Why can't Borden Remember which knot he tied?

The 2006 film about rival magicians desperately trying to learn the secrets of each others tricks.
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Viral114 wrote:
i haven't read the book yet but from the movie i got this:

Frederick tied the knot but did not come to pay his respects at the funeral (possibly due to guilt).. his twin Albert did..
and he was telling the truth at the funeral (he was not in denial.. he just wasn't the twin who tied the knot)

since one twin already admitted that he did not know it was only convenient for the twins to say that they both didn't know
in order to preserve the act.. (2 twins saying separate things would destroy the illusion)
actually Fredrick (in his notebook says that he didn't know)
which gives way to 2 possibilities:

1. it was actually Albert who tied the knot
OR
2. it was Frederick.. (but he forced himself to forget... NNNNOLAN)

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I thought this was rather obvious.

Alfred is the best magician.
Frederick is not as good at tying knots.
Cutter mentions it, that she could have fallen because the knot was too loose.
Freddy wasn't sure what knot he tied on the fatal night.
He screwed up but because he isn't as knowledgeable as his brother, he didn't know how he messed up the knot.

(Or do I have them reversed? )

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Location: Insomnia, Norway
BORDEN

How often I've fought with my self
over that night .. one half of me
swearing blind that i tied a simple
slip knot... the other half convinced
that I tied the Langford double. I
suppose I'll never know for sure.


This of course speaks volumes the second time watching The Prestige, as the "halfs" represents the twins.
One twin, in my opinion Freddy, simply did not answer Alfred when it came to what knot was tied that night. Alfred did not get an answer, so the only answer he could give Angier as he went to the funeral, was "I don't know".


INT. HOTEL ROOM, COLORADO -- DAY
Angier looks up from Borden's journal, despairing.

ANGIER
How can he not know?!

Angier FLINGS Borden's journal across the room.

ANGIER
He must know what he did. He must.

The Borden's trick worked all the way on Angier..until his final death.
I love the parts in the script that was not used in the movie.

Borden smiles as he reads Angier's dairy.

BORDEN
"How can he not know?!"
(starts lauhing)
Because, Angier, life is complicated,
people are complicated, knots are
complicated


PRISONER
Shut it, Professor, or I'll shut it
for you.


Borden quiets. Looking at the journal.

BORDEN (V.O.)
How could I not know? How can you
read my story and not understand?


--------------------

ANGIER
We magicians have a circle of trust.

ALLEY
You have a circle of trust with
someone whose diary you stole?

ANGIER
Maybe I bought it.

ALLEY
Magicians sell their secrets?

ANGIER
It's how we pay for our retirements
and how greats tricks outlive us.

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Location: London
He'd probably used both a lot, it wasn't significant to him.

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Location: Insomnia, Norway
Cutter told Freddy "Some nights you just don't get it do you?" when referring to the knot issues. My own interpretation is that Freddy was the risk taker of the two, while Alfred is the more centered. When they argue about Angier's real transported man, one of them is angry and yells "Why can't you out think him?!" to the other.

And the night when Julia drowns, it is easy to see that Freddy ties the double langford. He and Julia also seem to be nodding to eachother as the knot is changed. And the little doubt in Julia's eyes as she is hoisted says it all, to me anyway.

Borden remembers what knot he tied, but whenever Angier asked about it, he asked the wrong Borden 8-)

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christophmac wrote:He'd probably used both a lot, it wasn't significant to him.

thats the way i saw it. the event of tying the knot was trivial to him until the tragic event. there was no reason for his brain to prioritize is as an important memory. the brain does that all the time

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It was very obvious for me. One of the Bordens is a risk taker and insists on the Langford double. Cutter's line also clues in on this when he says: "Some nights, you just don't get it, do you?" That Borden thinks the Langford double knot is the one that works all the while fumbling on the slip knot that the other Borden could do. When Julia died, obviously that Borden knew he was using the Langford double knot but of course, the other twin didn't know.

As the twin confronts the performing Borden about the knot used, he simply hides the truth.
How often I've fought with my self
over that night .. one half of me
swearing blind that i tied a simple
slip knot... the other half convinced
that I tied the Langford double. I
suppose I'll never know for sure.
Both Borden swore to live the single life, which is Alfred Borden's life. One twin is sure that it was the Langford Double, while the other twin insists it was a simple slip knot. The only consensus that the two will ever agree on it is a simple: "I don't know".

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talli wrote:
christophmac wrote:He'd probably used both a lot, it wasn't significant to him.

thats the way i saw it. the event of tying the knot was trivial to him until the tragic event. there was no reason for his brain to prioritize is as an important memory. the brain does that all the time
Trivial to who? Freddy or Alfred?

"Some nights you just don't get it do you"

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