(spoiler) Question about Hugh Jackman's character in the Prestige?

Question

I don't understand how Hugh Jackman's character's stunt worked: I know he had a machine that duplicated him, but how did he reappear far away while the duplicate drowned? If he was the one entering the machine, shouldn't he have fallen down into the water? Also, how come he said that he never knew each night if he would be the one one drowning or the one getting the applause? Finally, how come he suddenly seemed to have a British accent at the end when during the rest of the movie he sounded American?

Answer 1

Tesla's device duplicated whatever was put in it, and so there were two items instead of one. To use the movie's terminology, one was the original, one was the prestige (duplicate.)

It was unclear which of the two items was the original. An object would appear some distance from the machine (remember the hats?) but it was always a predictable distance and direction (all the hats were in the same place.) But was it the original hat, somehow teleported, or was it a duplicate hat and the original stayed in the machine? It is impossible to know. They are identical.

And that was what Hugh Jackman never knew. When he turned the machine on, would he be the one falling into the water, or an exact duplicate of himself with all his memories, etc. It's creepy when you think about it. Both Jackmans would think they were the original, but one of them dies.

Don't know about the whole accent thing. Good movie though.

Answer 2

How did he reappear far away while the duplicate drowned?
- You just said it yourself. The machine was to make copies of him. The duplicate was already made so it just had to go ontop of the balcony.


If he was the one entering the machine, shouldn't he have fallen down into the water?
-He did fall into the water. There was a opening in the floor where he would drop into the water.

How come he said that he never knew each night if he would be the one one drowning or the one getting the applause?
-He doesn't know each night because he would have to sacrifice himself to another duplicate.

How come he suddenly seemed to have a British accent at the end when during the rest of the movie he sounded American?
-He was supposed to have a British accent

Answer 3

The easy part first - the American identity was fake. He was really an English aristocrat who had to hide it because his family disapproved of his stage work. So he pretended to be an American.

As for the cloning machine that Tesla made - if you remember the hats (and the cats), the duplicate appeared far away. (Or does the clone appear in the machine and the original gets transported? Probably the former.)

So when Angier stepped into the machine, the clone appeared a small distance away - on the balcony. The original fell into the tank and was killed, so that he never risked having more than one of himself alive at any time.

They were all him - but in a way, he was killing a little part of himself each performance. After having killed 100 clones, was he really still himself? That's why he said he wasn't sure if he'd be the one drowning or getting the applause - which one was really him?

When he performed the Transported Man before he had to use a double. (The drunk guy with bad teeth.) He was jealous that the double got all the applause and glory for the amazing trick while he had to sit under the stage. Tesla's machine made it possible for him to both do the trick and get the applause - but at what cost?