The Illusionist (2006) on Netflix
PG-1320061h 50mDramaMysteryRomance
In 1889 Vienna, the magician Eisenheim is reunited with his childhood love, Sophie, the Duchess von Teschen. She is promised to Crown Prince Leopold. Chief Inspector Walter Uhl answers to him.
- Netflix3.8/5
- IMDb7.5/10406,977 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes73%
Trailer
Plot summary
Vienna, 1889. As a boy, Eduard Abramovich watches a traveling magician and begins to learn the craft. He comes to care for Sophie, the Duchess von Teschen, though she stands far above him in rank. The two meet in secret until they are caught and pulled apart. Eduard leaves Austria and spends fifteen years abroad studying magic, then returns to Vienna to perform. One evening he brings an adult Sophie up from the audience and recognizes her; she is expected to marry Crown Prince Leopold, who is rumored to treat women brutally. Chief Inspector Walter Uhl carries out much of the prince's work against the magician.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Illusionist (2006)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Although the film is set in Austria, it was shot mostly in the Czech Republic: Vienna is represented by Tábor and Prague, Eisenheim's childhood village by Český Krumlov, and the Crown Prince's castle is really the fortress of Konopiště, once home to Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
- Together with The Prestige and Scoop, The Illusionist was one of three films in 2006 to explore the world of stage magicians, and the only one of them not to feature Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman in its cast.
- James Freedman became a major collaborator on the film, brainstorming, designing and refining everything from small sleight of hand tricks to major narrative set pieces; he prepared Edward Norton for his stage performances and acted as a hand double in various scenes.
SPOILER
The original story on which the movie is based does not include the artifice of the protagonist framing the crown prince for murder; that turn belongs to the screen version alone.- Andrew Lloyd Webber announced on October 28, 2024 that he will adapt the film into a stage musical, with Chris Terrio as book writer, Bruno Major as lyricist and Jamie Lloyd attached to direct.
- A Japanese musical adaptation starring Haruma Miura was announced in June 2020 and set to run from December 2020 to January 2021, but the project was put on hold following Miura's death in July 2020.
- Director of Photography Dick Pope earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, losing at the 79th Academy Awards to Guillermo Navarro, the cinematographer of Pan's Labyrinth.
