of the Czech Republic, in the South Bohemian Region. It is named after Mount Tabor, which is believed by many to be the place of the Transfiguration of Christ; however, the name became popular and nowadays translates to "camp" or "encampment" in the Czech language.The town was...
and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, while the scenes set in Eisenheim's childhood village were shot in Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov
Český Krumlov is a small city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, best known for the fine architecture and art of the historic old town and Český Krumlov Castle...
. The Crown Prince's castle is actually the historical fortress of Konopiště
Konopište
Konopiště is a four-winged three storey château located in the Czech Republic, about southeast of Prague, outside the city of Benešov. It has become famous as the last residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir of the Austro-Hungarian throne, whose assassination in Sarajevo triggered...
(located near Benešov
Benešov
Benešov is a town in the Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic, about southeast of Prague. The Konopiště castle and the Czech national mountain Blaník are near the town.-History:...
), formerly the home of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Franz Ferdinand was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Austro-Hungarian and Royal Prince of Hungary and of Bohemia, and from 1889 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia...
. The front gates of Leopold's Vienna palace were actually the front gates of Prague Castle
Prague Castle
Prague Castle is a castle in Prague where the Kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices. The Czech Crown Jewels are kept here...
. All other shots were at Barrandov Studios
Barrandov Studios
Barrandov Studios is a famous set of film studios in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the largest film studio in the country and one of the largest in Europe.Several of the movies filmed there won Academy Awards...
in Prague.
Reception
As of June 29, 2008 the film has earned worldwide box office receipts of $87,892,388, including $39,868,642 in the United States, exceeding its reported $16.5 million budget. In the first five months after it was released on DVD in January 2007, the film earned $35.99 million in rental revenue.The Illusionist received mostly positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
classified it as 74% "certified fresh" with 184 reviews (as of November 20, 2011). Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum is an American film critic. Rosenbaum was the head film critic for the Chicago Reader from 1987 until 2008, when he retired at the age of 65...
'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 ... Giamatti’s performance is subtle, expressive, and richly nuanced." Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...
, in his review for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, praised Edward Norton's role, which, according to him, "perfectly fits his disturbing inscrutability". Variety wrote that Jessica Biel
Jessica Biel
Jessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven...
"is entirely stunning enough to fight to the death over."
Director of Photography Dick Pope
Dick Pope (cinematographer)
Richard "Dick" Pope, B.S.C. is a British cinematographer who has worked numerous times with British film director Mike Leigh. He is most recently known for the cinematography in The Illusionist directed by Neil Burger, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award.- As Cinematographer:* Women...
earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography
Academy Award for Best Cinematography
The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work in one particular motion picture.-History:...
, losing at the 79th Academy Awards
79th Academy Awards
The 79th Academy Awards ceremony , honored the best films of 2006 and took place on February 25, 2007 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on ABC. Ellen DeGeneres hosted the ceremony for the first time. The producer was Laura Ziskin. The announcers were Don LaFontaine and Gina Tuttle.The nominees were...
to Guillermo Navarro
Guillermo Navarro
Guillermo Navarro, ASC, A.M.C. is a Mexican cinematographer. He has worked in Hollywood since 1993 and is a frequent collaborator of Guillermo del Toro and Robert Rodriguez. In 2006 he won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for the film, Pan's Labyrinth...
, cinematographer for Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth is a 2006 Spanish Spanish-language dark fantasy film, written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro. It was produced and distributed by the Mexican film company Esperanto Films...
.
Soundtrack
The soundrack for the film was composed by Philip GlassPhilip Glass
Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
and was released on the 15th August 2006.
Track listing
- "The Illusionist" - 2:24
- "Do You Know Me" - 2:48
- "Chance Encounter" - 3:23
- "The Locket" - 2:54
- "The Orange Tree" - 1:47
- "The Mirror" - 1:27
- "Wish I Would See You Again" - 1:26
- "The Sword" - 0:36
- "Meeting In The Carriage" - 1:09
- "Sophie" - 2:50
- "The Secret Plot" - 2:53
- "Sophie's Ride To The Castle" - 2:05
- "The Accident" - 1:30
- "The New Theater" - 1:39
- "Frankel Appears" - 3:26
- "A Shout From The Crowd" - 2:02
- "Eisenheim Disappears" - 2:07
- "The Search" - 3:00
- "The Missing Gem" - 3:03
- "The Chase" - 4:11
- "Life In The Mountains" - 4:31
Historical links
Eisenheim's portrait of the Emperor seen in the palace performance scene closely resembles Franz Joseph I of AustriaFranz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
. The character Leopold somewhat resembles Crown Prince Rudolf, who committed suicide after killing his mistress. This incident
Mayerling Incident
The Mayerling Incident refers to the series of events leading to the apparent murder-suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and his lover Baroness Mary Vetsera. Rudolf was the only son of Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria and Empress Elisabeth, and heir to the throne of the combined...
caused an international scandal and has attracted much subsequent conjecture.
Iris fades and the final montage sequence in The Illusionist, as well as Eisenheim's name, suggest a nod to director Sergei Eisenstein
Sergei Eisenstein
Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein , né Eizenshtein, was a pioneering Soviet Russian film director and film theorist, often considered to be the "Father of Montage"...
(1898–1948). The iris fade and montage were used prominently in Eisenstein's famous Bolshevik propaganda film The Battleship Potemkin
The Battleship Potemkin
The Battleship Potemkin , sometimes rendered as The Battleship Potyomkin, is a 1925 silent film directed by Sergei Eisenstein and produced by Mosfilm...
. The "Odessa Steps" sequence in that film proved so powerful that many audiences believed they were viewing actual newsreel footage, prompting Eisenstein to label himself an "illusionist".
See also
- Pepper's ghostPepper's ghostPepper's ghost is an illusionary technique used in theatre and in some magic tricks. Using a plate glass and special lighting techniques, it can make objects seem to appear or disappear, transparent, or make one object seem to morph into another...
- The PrestigeThe Prestige (film)The Prestige is a 2006 mystery thriller film written, directed and co-produced by Christopher Nolan, with a screenplay adapted from Christopher Priest's 1995 novel of the same name. The story follows Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, rival stage magicians in London at the end of the 19th century...
, also released in 2006 - Jean Eugène Robert-HoudinJean Eugène Robert-HoudinJean Eugène Robert-Houdin was a French magician. He is widely considered the father of the modern style of conjuring.-Early life and entrance into conjuring:...
External links
- Official trailer from AOLAOLAOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
- "The Illusionist: Movie Production Notes" from Film Entertainment Magazine