Talk:The Prestige (film)/Differences from novel

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[edit] Differences from novel

There are several differences between the plot of the original novel and the film adaptation.^{[citations needed]}

The film employs much of the same plot elements as the book, with a crucial exception: Tesla’s device produces a perfectly healthy duplicate of Angier (or any other living organism or object).

Another departure from the book is the manner in which one of the Bordens dies. In the movie Borden sneaks into the backstage area and witnesses Angier drowning. He is seen by Cutter and accused of murdering Angier, and sentenced to death by hanging. In the novel, Borden sneaks into the backstage area. He is not seen by Cutter. Borden does not die.

Other notable differences between the novel and film include:

• The story in the novel is introduced by two characters (living in the 1990s) who do not appear in the film: (1) Nicholas Julius Borden, a descendant of Alfred Borden; and (2) Katherine Angier, a descendant of Robert Angier.
• In the novel, the story opens and ends in contemporary England. In the film, all events take place around late nineteenth century London.
• In the novel Borden disrupts a seance held by Angier, accidentally injuring Julia Angier and causing a miscarriage; however, Julia remains an important character throughout the story. In the film Julia does not go to a seance and does not have a miscarriage, but is accidentally killed during an illusion.
• In the novel Borden and Angier never physically injure each other while sabotaging performances, with the exception of the mortal wounds as a result of interrupting the Tesla transportation. In the film, Angier shoots off two of Borden's fingers and Borden allows Angier's leg to be broken.
• In the novel Borden interrupts Angier's act by turning off the teleportation machine, but in the movie he does not interfere. Instead we see Borden go backstage and he sees Angier's (clone's) death in the water tank.
• In the novel, Angier obtains and publishes Borden's journal after obtaining Tesla's device. In the film, Angier and Borden obtain each other's journals both of which contain deliberately misleading entries.
• In the novel, Angier survives the events that have unfolded and is still alive in the 1990s, but in the film he appears to perish many times. He is shot by Fallon and dies at the film's conclusion.
• In the film, only a single Borden survives, whereas in the book one, possibly two, survives.
• In the film, Angier commands Olivia, his assistant, to go work for Borden to act as a spy for Angier. In the novel, this plan is Olivia's idea.

[edit] Notes

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[edit] Discussion