Eisenheim The IllusionistProf. Myrna Monllor JimnezEnglish 124

Eisenheim, The IllusionistReceived the PulitzerPrize for Fiction in1997 for his novelMartin Dressler.

Historical BackgroundHarry Houdini

Houdinis Spirits

Vienna at the turn of the 20th centurya 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 empirecity of Mahler, Freud, Klimt, Wagner

Beginning of the storyIt 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

CharacterizationStoryEisenheimSelf-absorbedCompetitiveLonerSeems to have preferred becoming an illusion himselfUhlVery minor characterDoes not have any significance within the story

Eisenheims descriptionEisenheim 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 storyBenedetti, whose real name was Paul HenriCortot, of Lyon, was a master illusionist ofextraordinary smoothness and skill; his mistakewas to challenge Eisenheim by presentingimitations 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 ViennaSpiritualism and illusionists

Neil BurgerInterview with theAssassin (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 centuryfilms

Looks as if theaudience is looking througha lens

Tricking the Eye

Central Conflicts in the filmEisenheims love for Sophie Eisenheims battle against the government through Uhl and Leopold

NarratorStory3rd person narratorReporting/FactsFilmInspector Uhl

Plot Development/StructureStory

Historical Background

Eisenheims story toldin chronological order

Eisenheimsdisappearance without any explanation

Plot development filmEisenheim at the theatre (in media res), Uhl is about to arrest himInspector Uhls telling of the story in flashback, which ends with his finding of the locketInspector Uhl solves the puzzleCoda/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

EisenheimThe hero

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

Inspector Uhl

The antagonist

Prince LeopoldA fictional Crown Prince based on Prince Rudolf, Crown Prince of AustriaThe Mayerling Incident (Marie Vetsera)

The audience is stupid. They are being manipulated.Crown Prince LeopoldThe Villain

Its a trick, its an illusion.

He tries to trick you, I try to enlighten you.

SophieThe love interest

SymbolsThe treeButterfliesCardsThe LocketThe SwordThe GemsThe playing cardHands

And you kept it all this time

Symbolsupside down butterfly

Hands

Mirrors

ExcaliburWhere does power come from?

Image of Entrapment

Gods Eye View

Ending of the film

Endings

Suspension of disbeliefHow does Inspector Uhl know the intimate detailsof 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 deathEisenheims tricks Clues the orange tree the locket the gemsEisenheims appearance at the end

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

Bibliographyhttp://www.darkhorizons.com/2006/illusionist.php

http://www.landmarktheatres.com/mn/illusionist.html

**********Inverted ButterflyClicking on the butterfly will take you to a clip from the beginning of the film.*Diffused images/not clear/as if looking through a lens****Blurs the distinction between illusion and reality by crossing boundaries.exercises power through peoples credulity

*basically a moral character forced by circumstances to act against his principles

empathizes with Eisenheim

is Eisenheims equal

analytic

**Analytic and scientific

Despot

Cowardly*willing to risk anything for love

believes in Eisenheim unconditionally

his equal in intelligence

**********