History Film / TheIllusionist2006

* DuelingMovies: With ''Film/ThePrestige''.

->''Nothing is what it seems.''

* FakeNationality: Americans EdwardNorton, PaulGiamatti and JessicaBiel and British Rufus Sewell are all playing Austrian characters.

''The Illusionist'' tells the story of Eisenheim, a magician in Vienna in the late 1800's and the childhood promise he made to a girl that someday, they would both disappear. The film begins near its climax and most of the film takes place in a FlashBack.

* DuelingMovies: With ''ThePrestige''.

* [[spoiler:FakingTheDead, complete with a very convincing temporary FauxDeath.]]

* MagiciansAreWizards: While ''ThePrestige'' justified its use of this trope, this film handwaves it.

* RebelliousPrincess: Well, duchess, at least; she wants desperately to run away with Edward despite the fact that he's the lowborn son of a cabinetmaker.

* WhodunnitToMe: Sophie's ghostly appearances at Eisenheim's shows seems to be trying to get the public to figure this one out.

* [=~Hey, It's That Guy!~=]: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams_%28TV_miniseries%29 John Adams]] is investigating [[FightClub the Narrator]].

No relation to the [[{{Ptitlep1hztg2s}} 2010 animated film]].

''Nothing is what it seems.''

The Illusionist tells the story of Eisenheim, a magician in Vienna in the late 1800's and the childhood promise he made to a girl that someday, they would both disappear. The film begins near its climax and most of the film takes place in a FlashBack.

!!Tropes:

* DrivenToSuicide
* EverythingsPrettierWithButterflies
* TheEvilPrince

The Illusionist tells the story of Eisenheim, a magician in Vienna in the late 1800's and the most ornate plan ever for running away with a woman. The film begins near its climax and most of the film takes place in a FlashBack.

* AmbiguouslyJewish: Eisenheim, aka Eduard Abramowitz, has a Jewish surname, and is a stage magician in the early twentieth century. If so, it adds another reason why he and Sophie have to go to America to be together.

** Though methods existed for all his tricks, you just never learn about them without the DVD commentary.

** Although we do see him backhand Sophie once. And plan a coup d’état.

* MagiciansAreWizards: While ''ThePrestige'' justified its use of this trope, this film handwaves it. Badly.

* AgeLift: Edward Norton is clearly not the same age as Jessica Biel.

* PlayingHamlet: Edward Norton is clearly not the same age as Jessica Biel.

** This at least ''appears'' to be the case. In the end, he's revealed as one of the few truly moral characters in the film, while Eisenheim got far less sympathy from this editor than he began with.

[[quoteright:270:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/illusionist_poster_4453.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:270:The Great Tatischeff.]]
Not to be confused with the 2006 film of the same name. The Illusionist (French: L'Illusionniste) is a 2010 animated film directed by Sylvain Chomet, the creator of ''{{The Triplets Of Belleville}}'', based on an old screenplay written by [[JacquesTati Jacques Tati]] in 1956.

A mostly silent film, set in the 1950s, about a French illusionist, named Tatischeff, as he tries to find work in a world where the stage is slowly giving way to the silver screen. His travels take him from Paris to London, and eventually a small rural town in Scotland, where he meets a young woman named Alice. Captivated by Tatischeff's illusions and believing them to be real, she leaves home with him as he makes his way to Edinburgh.

Tatischeff performs at a local music hall to an ever-decreasing audience, while Alice wanders around the city, seeing clothes that she wishes she could have. In his kindness, Tatischeff indulges her with these gifts. Unfortunately, he spends large amounts of money on them, while Alice continues to believe them to be more of his magic tricks. In order to continue in appeasing his protégé, Tatischeff takes up numerous other jobs to keep both Alice happy and a roof above their heads: being poorly treated and degraded in the process. After blossoming into a pretty young woman, Alice finds love with a local man working at a library across from their hotel.

The movie was meant to be Jacques Tati's love letter to his daughter in 1956. Tati's middle grandson, Richard [=MacDonald=], sent a letter to famed movie critic RogerEbert in which he [[=MacDonald=]] discusses his distaste for the film. You can [[http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/directors/the-shame-of-jacques-tati.html read the letter here]].

* ActorAllusion: To [[JacquesTati Jacques Tati]] himself: The Illusionist's name is Tatischeff (Tati's full last name), and at a later part in the movie, Tatischeff stumbles into a [[spoiler:cinema showcasing ''Mon Oncle''.]]
** Tatischeff's body movements are incredibly reminiscent of Tati's in his roles as M. Hulot.
* TheAlcoholic: With an AlcoholHic and all.
* BittersweetEnding: Alice matures and gets a boyfriend. [[spoiler:Tatischeff, however, hangs up his top hat and white rabbit for good, and departs. And Alice realises how naive she's been in thinking that Tatischeff could perform real magic. Not to mention the guilt of knowing that all of the expensive gifts ''didn't'' actually come from thin air.]]
* BlackComedy: The suicidal clown.
* BrawnHilda: The opera singer at the wedding.
* BreakTheCutie: Twice over it seems. Alice has her moment [[spoiler:when Tatischeff writes her a note telling her magic isn't real when she'd spent her whole life dreaming away]] and [[spoiler:Tatischeff himself when he has to admit it's time to give up.]]
* ConspicuousCG: The flying camera pan across Edinburgh in the otherwise 2D animation. The vehicles are also made with CGI.
* CrapsackWorld: Slap in the face realism and that the absolutely broke Tatischeff gets his money stolen is quite sad.
* DerangedAnimation: With the other performers at the hotel in Edinburgh. But even they're tame considering [[SylvainChomet Chomet's]] other [[TheTripletsOfBelleville work]].
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:This almost happens with the clown until Alice knocks on his door, offering lunch.]]
* EatTheDog: Tatischeff thinks Alice has cooked his rabbit.
* EndOfAnAge: A major theme throughout the film. Tati's profession is being outpaced by electricity, moving pictures and Rock n' Roll.
* EverythingIsBigInTexas: A flashy Texan brings his car into the garage (which even has Texas license plates, despite being in the United Kingdom).
* EverythingsBetterWithBunnies: Even if he/she bites, growls and attacks you.
* GhibliHills: The countryside around Edinburgh.
** Specifically Holyrood Park, which is still more or less exactly as it is portrayed here.
* GrayRainOfDepression: Close to the end when [[spoiler:Alice reflects over her dreams of magic being false and the fact Tatischeff went along with it for her sake.]] Includes a stare out of the window at the rain moment as well.
* HairRaisingHare: The stage rabbit is not friendly at all.
* IAteWhat: Averted but played with. The rabbit escapes his/her hutch and Alice is cooking a stew for lunch. The wind blows the pages off the cookery book and it opens on a page for rabbit stew. HilarityEnsues.
* KillerRabbit: He/She bites.
* LeFilmArtistique: Especially at that "depressing as hell" point.
* MagiciansAreWizards: Alice thinks this, at least.
* ManInAKilt: The film is mostly set in Scotland, so no surprise. The drunk Scotsman gets the FanDisservice version when the wind blows his kilt a little too high.
* MediumBlending: TV and movies seen in the film are live action, not animated.
* MimeAndMusicOnlyCartoon: Much like {{The Triplets of Belleville}}.
* MoodWhiplash: The aforementioned EatTheDog scene - it cuts from the illusionist hunting for the rabbit to the SadClown [[spoiler: ''attempting suicide'']] and back again.
* OddFriendship: French illusionist and a young Scottish girl.
* ParentalSubstitute: The illusionist becomes this for Alice. We never see what happened to her parents.
* PullARabbitOutOfMyHat: Part of the act.
* RunningGag: The Scotsman who gives Tatischeff his first job in Scotland is seen multiple times being completely drunk.
* SadClown: The clown living upstairs drinks heavily to [[SoundtrackDissonance circus music]].
* SceneryPorn: And [[http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/the_illusionist_2010_movie_image_01.jpg how]].
* ShoutOut: The hit band ''Billy Boy and the Britoons'' look like some [[TheBeatles lads from]] {{Oop North}}.
** A certain [[TheTripletsOfBelleville mouse-faced mechanic]] makes a re-appearance at Jenner's Department Store.
** There is a pawnbroker's shop called "Brown & Blair". Those are the two recent prime ministers in the United Kingdom. The shop is even modeled after a real pawnshop in Edinburgh.
* {{Squee}}: The raging fangirls at the rock concert.
* TheStinger: [[spoiler:The Drunken Scotsman crawling across the floor in London after the credits.]]
* TheVoiceless: To some extent, Tatischeff. He coughs a bit.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: this was originally going to be in 3-D.

* BittersweetEnding: Alice matures and gets a boyfriend. [[spoiler:Tatischeff, however, hangs up his top hat and white rabbit for good, and departs. And Alice realises how naive she's been in thinking that Tatischeff could perform real magic.]]

Not to be confused with the 2006 film of the same name. The Illusionist (French: L'Illusionniste) is a 2010 animated film directed by Sylvain Chomet, the creator of ''{{The Triplets Of Belleville}}'', based on an old screenplay written by [[JacquesTati Jacques Tati]].

A mostly silent film about a French illusionist, named Tatischeff, as he tries to find work in a world where the stage is slowly giving way to the silver screen. His travels take him from Paris to London, and eventually a small rural town in Scotland, where he meets a young woman named Alice. Captivated by Tatischeff's illusions and believing them to be real, she leaves home with him as he makes his way to Edinburgh.

* ConspicuousCG: The flying camera pan across Edinburgh.

* TheVoiceless: To some extent, Tatischeff. He coughs a bit.

* EarWorm: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG_CPNQdc7w ''Chanson Illusionniste'']], serving as the main theme to the film.
** The song that the depressed clown plays in his hotel room.

* JerkassWoobie: The rabbit.

* TearJerker: The whole film itself is quite depressing, about giving up dreams and facing harsh reality but [[spoiler:when Tatischeff releases the rabbit into the wild at the end tissues will be needed.]]
** [[spoiler:''"Les magiciens n'existent pas."'']]

Tatischeff performs at a local music hall to an ever-decreasing audience, while Alice wanders around the city, seeing clothes that she wishes she could have. In his kindness, Tatischeff indulges her with these gifts. Unfortunately, he spends large amounts of money on them, while Alice continues to believe them to be more of his magic tricks. In order to continue in appeasing his protégé, Tatischeff takes up numerous other jobs to keep both Alice happy and a roof above their heads: being poorly treated and degraded in the process. After blossoming into a pretty young woman, Alice finds love with a local man working at a library across from their hotel. [[spoiler:By this time, Tatischeff no longer has an audience to perform to, and after seeing what has replaced him as both an entertainer and guardian of Alice, he departs Edinburgh, leaving Alice a single note: ''Magicians Don't Exist''.]]

Not to be confused with the 2006 film of the same name. The Illusionist (French: L'Illusionniste) is a 2010 animated film directed by Sylvain Chomet, the creator of ''{{TheTripletsOfBelleville}}''.

A mostly silent film about a nameless French illusionist finds himself out of work and travels to Scotland, where he meets a young woman named Alice. Their ensuing adventure changes both their lives forever.

* BreakTheCutie: Twice over it seems. Alice has her moment [[spoiler:when the illusionist writes her a note telling her magic isn't real when she'd spent her whole life dreaming away]] and [[spoiler:the illusionist himself when he has to admit it's time to give up.]]
* CrapsackWorld: Slap in the face realism and that the absolutely broke illusionist gets his money stolen is quite sad.

* GrayRainOfDepression: Close to the end when [[spoiler:Alice reflects over her dreams of magic being false and the fact the illusionist went along with it for her sake.]] Includes a stare out of the window at the rain moment as well.

* MimeAndMusicOnlyCartoon: Much like TheTripletsofBelleville.
* NoNameGiven: The French illusionist.

* Squee: The raging fangirls at the rock concert.
* TearJerker: The whole film itself is quite depressing, about giving up dreams and facing harsh reality but [[spoiler:when the illusionist releases the rabbit into the wild at the end tissues will be needed.]]
* TheVoiceless: To some extent the French illusionist. He coughs a bit.

* IAteWhat: Averted but played with. The rabbit escapes his/her hutch and Alice is cooking a stew for lunch. The wind blows the pages off the cookery book and it opens on a page for rabbit stew. HilarityEncues.

* The Alcoholic: With an AlcoholHic and all.

* [[Ptitlerxisk1aw Everything's Better With Bunnies]]: Even if he/she bites, growls and attacks you.