The Prestige vs. The Illusionist

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by TTUBatfan2008

If the characters aren't intended to be likeable, how can that be a criticism of the film? Daniel Day-Lewis' character in There Will Be Blood is about as likeable as Hitler. But the point of the film wasn't to make the audience like his character. It was merely to study his character, perhaps to give the audience an example of how not to behave. I think the characters in The Prestige are not as loathsome as Daniel Plainview in TWBB, but at the same time they are not beacons of morality and their behavior is pretty despicable. I think The Prestige is a good warning against obsession with one's work. Look what it did to the main characters' private lives (IE marriages/relationships).

I completely agree with most of what you said, despite the ill-advised comparison of Plainview to Hitler. I disagree, however, about likeability Obviously the characters were not meant to be likeable, but in comparing this film and The Illusionist, some people choose the Illusionist because the better like films that allow you to connect with the characters on an emotional level. So, in essence, it is not necessarily a criticism of The Prestige but a means of choosing one film over the other, which is exceedingly difficult when both films are so different yet both of high quality.