OK that's fine, I just don't think that the fact that Borden accidentally killed Angier's wife during a dangerous magic trick justifies Angier knowingly framing Borden for murder, letting him be hanged, and then taking custody of his child. That's why I sympathize with Borden more than Angier in the story. Of course, people can disagree if they want to.

steveportee wrote:OK that's fine, I just don't think that the fact that Borden accidentally killed Angier's wife during a dangerous magic trick justifies Angier knowingly framing Borden for murder, letting him be hanged, and then taking custody of his child. That's why I sympathize with Borden more than Angier in the story. Of course, people can disagree if they want to.

Yea, but I agree with you though. Angier took it one step too far.

For some reason, no matter how many times I watch this movie, I seem to side more with Angier.

I feel the pain of both characters and understand their struggles, but I've always had this view. In fact I was saddened more by the fact that he died at the end, and only one Borden was killed.

Cilogy wrote:For some reason, no matter how many times I watch this movie, I seem to side more with Angier.

I feel the pain of both characters and understand their struggles, but I've always had this view. In fact I was saddened more by the fact that he died at the end, and only one Borden was killed.

Me too buddy.
Bordon destroyed many lives and he is still alive?WHY?
or is he?

Borden tied the wrong knot... but at the end of it... was hung for his wrong doing....

Angier.. the obsessed man that he was.... not only let Borden die for killing the Great Danton.. to which he did not do...
Angier was also going to keep Fallons Daughter for himself...

Fallon, well he did nothing wrong but go along with his bothers obsession.. lost a couple of fingers on the way from a chisel.. and led a life in shadow..

so for me knoing that Fallon survived and he is with His daughter... well thats the way it needed to end.. Father and duaghter together... and the two obsessed ones are no longer with us..

Fallon was the best of the three, and i side with him...

Can we be sure about this? I can only point out couple of scenes where I say 'Now they swapped'.
Most notable are these two:

sure?... well it is a Nolan film... so it will come with a bit of subjectivity to it..

but if you watch the movie and follow the dialogue, it's there for the unraveling... or you can read the book as well. Of course reading the book won't give you all of the answers to Nolans film, but you will understand what Fallon meant in the Mortuary when he told Angier... "I asked myself, but i don't know"... when Angier asked "Borden" about what knot did he tie?...

With both. That's the beauty of it. Nolan made a film in which both main characters are wrong at the same time, each of them have their ups and downs. It's only the question of who'll crack first and whose prestige will be the final one. Pure art.

speaking in terms of personality I prefer Borden.
Alfred Borden is a man who wants push the limits, he wants to do something that no one has done before, something that goes beyond the show itself, he wants to show something the world isn't prepared to be shown..
He doesn't care about "selling" magic tricks, he doesn't mind not giving the audience an entertaining show. His aim is thrilling them and giving them the most amazing thing they'll ever see.

Angier on the other side wants the people to recognize his talent, wants to feel satisfied from the audience; for him it doesn't even matter if the trick he's showing is stolen from someone else.

Slask wrote:speaking in terms of personality I prefer Borden.
Alfred Borden is a man who wants push the limits, he wants to do something that no one has done before, something that goes beyond the show itself, he wants to show something the world isn't prepared to be shown..
He doesn't care about "selling" magic tricks, he doesn't mind not giving the audience an entertaining show. His aim is thrilling them and giving them the most amazing thing they'll ever see.

Angier on the other side wants the people to recognize his talent, wants to feel satisfied from the audience; for him it doesn't even matter if the trick he's showing is stolen from someone else.

absolutely agree about Mr. Borden, in terms of personality I like the fact that he wants to do something new, something original, he's a true artist and understands the sacrifice behind his craft, to me he's all about "what" he gives to the world more than "why" he gives it, his conviction made him more obsessed about the art rather than for what or for whom the art is for. Now in the other hand we have Mr. Angier, I like the fact that he actually does it not really to be recognized but as he said at the end to see the audiences faces, to fool them, to make them believe, even for a minute that there are extraordinary things in the world, his showman side-what some people would see as artificial actually made him understand this truth.
This two sides, features or qualities are perfectly represented in the characters of this film and are in my opinion what makes a whole of an artist.