Filmmakers Conjure Movie Magic
This article hypothesizes that the popularity of Harry Potter has inspired filmmakers to explore magical themes. Indeed, there are a slew of upcoming films that are based on magic: "The Prestige," "Death Defying Acts" and "Magicians," not to mention the recently released “The Illusionist.”
"In times of transition and upheaval, people look for some sort of larger truth," says Neil Burger, director of “The Illusionist.” "If only for a moment, they put you in mind of the possibility of something greater than the powers of man. And that appeals to me."
"Basically, my goal was to do the illusions as they would have been done at that time," Burger also says in the article. “Very little computer-generated imagery (CGI) was used in making the film.”
Of course, we all know that most of the magical effects were courtesy of computer-based digital manipulations. To cover himself, Burger says in the article that the ghostly apparitions were achieved using "glass and projections and things like that." But allows that some effects were "enhanced."
More Reading
Movie Review: The Illusionist - We review the film from a magician's perspective
Comments
comments on review…
“…most of the period magic depicted here is impossible…”
Isn’t the concept of observing the ‘impossible’ exactly what we magicians want to present to our audience? Further, to the audiences, then as now, the ‘impossible’ IS what they have just witnessed, if you’re good. And, they don’t care, or know, how you accomplished the effect.
My first reaction to the opening scenes was similar to your feelings of “let down.” But, I came to realize that the viewpoint of the magic throughout the film was that of the lay audience, rather than the magi. And, to the lay audience, the effects are much, much larger than life. And, that “largeness” is depicted in the film through sfx.
If you actually perform magic to lay audiences, you should KNOW how large the impact of your effects are to them.
Let me suggest to you that the point of view in the movie, when watching the magic, was established in the opening scene where the future Eisenheim met the magician by the side of the road. The effects he saw were seen to be pure miracles. Of course they were! He had no knowledge base to draw upon, as we do, to even attempt to figure out the mechanics… and he was left with that memory. The filmmakers wanted to have us (magi) “see” the same thing. And, this point of view was kept throughout the film.
The only exception that I remember is the scene where Eisenheim did a coin production on the street for the begging children.
As to your remarks regarding the apparitions presented:
“Such illusions don’t exist
today. And they clearly go far beyond the illusions of the period
that could have included Pepper’s Ghost and the Blue Room.” I say, yes they do… as far as the lay audience POV. Remember, he bought the theater in which he presented the ghosts… a tightly closed, and totally controlled environment. The lay audience would have no chance.
The period magic, then, was indeed presented, only from the lay POV. I thought the whole movie was marvelous.
Yours in magic,
Joe Miller