Somewhere in the middle of the film, Borden tells Angier that "Tesla" is the secret to his trick. How did he know about Tesla and his machine if the real secret to the trick was the fact that he had an identical twin (right?)?

Borden saw Tesla at the science convention. He sent Angier to Tesla because he thought Angier might believe that Tesla was capable of building such a machine. But Borden never actually believed that Tesla could do it.

Thanks, I get it now. I've always been bugged about that.

Indeed. Borden sent Angier on a "wild goose chase"..but never in his dreams would he think Angier would actually find the goose. And never in Angier's dreams would he think Borden tricked him. I just love the part when Angier reads the revelation in the diary. Never has [disbelief] been played better.

correct me if im wrong, but when angier went to go see telsa, telsa told him that he created the machine for an old friend. now im not sure if thats the exact scene where this happened but i know telsa said that in the movie.. i was always under the impression that telsa made the machine for borden and borden used it only once to clone himself and become fallon as well

i don't buy the whole identical twin idea

Tesla never said he had made a machine like that before. Exact science is not an exact science like he said. He never knew about all the hats in the forest outside the generator.

Law_of_4 wrote:correct me if im wrong, but when angier went to go see telsa, telsa told him that he created the machine for an old friend. now im not sure if thats the exact scene where this happened but i know telsa said that in the movie.. i was always under the impression that telsa made the machine for borden and borden used it only once to clone himself and become fallon as well

i don't buy the whole identical twin idea

You want to be fooled.It was in the book(the identical twins) and nolan didnt change that in his script.

Law_of_4 wrote:correct me if im wrong, but when angier went to go see telsa, telsa told him that he created the machine for an old friend. now im not sure if thats the exact scene where this happened but i know telsa said that in the movie.. i was always under the impression that telsa made the machine for borden and borden used it only once to clone himself and become fallon as well

i don't buy the whole identical twin idea

If Borden had used the Tesla machine to clone himself, then why would he be so dumbfounded when Angier used the machine onstage? Borden should have known the method if that were the case.

And Borden's diary even states that Tesla is the key to his diary, not to his trick.

steveportee wrote:

Law_of_4 wrote:correct me if im wrong, but when angier went to go see telsa, telsa told him that he created the machine for an old friend. now im not sure if thats the exact scene where this happened but i know telsa said that in the movie.. i was always under the impression that telsa made the machine for borden and borden used it only once to clone himself and become fallon as well

i don't buy the whole identical twin idea

If Borden had used the Tesla machine to clone himself, then why would he be so dumbfounded when Angier used the machine onstage? Borden should have known the method if that were the case.

And Borden's diary even states that Tesla is the key to his diary, not to his trick.

because maybe telsa said it would never be used again, telsa was very hesitant to give it to angier wasn't he? he denied angiers almost every request during that lunch, telling him there wasn't a price for what that machine could do.. with that being said, borden had the look of "this guy has no idea what he's getting himself into" when he went to the show.

i gotta watch this movie again

When the Borden's started doing "The Transported Man", there was no flashy Tesla lightning machine at work on the stage.
Just two closets. And no sound but a bouncing rubber ball.
But after one of them had seen Tesla and his machinery at the Royal Albert hall in London, they added what was needed to the performance; Something sparking with electricity, enough to initiate some wonder in the audience.
Its a shame Angier didn't notice that change. He was indeed a blind fool.