The Way of Prestige
10-31-2006
by Johann Snyder

Spolier Warning: Although I don't reveal anything specifically about this film, I do imply some things that may reveal too much about the film. If you haven't seen it, read at your own risk.

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12

If there's ever been a movie that graphically illustrates the meaning of that Proverb, The Prestige is it. I won't ruin anything for as the reveal at the end of the movie is half the fun of seeing it, but let me also warn you that this is not an uplifting movie and it's very unlikely that you'll have any sort of good feeling by the end of it. For The Prestige is all about the way that may seem right, perhaps even just or justified to a man, and it's also about how that way ultimately leads only to destruction and death.

It's been a long time since I've since such a dark, but poignant movie. Part of what makes it so dark and depressing is there isn't any redemption for any of the characters. In fact, there isn't much redeeming in it at all. This is a film about vengeance, obsession and all the darkness such pursuits bring. It's about lies and deceit, and how destructive such things really are. The real tragedy is that these things are pursued for what the characters may deem as good, and in some cases, justified reasons. They lie in order to maintain the secret of their illusions and tricks. They seek revenge because of they were wronged by rival, in some cases grievously so. Part of me felt as the characters did. It certainly seemed right to exact vengeance; there was certainly plenty of cause for it. It seemed totally reasonable to lie and deceive in order to preserve the secret of a particularly good illusion; after all, a magician's success is dependant on the safety of their secrets. Certainly the characters in The Prestige can not be accused of flawed reasoning, as is often the case with. I'm sure we've all come up with excellent reason why we should redress some slight that was visited upon us or why we should hide the truth - not lying, exactly, but more like writing fiction with our mouths. We all have great, reasonable and often right sounding reason for pursuing the things that deep down we know we ought not to. Let me just say that The Prestige should serve as a warning for any of us who may be deceived into such thinking.

Although there is no redemption for the characters of the film, the good news that doesn't have to be the case for us. In The Prestige, the characters portrayed by Hugh Jackman (in an amazing performance) and Christian Bale (who is solid as always) never take the time to examine what their pursuits are leading them to, and even when they try, they are too far down the path for them to turn back. We, however, are not characters in a scripted film, but rather living beings blessed with the freedom to choose. The Bible warns us of these paths that seem to make so much sense, that seem so right. We're told what their ultimate destination is. Unlike with The Prestige, we can see the end before the beginning. Still, the choice is ours, and it will not be made for us. We are warned that the path to destruction is wide, but the path to redemption is narrow. A wide path makes so much sense in a lot of ways, but it is the narrow path that we must follow, even when it seems to lead in the opposite direction of our natural tendencies (in fact, that's often the point.) We can escape the ultimate demise met by the characters of The Prestige, but we have to be willing to let go of what we may think is reasonable and right and measure those desires against the unchanging standard of God's Truth.

Jesus often told parables to help reveal the truth of God to people in a relatable way, and The Prestige is a modern parable of an ancient Proverb. Should you decide to watch this dark tale, I ask you to not only try to untangle the many threads of its intriguing a complicated plot, but to also pull out the important truth it reveals through the sad, dark destinies of its characters; "There is a way that seems right to a man; but in the end it leads to death."

Johann "Yo" Snyder is the host of the Mid-day show at M88 radio, 88.3FM in Albuquerque, NM. He writes a monthly blog that takes some elements of current events and pop culture to illustrate spiritual points. The archives for these articles can be found at: http://www.m88.org/yo-duh.asp