Eisenheim The Illusionist

Prof. Myrna Monllor Jimnez English 124

Eisenheim, The Illusionist

Received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1997 for his novel Martin Dressler.

Historical Background Harry Houdini

Born in Hungary known as an escape artist Exposed spiritualists

Jewish

visited Germany

Took his name from Robert Houdin, a French magician

Accused of fraud by the police

Houdinis Spirits

Vienna at the turn of the 20th century

a hotbed of radical politics and a crucible of intellectual and artistic change. widespread discontent, a crumbling moral order and myriad cracks in the coherence of empire city of Mahler, Freud, Klimt, Wagner

Beginning of the story

It was the age of levitations and decapitations, of ghostly apparitions and sudden vanishings , as if the tottering empire, were revealing through the medium of its magicians its secret desire for annihilation

Characterization Story
Eisenheim Self-absorbed Competitive Loner Seems to have preferred becoming an illusion himself Uhl Very minor character Does not have any significance within the story

Eisenheims description
Eisenheim was a man of medium height, with broad shoulders and large, long-fingered hands. His most striking feature was his powerful head: the black intense eyes in the austerely pale face, the broad black beard, the thrusting forehead with receding hairline, all lent an appearance of unusual mental force. The newspaper accounts mention a minor trait that must have been highly effective: when he leaned his head forward, in intense concentration, there appeared over his right eyebrow a large vein shaped like and inverted Y.

Antagonists in the story

Benedetti, whose real name was Paul Henri Cortot, of Lyon, was a master illusionist of extraordinary smoothness and skill; his mistake was to challenge Eisenheim by presenting imitations of original Eisenheim illusions. Benedetti stepped into a black cabinet and
was never seen again.

 Passaeur took the city by storm; and for the first time there was talk that Eisenheim had met his match, perhaps evenhis master.

Passaeurs final performance was one of frightening brillianceSuddenly he burst into a demonic laugh, and reaching up to his face he tore off a rubber mask and revealed himself to be Eisenheim.

Stories, like conjuring tricks, are invented because history is inadequate to our dreams

Ending of the story

All agreed that it was a sign of the times; and as precise memories faded, and the everyday world of coffee cups, doctors visits, and war rumors returned, a secret relief penetrated the souls of the faithful, who knew that the Master had passed safely out of the crumbling order of history into the indestructible realm of mystery and dream.

Central Conflicts of the Story

Political turmoil in Vienna Spiritualism and illusionists

Neil Burger
Interview with the Assassin (2002) The Illusionist (2006)
Limitless (2011)

Beginning of the Film

Beginning of the Film

Beginning of the film

 Sepia toned Grainy film texture Imitates turn of the century films Looks as if the audience is looking through a lens

Tricking the Eye

Central Conflicts in the film

Eisenheims love for Sophie Eisenheims battle against the government through Uhl and Leopold

Narrator
Story 3rd person narrator Reporting/Facts Film Inspector Uhl

Plot Development/Structure
Story
Historical Background

Eisenheims story told in chronological order Eisenheims disappearance without any explanation

Plot development film

Eisenheim at the theatre (in media res), Uhl is about to arrest him Inspector Uhls telling of the story in flashback, which ends with his finding of the locket Inspector Uhl solves the puzzle Coda/the lovers reunite

 I want you all to know everything that you have seen is a trick, an illusionOur purpose has been to entertain nothing more.

Characterization in the Film

Eisenheim
The hero

You cant destroy him. You cant bring down the monarchy.

Inspector Uhl
The antagonist

Prince Leopold

A fictional Crown Prince based on Prince Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria The Mayerling Incident (Marie Vetsera)

The audience is stupid. They are being manipulated.

Crown Prince Leopold The Villain

Its a trick, its an illusion. He tries to trick you, I try to enlighten you.

Sophie
The love interest

Symbols
The tree Butterflies Cards The Locket The Sword The Gems The playing card Hands

And you kept it all this time

Symbols

upside down butterfly

Hands

Mirrors

Excalibur

Where does power come from?

Image of Entrapment

Gods Eye View

Ending of the film

Endings

Suspension of disbelief
How does Inspector Uhl know the intimate details of Eisenheims relationship with Sophie?

How is it that Eisenheim takes the jewels from the sword before he and Sophie had even planned their escape?

How is it that Eisenheims picture falls exactly beside the emerald?

How is it that Sophies family does not claim her body?

Building Suspense
Beginning with the ending Sophie and Eisenheim not being able to disappear the first time

 Sophies fake death Eisenheims tricks Clues the orange tree the locket the gems Eisenheims appearance at the end

Foreshadowing Quotes
one day we will go away together, well disappear fate and chance, these are the forces of nature the souls endurance beyond life Perhaps, Ill make you disappear.

Bibliography
http://www.darkhorizons.com/2006/illusi onist.php
http://www.landmarktheatres.com/mn/ill usionist.html