The Illusionist – Neil Burger
The best stories of fiction are those that are closest to reality. Though completely fantastical, the story of Eisenheim the illusionist is remarkably convincing as a forgotten or suppressed tidbit of history. Director Neil Burger and cinematographer Dick Pope recreate the opulence and romance of the Austro-Hungarian Empire with a refreshing dark mysteriousness. When it comes to magic and fantasy, movie-watchers are used to over-the-top special effects or exaggerated personalities more in the vein of The Phantom of the Opera or Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge. The Illusionist keeps the magic at a minimum, telling the story of ordinary people thrown into extraordinary circumstances.
The fairytale begins with Paul Giamatti, the nosy police inspector Uhl, recounting the mysterious life of a man named “Eisenheim the Illusionist.” As the legend goes, Eisenheim’s father was the cabinetmaker for a noble family. Innocently, young Eisenheim developed a friendship with the daughter of the aristrocrats, Duchess Sophie, that eventually turned into love. Despite repeated efforts to split up the pair because of the huge gap in social class between them, Eisenheim and Sophie still found solace in a secret hideout in the woods. In the meantime, Eisenheim’s interest in magic was stirred by a chance encounter with a traveling magician. In a humorous moment, the story describes the traveling magician as having “disappeared, along with the tree under which he sat.” Forever barred from associating with Sophie, Eisenheim leaves his home to travel the world while practicing the art of illusion.
The flashback brings the story back to the present, where an exhausted Eisenheim is struggling to evoke necromancy while police threaten to shut down his theater. After many years as a traveling performer, he has returned an accomplished illusionist, selling out all of his shows. His acclaim brings him into contact with Prince Leopold, the deliciously calculating antagonist of the story. Leopold plots to use his marriage to Duchess Sophie to win over the Hungarians in the empire, so that he can overthrow his father the emperor. Naturally arrogant, the prince is jealous of all the attention Eisenheim receives for his art. He is further incensed when spies inform him of the renewed friendship between his fiancé and the rockstar-like Eisenheim. As is characteristic of Steven Millhauser’s stories (the original author of the short story on which this film is based), the story grows more and more despondent with each setback that Eisenheim encounters until it reaches a critical point. His fame and success is soon no competition for the wrath of the royal prince. The film mirrors an illusion act by concluding with a brilliant flourish of a reveal. Viewers discover the truth in the film’s tagline, “nothing is as it seems,” when Inspector Uhl makes the connections of each one of Eisenheim’s genius maneuvers.
The Illusionist spares audiences of the glitter and show that usually characterizes a fantastical film. At the base of the story is a beautiful couple separated by class, played by a enigmatic Edward Norton and a beautiful Jessica Biel. Biel really becomes a serious actress for the first time, shedding her “Seventh Heaven” baby fat to play the irresistible duchess. Rufus Sewell is cast in the role of the bad guy once again; delivering an average performance in the typecast role of the evil prince. The usually brilliant Paul Giamatti is just okay in this film, primarily serving as a narrative device.
Aside from Edward Norton being a convincing illusionist ,the acting in this film is just average, scoring a B. The cinematography was an impressive A, breathtaking enough to receive an Oscar nomination. Neil Burger does well to make a film from an original short story with original twists that make up for the familiarity of the subjects of magic, romance, and class division. In terms of originality and enjoyability, The Illusionist earns a B+, being transporting but not challenging enough for true fans of mystery/thrillers.
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