Plot Segmentation: The Prestige
C. Credit title.
1. The Pledge. a. Borden’s workshop. i. Mr. Cutter picks up a bird and shows Jess. b. The Great Danton.
i. The theater curtain rises revealing a massive electrical machine on stage with Angier. ii. Borden and other members of the audience inspect the machine. iii. Borden goes backstage. iv. Angier takes off his jacket in preparation for the trick.
v. Borden runs downstairs below the stage and sees a blind man sitting guard.
2. The Turn. a. Borden’s workshop. i. Mr. Cutter puts the bird in a cage. b. The Great Danton. i. Angier turns to face the machine. ii. Borden sees a water tank below the center of the stage. c. Borden’s workshop. i. Mr.
b. Borden’s flashback. i. Magic Show.
A. Borden brings a bird in a cage on stage and notices a woman, Sarah, with a young boy in the audience.
B. The magician covers the cage with a cloth and smashes it with his hand.
C. The young boy begins to cry saying that the magician killed the bird, and Sarah comforts him.
D. The magician brings the bird back but the boy continues to cry.
E. Borden shows the boy the bird in the cage but the boy, still crying, asks “But where’s his brother?” ii. Backstage of the Magic Show. A. Borden puts the lucky bird away.
B. Borden removes the smashes bird cage with the dead bird from a secret compartment in the table, and throws away the dead bird. iii. Outside the Magic Show.
A. Borden does a coin trick for the boy and tells him not to reveal the secret to anyone. iv. Sarah’s house. A. Sarah thanks Borden for lunch and opens her front door.
B. Borden asks to come inside but Sarah says no.
C. Borden walks away, and Sarah enters her home, turns around, sees Borden and starts to laugh.
8. Angier’s Material Room. a. Mr. Cutter walks in with the judge and shows him Angier’s machine.
b. Mr. Cutter tells the judge that the machine was built by a wizard and asks what will happen to it.
c. Mr. Cutter warns the judge that the machine should not be sold because it is too dangerous.
d. Mr. Cutter shows the judge the water tank and points out that the trick lock was switched with a real