As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, guitar players can learn from many sources. Today, we’re going to see what guitarists can learn from the 2006 mystery-thriller film, The Prestige.

This movie is about two fictional 19th-century stage magicians who become bitter rivals obsessed with creating the ultimate illusion. Starring Hugh Jackman as Robert Angier and Christian Bale as Alfred Borden, this is definitely a film you should check out if you’re not aware of it.

I’ll be sure to explain every point I make as though you haven’t seen The Prestige. If you’re interested in getting a quick sense of the movie, here’s a trailer that might help you get better oriented. I’ll link to other relevant clips over the course of the post.

Now, here are 2 things guitarists can learn from The Prestige.

One thing we learn from watching the movie’s magicians “behind the scenes” is that many of their tricks are actually very simple. They may look complicated, but that’s merely part of the illusion.

One key example of this occurs early in the film, when Angier and Borden are studying fellow magician Chung Ling So’s fishbowl trick. Here’s a clip of the scene I’m talking about. 

Basically, So’s trick is to make certain items “magically” appear on stools before him while waving a piece of cloth in front of them.

Angier and Borden conclude that the illusion is only possible if So, a very frail-looking old man, is performing an astonishing feat of strength.

He must be carrying a fishbowl full of water under his robe and then transferring it onto the stool. All of this without the use of his hands! And yet at the same time, So is a frail old man who can hardly walk without assistance.

Borden realizes that So is only pretending to be weak; that he must always be concealing his real strength in public. Thus, his entire life is an extension of his magical act. The fishbowl trick, whose mechanism is simple once understood, actually requires a lifetime of devotion.

The idea that simple things are often difficult applies equally to guitar playing.

After all, who doesn’t know what it takes to become a great guitarist? Even non-musicians know that the secret is practice; lots and lots of practice. Even though many of us realize this, and many of us want to master the guitar, few of us become talented guitarists because practicing isn’t easy, and practicing a lot is actually pretty hard.

In The Prestige, Borden takes this lesson to heart. His signature illusion, “The Transported Man,” relies upon his identical twin being an exact double of himself. No one else knows that there are two Bordens, and the two of them must “perform” their entire lives as though they were one man.

In the final climax of the film, Borden reveals his secret to Angier, who can’t believe his rival’s trick is so simple. Borden replies, “Simple maybe, but not easy. There’s nothing easy about two men sharing one life.”

We all make certain sacrifices. In a way, whenever we decide to do anything—eat, work, clean, or sleep—we’re sacrificing our potential to be doing anything else.

Of course, we normally think of sacrifice in a larger sense, such as someone sacrificing themselves for a greater cause. This is definitely the case in The Prestige.

Borden devotes much of his life to the integrity of his illusions. He keeps his secrets from everyone around him, including his wife and children. He claims that this kind of sacrifice is the price of a good trick.

I believe the same applies to anyone who wants to become a good guitarist. We can think of impressive guitar playing as type of trick, which is only made possible through a good deal of sacrifice, also known as practice. (For advice on how to practice, you’ll find this post to be helpful.)

The major sacrifices we make to the guitar consist of our time and energy, but we also make lesser sacrifices. For instance, steel-string players will find that they need to sacrifice much of the feeling on the tips of their fretting-hand fingers.

The celebrated classical guitarist Christopher Parkening once said in an interview that as a child, his dad would essentially force him to practice for hours after school while his friends were out playing sports.

He said he used to be jealous of his classmates, who could play outdoors while he had to stay in with his guitar work. Parkening’s sacrifice clearly paid off, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t cost him.

Which is exactly the point. One of the key principles in Economics is that “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” No one gets something for nothing; if you believe you are, then you’re probably missing the hidden costs of an exchange.

I think any guitarist should understand the cost of talent. You have to shake hands with the Devil, as it were.

If you want to advance in your study of the guitar, then you must pay the price. By this I don’t mean that the price is necessarily bad in itself (after all, guitar practice could well be the best part of your day).

Another thing to remember is that the degree of your musical advancement will be proportional to your sacrifice. This is a simple truth, but many of our actions do not accord with it.

If you want to be great at guitar, then your sacrifice must be equally great. You can think of yourself as seated at the world’s bargaining table, with the minutes, hours, and years of your life as chips. How will you spend your limited portion?

Few of us are trying to mystify the world with groundbreaking illusions. However, we all stand to gain from the examples of Angier and Borden, who dedicated everything to their art.

Guitar playing and stage magic are more similar than you might think. They both revolve around practice, performance, and the pursuit of perfection.

Again, if you haven’t seen The Prestige (and you like movies), then I encourage you to check it out.

What other movies would you have guitarists watch? Be sure to let me know in the comments!

Are you looking to upgrade your gear or browse some awesome guitar learning materials? Check out my recommendations page to see all my favorite stuff. 

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