NationMaster - Encyclopedia: The Illusionist

The Illusionist is an Academy Award-nominated 2006 period drama written and directed by Neil Burger and starring Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, and Paul Giamatti. Based loosely on Steven Millhauser's story "Eisenheim the Illusionist", The Illusionist tells the story of Eisenheim (Norton), a magician in turn-of-the-20th-century Vienna. Scar Symmetry is a melodic death metal quintet from Sweden that started in April 2004. ... The Illusionist is the first song from Pitch Black Progress by the melodic death metal band Scar Symmetry. ... The Illusionist is an animated film from the director of The Triplets of Belleville, Sylvain Chomet, slated for a 2009 release. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (648x960, 108 KB) Summary Aint It Cool News http://www. ... Neil Burger is a Connecticut-born film director who has filmed the pseudo-documentary, Interview with the Assassin (2002), and the period drama, The Illusionist (2006). ... Brian Koppelman is an US scenario writer, Producer, Director, Actor. ... Wikinews has news related to: 2006 Oscars handed out at Kodak Theatre Cathy Schulman has won a 2006 Academy Award, for producing Crash. ... Bob Yari (Born in 1962) is an American film producer. ... Steven Millhauser (born 3 August 1943 in New York City) is perhaps one of modern American fictions most elusive characters. ... Neil Burger is a Connecticut-born film director who has filmed the pseudo-documentary, Interview with the Assassin (2002), and the period drama, The Illusionist (2006). ... Ed Norton redirects here. ... Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (born June 6, 1967) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... Jessica Claire Biel (born March 3, 1982) is an American actress and former fashion model best known for appearing in several Hollywood films such as Summer Catch, the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Illusionist, as well as for her early television role of Mary Camden in the... Rufus Frederik Sewell (born October 29, 1967) is an English actor. ... Publicity photo of Eddie Marsan. ... Actor, starring in The Illusionist as young Sophie. ... Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is a three-times Academy Award-nominated American composer. ... Dick Pope (cinematographer) (sometimes credited as Richard Pope) was born in 1947 in Bromley, Kent, England, UK . ... Yari Film Group logo Founded in 2002, and headed by established producer Bob Yari, the Yari Film Group (YFG) is an independent film company with hands in financing, production, acquisition, sales and distribution. ... is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... The year 2006 in film involved some significant events. ... In the performing arts, a period piece is a work set in a particular era. ... Neil Burger is a Connecticut-born film director who has filmed the pseudo-documentary, Interview with the Assassin (2002), and the period drama, The Illusionist (2006). ... Ed Norton redirects here. ... Jessica Claire Biel (born March 3, 1982) is an American actress and former fashion model best known for appearing in several Hollywood films such as Summer Catch, the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Illusionist, as well as for her early television role of Mary Camden in the... Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (born June 6, 1967) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... Steven Millhauser (born 3 August 1943 in New York City) is perhaps one of modern American fictions most elusive characters. ... Ed Norton redirects here. ... â€œIllusionistâ€ redirects here. ... Fin de siÃ¨cle is French for end of the century. The term turn-of-the-century is sometimes used as a synonym, but is more neutral (lacking some or most of the connotations described below), and can include the first years of a new century. ... For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ...

The film premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, opened the 2006 Seattle International Film Festival, and was distributed in limited release to theaters on August 18, 2006, eventually expanding nationwide on September 1. The 2006 Sundance Film Festival was held from 19 January to 29 January 2006. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), held annually in Seattle, Washington, is purported to be the largest film festival in the United States and among the top film festivals in the world. ... is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Synopsis

The film begins in medias res as Chief Inspector Uhl (Giamatti) recounts the history of Eisenheim for Crown Prince Leopold, following Uhl's visit to the theatre to arrest Eisenheim during what appears to be necromancy passed off as a magic show. For other uses, see In Medias Res (disambiguation). ... Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (born June 6, 1967) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... This article is about the general subject of necromancy. ...

Eisenheim was born the son of a cabinetmaker in Austria-Hungary. One day when he was a teenager, Eisenheim (played as young man by Aaron Johnson) meets a traveling magician along a road. The magician performs several tricks for him and then, according to various accounts, both the magician and the tree he was sitting under vanish. Eisenheim becomes obsessed with magic tricks after this. Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... Date of Birth: 13 June 1990, Holmer Green, England, UK. He started acting in 2001, with his debut role as young Lorimer Black in the film Armadillo (2001). ...

He also falls in love with Sophie, the Duchess von Teschen (Biel, played as a young lady by Eleanor Tomlinson ), a noblewoman high above his social class; her parents have hired Eisenheim's father as a cabinetmaker. Young Eisenheim makes Young Sophie a unique marquetry puzzle locket, which if twisted correctly reveals a small, hidden photograph of Eisenheim. Although the two are forbidden to see each other, they meet in a secret hideout chamber in the woods, where Eisenheim tells of his plans to go to China to learn more magic and Sophie promises to go with him. On the day that they are going to leave, however, the police come looking for Sophie. The two hide in the secret room and Sophie begs Eisenheim to make them both disappear. He is unable to fulfill this request and the two are separated. Duchy of Cieszyn (Polish Księstwo cieszyńskie) was an independent duchy in the area of Cieszyn Silesia. ... Jessica Claire Biel (born March 3, 1982) is an American actress and former fashion model best known for appearing in several Hollywood films such as Summer Catch, the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Illusionist, as well as for her early television role of Mary Camden in the... Actor, starring in The Illusionist as young Sophie. ... Aristocrats gathering around Emperor Franz Joseph at a ball in the Hofburg Imperial Palace, painting by Wilhelm Gause (1900). ... The image on the cover of this box was made using the technique of marquetry. ... Puzzle boxes (also alled trick boxes) have a long tradition. ...

Eisenheim leaves his village to travel the world; he perfects his magic and returns 15 years later as a master illusionist. He meets Sophie at one of his performances, when she is volunteered by the ruthless Crown Prince Leopold as a reluctant participant in a trick. He soon learns that Sophie is expected to marry the Crown Prince. Eisenheim and Sophie, having recognized each other, meet privately, whereupon it is revealed that Sophie still has the locket he made for her years ago. After humiliating the Crown Prince during a private show, Eisenheim finds his hit performance shut out of Vienna. When Sophie comes to offer him, the two at first fight and then Eisenheim kisses her, leading to the consummation of their relationship and the realization that they are still in love after all this time. They plan to flee the Empire together; but first, Sophie points out, something must be done to stop Leopold, who, she reveals, is planning a coup d'etat to usurp the Crown of Austria from his aging father, the Emperor Franz Joseph I, while using his engagement to her to win the Hungarian half of the Empire as well. For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... Franz Joseph I (in Hungarian I. Ferenc JÃ³zsef, in English Francis Joseph I) (August 18, 1830 â€“ November 21, 1916) of the Habsburg Dynasty was Emperor of Austria, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Bohemia from 1848 until 1916 and a German prince (Deutscher FÃ¼rst). ...

Leopold finds out from Uhl, who was following the couple, that Sophie has met with Eisenheim. While drunk, Leopold confronts Sophie and accuses her of being a whore. She tells him that she will not marry him or have anything to do with his plan. When she attempts to leave, he appears to murder her in the stables with a sword cut across her neck. Unfortunately, Leopold's royal status makes any accusations against him unthinkable, despite an existing belief among the people that Leopold has murdered a woman in the past. As Eisenheim plunges into despair and the citizens of Vienna begin to suspect Leopold of Sophie's murder, Uhl observes Eisenheim's actions more closely on behalf of Leopold. Whore redirects here. ... For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ...

Wracked with grief, Eisenheim prepares a new kind of magic show, using mysterious equipment and Chinese stagehands. Eisenheim purchases a run-down theater and opens a new performance. During his show, Eisenheim apparently summons spirits, leading many to believe that he possesses supernatural powers. A stagehand is a person who works backstage on a theatrical performance. ... This article is about the general subject of necromancy. ...

Leopold decides to attend one of Eisenheim's shows in disguise. During this show, Eisenheim summons the spirit of Sophie who says someone in the theater murdered her, panicking Leopold. Uhl pleads with Eisenheim to stop, but Eisenheim refuses; he is bent on avenging Sophie and destroying the Crown Prince. Finally, Leopold orders Eisenheim's arrest, but when Uhl tries to arrest him during a live show, Eisenheim's body fades and disappears, implying that he did not perform the show as a corporeal human being that night but, rather, as yet another illusion. Image File history File links Norton_in_The_Illusionist. ... Image File history File links Norton_in_The_Illusionist. ...

Inspector Uhl first searches for Eisenheim at his house. There he finds a folio labeled "Orange Tree," the name of one of Eisenheim's illusions which had intrigued Uhl. Thinking he will find the solution to one of the magician's most famous tricks, he opens it to find empty pages except for a scrap of parchment showing how to open the locket Eisenheim had given Sophie when they were young.

At this point, we return to the first scene of the movie. Uhl reveals to Leopold that he has found evidence which links the Crown Prince to Sophie's murder: a jewel from the prince's sword and Sophie's locket that Eisenheim gave her when they were children. After ordering, then begging Uhl to keep silent, Leopold discovers that Uhl has already informed the Emperor and the General Staff of Leopold's conspiracy to usurp the Austro-Hungarian throne. As the Army arrives at his Palace to arrest him, Leopold shoots himself in despair after sadly reflecting on the state of the Empire's corrupt government. Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ...

In the next scene, Uhl is shown leaving the Imperial Palace. After he takes a few steps, a boy runs up to hand him a folio labeled "Orange Tree." This time, the "Orange Tree" folio is filled with plans detailing a geared mechanism to make the tree "grow". Uhl demands to know where the child obtained the folio; the child reveals that Eisenheim had given it to him. Uhl spots Eisenheim wearing a disguise and follows him to the train station. During his chase, Uhl begins to put all the pieces together, shown in a montage. He realizes that Sophie's murder was in fact an illusion created by Eisenheim in order to escape with his beloved and to bring down Leopold. However, instead of being enraged, he laughs hysterically, showing that he has truly left his evilness and dishonesty behind. Meanwhile, Eisenheim makes his way to the country, where Sophie awaits him. Look up montage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Cast

Ed Norton redirects here. ... Date of Birth: 13 June 1990, Holmer Green, England, UK. He started acting in 2001, with his debut role as young Lorimer Black in the film Armadillo (2001). ... Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti (born June 6, 1967) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... Jessica Claire Biel (born March 3, 1982) is an American actress and former fashion model best known for appearing in several Hollywood films such as Summer Catch, the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Illusionist, as well as for her early television role of Mary Camden in the... Rufus Frederik Sewell (born October 29, 1967) is an English actor. ... Publicity photo of Eddie Marsan. ... Jake Wood (born 12 July 1972) is a British actor. ... Actor, starring in The Illusionist as young Sophie. ...

Filming locations

Although the film is set in Austria, it was filmed mostly in the Czech Republic. The city of Vienna is represented in the movie by those of Tábor and Prague, while the scenes set in Eisenheim's childhood village were shot in Český Krumlov. The Crown Prince's castle is actually the historical fortress of Konopiště (located near Benešov), formerly the home of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. All other shots were at Barrandov Studios in Prague. For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ... SW corner of the Å½iÅ¾ka square as viewed from the church tower. ... For other uses, see Prague (disambiguation). ... , Country Region District Commune River Elevation 492 m (1,614 ft) Coordinates , Area 22. ... KonopiÅ¡tÄ› is a chÃ¢teau (castle) located in the Czech Republic, about 50 km southeast of Prague, outside the city of BeneÅ¡ov. ... HornÃ BeneÅ¡ov is also a town in the Czech Republic BeneÅ¡ov (pronounce Beneshoff) is a town in the Czech Republic, about 40 km southeast of Prague. ... For the Scottish rock band, see Franz Ferdinand (band). ... Barrandov Studios are a famous set of film studios in Prague, Czech Republic. ...

Reaction

As of August 27, 2007 the film has earned worldwide box office receipts of $87,372,631, including $39,868,642 in the United States.^[1] Since it has been released on DVD, it has earned another $35.99 million in rental revenue (as of May 6, 2007).^[2] is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

The Illusionist received mostly positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes classified it as 75% "certified fresh" with 169 reviews (as of March 30, 2007).^[3] Jonathan Rosenbaum's review in The Chicago Reader praised Paul Giamatti's performance of "a character who feels sympathy for the magician but owes allegiance to Leopold and is therefore divided and compromised ... Giamatti’s performance is subtle, expressive, and richly nuanced."^[4] Stephen Holden, in his review for The New York Times, praised Edward Norton's role, which, according to him, "perfectly fits his disturbing inscrutability".^[5] Variety wrote that Jessica Biel "is entirely stunning enough to fight to the death over."^[6] This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Jonathan Rosenbaum is a prominent American film critic. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... Jessica Claire Biel (born March 3, 1982) is an American actress and former fashion model best known for appearing in several Hollywood films such as Summer Catch, the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Illusionist, as well as for her early television role of Mary Camden in the...

Director of Photography Dick Pope earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Charles Rosher the first recipient in 1928 The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is awarded each year to a cinematographer for his work in one particular motion picture. ...

On Box Office Mojo.com Brandon Gray said it had the most impressive box office total of 2006.

Historical link

The plot is inspired in part by the 1889 Mayerling Incident, the apparent murder-suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and his lover Baroness Mary Vetsera.^{[citation needed]} Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Hunting lodge and Carmelite church at Mayerling This article is about the Mayerling incident . ... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ... The last photograph taken of Baroness Mary Vetsera (R). ...

Contents

Synopsis

Cast

Filming locations

Reaction

Historical link

See also

References

External links