Hiding in Plain Sight

By: Connor Lenahan

I really, really love movies. That much is probably true by knowing me even slightly well. I tend to work in references to things in most of my daily conversation while I talk about connections to film and television even more. It’s likely pretty annoying, but it’s genuinely fascinating.

Sure, there’s a lot of pieces written about the movies at the Oscars that aren’t exactly populist fare. There are more movies in existence that are explicitly artistic than I could fathom to mention here. However, Christopher Nolan is either the most popular, or at least certainly in the conversation for most popular, filmmaker that also invites close reading into his films.

This video essay below talks about the brilliance in his career at working with such a weird designation. He tries to make you buy into a film’s world 100%, like Gotham in the Batman series, while also openly layering in deeper meaning without being explicit.

Although I am in the majority that thinks that The Dark Knight is his most entertaining film, I’m not sure I’ve loved a movie and/or been fascinated by one as much as The Prestige, which probably should have stolen a Best Picture nomination in 2006. But that’s beside the point. What I love about this movie is how it’s essentially flawless with the sleight of hand in the plot. They tip off the twist for this movie more than a few times in advance, but it’s done with such care that you never pick up on it. It’s brilliant, and has aged overwhelmingly well since it came out a decade ago.

Enjoy the following, and if you’re anything like me, enjoy your rewatch of The Prestige.