1بخش

Are you watching closely?

Every magic trick consists of three parts, or acts

The first part is called “the pledge”

The magician shows you something ordinary

A deck of cards, a bird or a man

He shows you this object

Perhaps he asks you to inspect it,

to see that it is indeed real,

unaltered, normal

But, of course, it probably isn’t

Where do you think you’re going?

I’m part of the bloody act, you fool

The second act is called “the turn”

The magician takes the ordinary something

and makes it do something extraordinary

Now you’re looking for the secret, but you won’t find it,

because, of course, you’re not really looking

You don’t really want to know

You want to be fooled

But you wouldn’t clap yet,

because making something disappear isn’t enough

You have to bring it back

That’s why every magic trick has a third act

The hardest part

The part we call

“the prestige”

The prestige, And did Robert Angier, the Great Danton, your employer,

get to that final part of his trick that night?

No, sir Something went wrong - What went wrong?

I saw someone making their way below stage

I followed him

It was Borden, watching Mr Angier drown

Would you please describe your occupation to the jury, Mr Cutter

I’m an ingénieur, I design illusions

and construct the apparatus necessary for performing them

So, Mr Cutter, was this water-filled tank beneath the stage

part of Mr Angier’s illusion?

No The tank was brought on for the first trick

and then taken offstage

Borden must have placed it under the trap door after the end of it

How large was this tank?

It’s a normal tank for escape under water,

about 400 or 500 gallons

How do you think he was able to move the tank

under the trap door without anyone noticing?

He’s a magician, ask him

I ask again,

would this man explain the mechanics of Mr Angier’s illusion

The Real Transported Man is one of the most sought after illusions

in this business

I have the right to sell it on

If I reveal the method here, the trick is worthless

How can we know that the tank wasn’t simply

some part of the trick that went wrong?

Mr Cutter, I see your predicament

But Alfred Borden’s life hangs in the balance

If you were prepared to disclose the details to me in private,

I might be able to judge their relevance to the case

Might this be an acceptable compromise?

I’m going to have to ask you to turn out your pockets

Not my idea, sir The warden saw his show in Manchester last year

where he vanished into thin air

He’s convinced he’ll try and escape

I told him the only way Borden’s going to disappear

is if I leave him out there with the other inmates

Check the locks

twice

My name is Owens

I’m a solicitor

I represent Lord Caldlow, an accomplished amateur magician and

How much?

He is interested - How much for my tricks?

Five thousand pounds

Talk to Fallon, my ingénieur Money’s for him

Yes, I did He offered to sell me your tricks

All except the most valuable one, The Transported Man

Well, I won’t forgive myself for selling my greatest trick

Even for your daughter?

If you are for the drop, your daughter is going to need looking after

Fallon will take care of her

Perfect, Fallon

A man with a past as obscure as your own

The courts have motioned she be removed from his care She will be an orphan

I know you’re no stranger to the workhouse

It’s better than here?

I’m offering you a way to wrap up your affairs with dignity

I’m offering your daughter a future

As Lord Caldlow’s ward, she will want for nothing

ever

Well, think it over

And Lord Caldlow would like you to have this,

as a show of good faith It might be of interest

Robert Angier’s diary, including the time he spent in Colorado

Iearning your trick

He never learned it - Really?

On his return, he mounted a version of The Transported Man

that the papers said was better even than your original

If you want Angier’s secrets,

you go dig him up and ask him yourself

I want your secret, Mr Borden

Consider your daughter

A cipher,

an enigma

a search,

a search for answers

Even if Colorado is the end of my journey,

it’ll take much longer to unravel

the rest of Borden’s secrets

See, the cipher in his notebook is

unlocked by a single word,

but it will still take months to translate his writing

And to know his mind

Well, my passion is equal to the task

Mr Angier, welcome to Colorado Springs

The whole town has electricity - Yes, sir

Well

quite a reception

You’re our first guest of the season, Mr Angier

Your telegram didn’t indicate how long you’d be staying with us

As long as it takes

I will need a coach tomorrow to take me up the mountain

Well, the peak’s closed, sir

For scientific experimentation

Yes, I know

That’s why I’m here

Whoa Whoa

You’ll have to walk the rest, I’m afraid, sir