Christopher Nolan on The Prestige

The director of Memento and Batman Begins discusses the art of illusion in his new film about rival Victorian conjurers, and explains how he got David Bowie on board

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"For me, the fun of watching a magic trick is wanting to know - it's being aware there's a trick in what you're seeing, and not quite being able to penetrate the secret."

Confounding, misdirecting and perplexing audiences is something director Christopher Nolan has made a habit of, ever since he first came to attention in 2000 with his acclaimed breakthrough movie, the backwards noir thriller Memento. Both Insomnia (2002) and Batman Begins (2005) have shown more of what he's capable of, and Nolan's latest film uses his dark, cinematic perspective to explore the world of Victorian stage magicians, creating a different take on the traditional costume drama.

"I was very worried doing a period film," says the 36-year old director, "because I didn't want to it to end up as the kind of costume drama that sometimes can become very formal and consumed by detail. I wanted to make a film where the period setting wouldn't be alienating to the audience, and we did lots of things to help with that. The majority of the film was shot with handheld cameras using real locations, and quite often we'd use natural light, or we'd just light it through nearby windows. That meant we didn't have to give the actors marks, they could move freely throughout the scene, and it gave the film a kind of looseness and energy that really throws you into the story of these two magicians."

Adapted from the acclaimed 1995 novel by Christopher Priest, The Prestige follows the tale of professional illusionists Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) in 1890s London, and uses multiple timelines to build up a complex tale that almost functions as a magic trick. Angier and Borden start out as friends, evolve into bitter rivals, and then engage in all-out war when Borden perfects a trick that Angier simply can't figure out, while the conflict between the two men is soon leading to violent and deadly consequences. Delving into the world of illusion, secrets and lies, it's a multi-layered story, and Nolan admits there are plenty of parallels between the worlds of magic and moviemaking.

Next page • "David Bowie immediately said no"