The Prestige Page #6

Synopsis: In the end of the Nineteenth Century, in London, Robert Angier, his beloved wife Julia McCullough and Alfred Borden are friends and assistants of a magician. When Julia accidentally dies during a performance, Robert blames Alfred for her death and they become enemies. Both become famous and rival magicians, sabotaging the performance of the other on the stage. When Alfred performs a successful trick, Robert becomes obsessed trying to disclose the secret of his competitor with tragic consequences.
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Director(s): Christopher Nolan
Production: Buena Vista Pictures
  Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 37 nominations.
 
IMDB:
8.5
Metacritic:
66
Rotten Tomatoes:
75%
PG-13
Year:
2006
130 min
$53,100,000
Website
8,363 Views


- You're the Great Danton, aren't you?

- Sh, sh, sh, sh, sh.

Of course I am, but don't advertise it,

because I'll be mobbed with fans.

We paid him enough

to keep him in beers.

You wouldn't expect him

to rock the boat.

Many of you may be

familiar with this technique,

but for those of you

who aren't, do not be alarmed.

What you're about to see

is considered safe.

- And who are you?

- I am a humble admirer

and a fellow practitioner.

Mmm. Very good.

- Another one?

- Oh, if you insist.

- Another.

- I'm not performing tonight.

I'm only doing one show,

but to be frank,

my people pretty much

run things these days.

Get up there.

Get up!

Your illusion, The Transported Man,

I'm not claiming to know your methods,

but I had a similar trick in my act,

and, uh... I used a double.

- Mm, I see, very good.

- Well, it was, and then it went bad.

What I didn't count on was that

when I incorporated this bloke

into my act,

he had complete power over me.

Complete power, you say?

Ohh!

Be very careful giving

someone that power over you.

Huh. Thank you. Um...

Yes, thank you for the warning.

Hmm. Cheers.

I cannot claim

this next feat as illusion.

What you're about to see

is considered safe.

Ahh!

Oh! The Great Danton.

I apologize.

There simply is too much magic...

...for my stage at The Pantages

across the street.

Pardon my intrusion.

And go easy on the poor chap.

He does try so very hard.

I don't know how Borden found him.

Kept him under wraps. I was careful.

Yeah, well, he did.

Do you think it was her?

You weren't expecting me?

I expected you sooner.

Your message said afternoon.

It takes a bit for me

to get around these days.

He's taken everything from me.

My wife, my career,

- now you.

- You sent me.

I sent you to steal his secret,

not to improve his act.

- It's my job.

- Or fall in love!

- I did everything you asked!

- Yes? Yes?

- How does he do it?

- Cutter was right, a double.

- 'Course he said that.

- He didn't say it.

I've seen things, makeup, glasses, wigs.

We don't use for the show.

- I've seen it hidden backstage.

- Misdirection.

He leaves them lying

around to make you think that.

He doesn't know when I'm looking.

All the time, Olivia! That's who he is!

That's what it takes!

He lives his act, don't you see?

Just because you're sleeping

with him doesn't mean he trusts you.

You think you can see

everything, don't you?

The Great Danton is a blind fool.

His notebook.

You stole it?

I borrowed it for tonight.

I thought you could translate

some of it...

I can't. No one can. It's a cipher.

Even with the keyword,

it will take months to decode.

- And without the keyword?

- Perhaps never.

- We'll see.

- We will not see.

If I don't get that back by

tomorrow he'll know I took it.

- Leave him.

- I can't. He knows where I live.

This is his diary, Olivia. All of his

secrets are right here in my hands.

It won't bring your wife back.

I don't care about my wife.

I care about his secret.

Look, I'll, um...

I'll go to his workshop

and stage a break-in.

- He'll know you took it.

- Yes, me. Not you.

Understand?

Robert.

I have fallen in love with him.

Then I know how hard

this has been for you.

Notebook?

Then he's just getting started.

Professor!

Good evening.

I'm walking tonight.

Let him come. I don't care.

Professor! Professor!

Ahh!

- You all right?

- I'm alive.

Saves me cutting you an air hole.

- I'm impressed.

- Why is that?

You're finally getting your hands dirty.

It's what a good trick costs, Angier.

Risk, sacrifice.

The sacrifice, I'm afraid,

is all gonna be yours,

unless you give me what I want.

- Which is?

- Your secret.

My secret?

Your method for The Transported Man.

Fallon wouldn't tell me.

He doesn't talk at all.

- You have my notebook.

- Useless without the keyword.

Write down your method,

Mr. Borden, describe it in full.

I want the whole method,

not the keyword.

I don't know if your secret's

in your notebook.

The keyword is the method.

Where's my ingnieur?

- Alive?

- How fast can you dig?

Fallon, you hear me? Fallon!

- How's the arm?

- Still attached.

Did you find your answer?

Our answer, Cutter. I haven't

looked yet. I wanted you to share this.

I already know how he does it, Robert.

Same way he always has,

the same way as we do.

It's just that you want something more.

Well, let's find out then, shall we?

What does it mean?

It means, Cutter, we have

a journey ahead of us.

- To America.

- Robert?

Listen to me.

Obsession is a young man's game.

Come on.

I can't follow you any further in it.

I can't, I'm sorry.

Then the rest is up to me.

I'm sorry.

Good evening. Hello, darling.

Champagne, your finest.

I didn't know we were going

to be joined for dinner.

Absolutely, we are celebrating.

Miss Wenscombe, Mr. Fallon.

- What are we celebrating?

- We've hit upon a new trick.

- Haven't we?

- What trick, Freddie?

Yes, Freddie, what trick?

I am going to bury

myself alive every night,

and then someone will come along

and dig me up. Wonderful.

- I think he's had quite enough...

- No, pour the champagne.

Pour the... Sarah, don't talk to me

like that. I'm not a bloody child.

- Perhaps it would be better...

- Mr. Fallon, escort her home.

- My husband's being a bore.

- Oh, please.

- I see no reason you should suffer.

- Don't ruin this evening.

Good night, Mrs. Borden.

Good night, Freddie.

- Freddie?

- That's my name.

- Not at home.

- I'm not always at home, am I?

Couldn't you have at least

taken off the beard?

Sarah, I just came from

the bloody theater just now.

All right? I'm out in public.

Everybody else loves it.

Why are you being like this?

I had a terrible ordeal today.

I thought that

something very precious...

...had been lost to me.

So I just wanted

to celebrate just a little.

All right, what? What did you lose?

I see, more secrets.

Sarah, secrets are my life.

- Our life.

- No, Alfred, stop, this isn't you.

Stop performing.

I thought I had the place to myself.

Unexpected guests, not very polite.

A lot of questions.

At first, I thought they

worked for the government.

- No?

- Worse, they work for Thomas Edison.

Today, a most

curious development.

His assistant came to us

with a proposition.

Obviously, Angier has sent her

and told her to admit as much.

Does he enjoy taking

his bows under the stage?

He sent me here to steal your secrets,

but I've come to offer you his.

This is the truth...

...is it?

No, that's what he told

me to tell you. The truth...

...is that I loved him and I stood by

him and he sent me to you,

like he would send a stagehand

to pick up his shirts.

I hate him for that.

I could spot Angier's methods

from the back of the theater.

So, what could you

possibly have to offer me?

You may know his tricks,

but you can't understand why

no one sees yours are better.

You hide this.

I had to look very closely

to spot it

Rate this script:4.3 / 3 votes

Jonathan Nolan

Jonathan "Jonah" Nolan (born 1976) is a British-American screenwriter, television producer, director and author. He is the creator of the crime drama series Person of Interest. He has co-written several screenplays with his elder brother, filmmaker Christopher Nolan, including The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, and Interstellar, and his short story "Memento Mori" was the basis for Memento. more…

All Jonathan Nolan scripts | Jonathan Nolan Scripts

0 fans

Submitted on August 05, 2018

Discuss this script with the community:

0 Comments

    Translation

    Translate and read this script in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this screenplay to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Prestige" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/the_prestige_16191>.

    We need you!

    Help us build the largest writers community and scripts collection on the web!

    Watch the movie trailer

    The Prestige

    The Studio:

    ScreenWriting Tool

    Write your screenplay and focus on the story with many helpful features.


    Quiz

    Are you a screenwriting master?

    »
    Who played the character Harry Potter in the Harry Potter film series?
    A Robert Pattinson
    B Rupert Grint
    C Tom Felton
    D Daniel Radcliffe