The Illusionist
![Watch film The Illusionist — The Illusionist (2006) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QngdF-55AGc/sddefault.jpg)
Short description
In early twentieth-century Vienna, a stage magician known as Eisenheim draws crowds with illusions that many spectators take for genuine magic. Among those who come to watch him is Crown Prince Leopold, who attends a performance with his betrothed, Sophie. Eisenheim and Sophie share a history, and their renewed connection sets him against the prince, whose position and pride will not tolerate a rival. Inspector Uhl, a policeman loyal to the crown, is drawn into the conflict and tasked with examining how Eisenheim accomplishes his feats and with watching his movements.
The film is a drama with fantasy, romance and thriller elements, written and directed by Neil Burger as his first feature in the directing credits on record, followed by Limitless, Divergent, The Upside, Voyagers, The Marsh King's Daughter and Inheritance. Edward Norton plays Eisenheim, Paul Giamatti plays Inspector Uhl, Jessica Biel plays Sophie and Rufus Sewell plays Crown Prince Leopold; Aaron Taylor-Johnson appears as the young Eisenheim, and Eddie Marsan is among the credited cast.
The Illusionist was released on August 18, 2006, runs 110 minutes and was produced in the United States on a budget of about 17 million dollars. It took roughly 88 million dollars worldwide, a strong return on its cost. On IMDb it holds 7.5 out of 10 from 385,839 votes, and on TMDB 7.3 out of 10 from 5,485 votes, while its critics' rating stands at 6.9 out of 10 from 196 reviews, close to the audience scores but slightly lower.
What's left behind the scenes
- To fully immerse himself in the role, Edward Norton became an apprentice to the famous illusionist James Friedman. Despite this, in some scenes we see Friedman's hands, not Norton's.
- Some of the filmed scenes did not make it into the final version of the film, including a scene featuring Robbie Kay.
- Although the film is set in Austria, it was mostly shot in the Czech Republic. The city of Vienna, where the main events unfold, was filmed in the Czech towns of Tábor and Prague. The village where Eisenheim grew up was filmed in Český Krumlov. Prince Leopold’s castle is Konopiště Castle, located near Benešov, where Franz Ferdinand – the Austrian Archduke – lived. The remaining episodes of the film were shot at the Barrandov Studios in Prague.
- The key tricks (the 'Orange Tree' and 'Butterflies') were invented by the famous 19th-century illusionist Robert-Houdin.
- The love scene was filmed exclusively by the light of kerosene lamps. By the end of each take, the room was so filled with smoke that visibility was noticeably reduced.
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who plays young Edward at the beginning of the film, actually learned to perform the ball trick.
- Although the story of 'The Illusionist' is fictional, some of its details are based on the biography of Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf, son of Emperor Franz Joseph. The portrait that Eisenheim depicts using a trick in the palace is, in fact, a portrait of Franz Joseph. The bodies of Rudolf and his lover, Baroness Mary Vetsera, were found in his hunting lodge in Mayerling on January 30, 1889. The imperial family shrouded this event in mystery for many years.
- In the scene where Prince Leopold shoots a rifle, Inspector Uhl approaches him to report on the secret meetings between Sophie and Eisenheim. In their subsequent dialogue, the word 'adulterate' replaced the word 'Fucking' so that the film could achieve a PG-13 rating, which excludes words beginning with 'F'.
- The method of summoning spirits shown in the film consisted of projecting a pre-recorded image onto a blurry background. Considering that the spirits summoned by Eisenheim could speak and interact with the audience, it is logical to assume that he used another method popular among magicians of that era. A real person behind the scenes was illuminated using a so-called magic lantern. The lanterns that Eisenheim instructs his assistants to leave behind when gathering their belongings resembled magic lanterns.
- Crown Prince Leopold, played by Rufus Sewell, is based on Crown Prince Rudolf, heir to the Austrian throne. In 1889, Rudolf and his lover, Baroness Marie von Vetsera, were denied permission to legally marry, after which they committed suicide at the Mayerling estate. It is widely believed that they shot themselves, although various conspiracy theories also exist.
Similar movies
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
