One of the most common ways people experience history is through film. Ever since I first saw it, The Illusionist (2006) has been one of my favourite films. The film takes place in Austria-Hungary during the time of their empire in the 19th century, and follows the controversial career and love affair of a returning magician to Vienna and his tangles in the politics of the court. For those of you who haven’t seen it, I recommend you do before you read this if you don’t want to have the ending spoiled.
So it’s a historical movie, and it’s good, but why is it on Holy History? Well I’m going to provide one reading of the film that exemplifies some of the Christian themes within it. For me, the film poses some very interesting questions about morality, revelation, and authority.
The character the film really centers upon is not Edward Norton’s character, Eisenheim the Illusionist, but rather Paul Giamatti’s character Walter Uhl. Giamatti plays the chief police inspector of Vienna who has been promised a mayoral or political position by the crown prince if he will collude in the conspiracy to overthrown the current Emperor (the prince’s father). It is revealed that Inspector Uhl does all sort of dirty work for the crown prince, from following his abused girlfriend around to quelling dissent through a range of immoral means. His selfish endeavour for power is explained by Uhl’s lowly background (the son of a butcher), and his own professions of impotence to change the evil around him. Throughout the film, Eisenheim the moral man is constantly urging Uhl to repent of his ways and arrest the wicked prince who has his murders covered up by the Viennese police. 
The moral struggle is portrayed extremely well by Giamatti, and ultimately as the words of Eisenheim convict him, when faced with the decision to do the right thing, or the selfish thing, Uhl at risk to his life turns the prince in, which gets him hastily fired. Walking back down the street, Uhl has lost everything for his decision, there was no reward or promotion, and in fact he is ignorant of the greater role he played in the saving of a woman’s life and the fulfillment of two peoples’ love. In such a state, it is revealed to Uhl everything that has been done, and how even his mistakes and crimes against Eisenheim were unable to foil the greater plan for good. The right authority of the Emperor is restored, the kingdom is at peace, Eisenheim is free, and Uhl has followed his conscience.
One of my favourite lines in the film is when Eisenheim catches Inspector Uhl in the midst of covering up a murder, and shouts at him “are you completely corrupt?” A question each of us could surely ask ourselves.
The life of Uhl is reflective of the work of the Holy Spirit and the effects of Original Sin. Uhl is born in a lowly state, one that could never ascend to the aristocracy by its own efforts, he is chosen by the prince (of this world? / Satan) to fill a high position (‘the Devil takes care of his own’). To achieve greatness he is require to sell his soul and morality to the prince, but in doing so encounters another blameless man. This blameless man tells him to repent and warns him that the plan of the prince could go “very badly” because the Emperor is still in control even if it doesn’t appear that way. Struck to the heart by these words, Uhl finds himself no longer able to trust in the empty promises of the prince and rejects his service along with all his benefits. In the end, he has accepted the lawful authority above him, and his own true place in the world, and has been reconciled to those around him. My favourite scene was during the conclusion when Uhl is shown to be rapturously pleased with the greater mystery which has been revealed to him, which everyone around him has missed. The film thus seems to be saying, while everyone in the world sees the confusing tragedy of life, this is all an illusion. Beneath the surface is the truth which is ultimately a comedy.