Influences

The obvious historical influence on The Illusionist is the Mayerling Incident in which the Emperor's only son killed himself and his lover in a love pact, or so history tells us. The names and circumstances have been changed but I certainly see some similarities.

There are also filmic influences. The Hungarian director, Istvan Szabo, made a trilogy of historical films in the 1980s. Colonel Redl showed the claustrophic nature of Austro-Hungarian society and the power of the secret police and Hanussen showed a professional hypnotist and clairvoyant who becomes the darling of society but puts himself in danger from the state by always telling the truth.

Was anyone else reminded of these?