The Illusionist (2006)

Neil Burger

Brian Koppelman
David Levien
Michael London
Cathy Schulman
Bob Yari

Neil Burger

Based on "Eisenheim the Illusionist"

Steven Millhauser

Edward Norton
Paul Giamatti
Jessica Biel

Movie Overview:

In Vienna, Austria-Hungary, 1889, a magician named Eisenheim (Edward Norton) is arrested by Chief Inspector Walter Uhl (Paul Giamatti) of the Vienna Police during a magic show involving necromancy. Later, Uhl explains the story of Eisenheim's life to Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell).

Eisenheim was born to a peasant cabinet-maker and became interested in magic after meeting a travelling magician. He also fell in love with Sophie, the Duchess of Teschen (Eleanor Tomlinson), but the two were forbidden to see each other on account of the former being a peasant. They kept meeting secretly but were caught one day and separated by force. Eisenheim proceeded to study magic by travelling the world, and fifteen years later returned to Vienna to perform. During one performance, he encounters the adult Sophie (Jessica Biel) and learns that she is expected to marry the Crown Prince Leopold, who, it is rumored, is brutal towards women and in the past even murdered one. Eisenheim conducts a private show for the Crown Prince and humiliates him in the course of it, in response to which the Crown Prince bans him from performing again in Vienna. Eisenheim asks Sophie to flee with him, but Sophie is afraid that they will be executed. Sophie also reveals that the Crown Prince is planning a take-over of the government against his elderly father, the Emperor Franz Joseph I.

At the Mayerling hunting lodge, Sophie tries to end her engagement with Leopold. The latter reacts by chasing her into the stables with a sword. Sophie's body is discovered the next morning in Vienna Woods. Eisenheim, who is dismayed, buys a theatre and begins a new series of magic shows, this time focusing exclusively on the summoning of dead spirits. Leopold secretly attends one of them, during which Eisenheim summons the spirit of Sophie, who says that someone in the theater is her murderer. Leopold, being upset, orders Uhl to arrest Eisenheim for fraud, but Eisenheim manages to avoid jail by openly confessing to the public that his show is a mere illusion.

Uhl confronts Leopold saying that he found evidence that Leopold was behind Sophie's murder, namely, a jewel from Leopold's sword, along with Sophie's locket. Uhl has already informed the Emperor and the General Staff of Leopold's conspiracy to seize the throne. Leopold reacts by pointing a revolverat Uhl and threatening to kill him, but as officers of the imperial guard of the Austro-Hungarian Army arrive on the scene, Leopold shoots himself in the head. As Uhl exits the palace, he is approached by a boy who gives him a folio explaining one of Eisenheim's magic tricks, and at this point he recognizes that Sophie never died but ran away with Eisenheim to start a new life.