Neil Burger: The Illusionist

Director - Neil Burger
Writers - Neil Burger (screenplay) and Steven Millhauser (short story "Eisenheim the  Illusionist")

Cast/Character;

Edward Norton         ...            Eisenheim
Paul Giamatti           ...            Inspector Uhl
Jessica Biel              ...             Sophie
Rufus Sewell          ...              Crown Prince Leopold
Eddie Marson          ...             Josef Fischer (as Edward Marsan)
Jake Wood               ...             Jurka
Tom Fisher              ...             Willigut
Aaron Taylor-Johnson       ...   Young Eisenheim
Eleanor Tomlinson      ...         Young Sophie
Karl Johnson              ...           Doctor/Old Man


Trivia:

Edward Norton learned magic coaching from James Freedman.

Eisenheim is closely based on magician Erik Jan Hanussen

Crown Prince Leopold is based on Emperor Franz Josef

Plot:

The movie begins with Eisenheim summoning a spirit to which he is quickly arrested. Crown Prince Leopold asks Uhl how he does it. As a child Eisenheim practices magic and then met Sophie.  He shows a magic card trick and she is told to leave by her parents because he is a peasant. She is not allowed see him but they meet anyways. He gives her a picture inside a necklace locket. He traveled the world and practiced magic in public and later arrived in Vienna. In his public performance he does a cool magic trick turning his two gloves into 2 crows. He cuts an orange and place the seed in some soil and it grows into a tree.

"The trick of the Orange Tree was made famous by a 19th Century French magician named Robert-Houdin. It was from Robert-Houdin that another magician, Ehrich Weiss, came up with the stage name "Houdini." This trick is first mentioned in old Indian manuscript as an illusion by Faux. Analogical trick was also performed by Pinetti; an 18th Century magician, but instead of oranges he used lemons. Houdini was the first one to use real fruits."     - IMDB

Inspector Uhl inspects behind the stage of Eisenheim's theater. He tells him the Crown Prince would attend tonight's performance. Eisenheim teaches him one trick. Later that evening at the performance he asks for one volunteer and it is no other than Sophie who is with Crown Prince Leopold. He asks if they ever met before and she says no. But he thinks it is Sophie from the past. He performs a magic trick using her,


He meets the Crown Prince. Eisenheim's assistant tells him Sophie will marry the Crown Prince soon. He also tells Eisenheim he beats his girlfriends. A note come to Eisenheim and Sophie is in the carriage with him. She says they know each other. She says she wished she could see him again. She touches the necklace Eisenheim gave him as a child who used a different name probably suspecting Eisenheim was that boy.


At a private performance for the Crown Prince and his friends Eisenheim does a neat trick where he puts a picture up and with his hand he guides the canvas paint itself magically. The Crown Prince says, "He tries to trick you, I try to enlighten you which is the more noble pursuit?"

The Crown Prince challenges him to do a trick without gadgetry. So he takes the sword of Crown Prince and tells the story of Excalibur. He said only Arthur succeeded giving him the right to rule. A few people try to pull the sword from the sword from the ground but Eisenheim lets the Crown Prince pull it from the floor with his power. - not trying to challenge him too much. He says, "The sword to its rightful owner." The Crown Prince tells Inspector Uhl to shut him down. Sophie goes to Eisenheim's house to warn of something. They make love. The camera goes from out of focus to in focus to show their passion. They talk about the necklace with the picture of Eisenheim.

The Crown Prince plans to overthrow his father and become King. He wants the Hungarians to help him. This could prove harmful to the Crown Prince and her. Eisenheim packs a red liquid - one that he will use to fake Sophie's death and withdraws all his money from the bank.

Someone follows Eisenheim and sees him kiss Sophie in the carriage. Sophie tells the Crown Prince they will not marry and he slaps her, Sophie goes missing. She is found in the river - possibly dead. A doctor says she is dead and he also says a gemstone was also found in the folds of her clothes.  Eisenheim buys a new theater and does a new type of show one where he summons spirits to speak to the audience. The Crown Prince wants Eisenheim arrested. Inspector Uhl threatens to imprison Eisenheim. He tells the supporters outside everything is a trick and an illusion.

Eisenheim summons Sophie's spirit and she says someone in the audience killed her. Inspector Uhl tells Eisenheim his performance last night was very foolish. Uhl warns Eisenheim not to provoke people. Eisenheim tells his old manager he wants him to manage his finances. Eisenheim summons Duchess Sophie and she says she was wearing the locket when she died but now it's gone. Eisenheim shows he himself is an illusion and disappears. Uhl finds the locket with a picture of young Eisenheim and in the stable he finds another gem. It fits into the sword of the Crown Prince. Uhl suspects the worst. Uhl threatens the Crown Prince with what he knows. The Crown Prince says it's all an illusion. His father has ordered to arrest him. The Crown Prince shoots and kills himself.

Spoilers:

A little kid gives Uhl the notebook with the secret of The Orange Tree. The kid says Eisenheim gave it to him. Eisenheim boards the train and it is all pieced together as Eisenheim must have used the gems and framed the Crown Prince for murder. The locket was planted by Sophie on the Crown Prince along with blood on his sword. Eisenheim brings her back to life with a potion.