MovieChat Forums > The Illusionist (2006) Discussion > Duchess death

Duchess death

posted 16 years ago by dhanapura
8 replies | jump to latest

Ok got a bit confused when Norton finds her int ehw ater apaprently stabbed.

So the docotr was fake, ok got that, but how did she fake not breathing? it wasnt a double when Giamatti inspected her was it? There was some potion I assume slows the heart down ro knocks her out but not dead.

She was not revived.

And also she she is murdered, Prince does not give a rats ass apparently, no funeral or nothing (body?) and jsut lets Norton go on.

this part was a little silly. Originally he wanted him shut down, then his wide dies and hes ok wih it.

Anyone? Oh not wife yet but close enough.

[–] Chelle-the-Belle 16 years ago

Seems to me you pretty much get it.....and the film tries to answer all of the open ended questions in a dream-like montage at the end of the movie.

1. Norton finds her "stabbed" and "dead" in the water. But we learn later that they set this all up so she can run away with him. Fake wound, fake blood, etc.

2. Right....the doctor was a phony and was helping them; declared her officially dead so that she and Norton could be together.

3. She was given something to stop her heart apparently and then administered some sort of elixir to bring her back to life.

4. The Prince didn't seem too distraught over her death but this is mainly due to the fact that she was leaving him anyway. I think it was obvious that he didn't truly love her....it was more of a social status relationship.

[–] lbra73-3 16 years ago

3. She was given something to stop her heart apparently and then administered some sort of elixir to bring her back to life.

^^ This is the part that doesn't make sense to me either and doesn't seem entirely realistic and this movie isn't science-fiction so there should be a logical explanation.

[–] Chelle-the-Belle 16 years ago

Yes, I agree, lbra73-3....this film took too many liberties with "other-worldly" type antics and glossed over the need for explanations. The writer/director was surely going for the intrigue and mystique of it all. Unfortunately, it's one of those films that leaves you feeling a bit confused and unsatisfied.

[–] CiaraChica 16 years ago

Although an elixir was also taken by Juliet in Romeo&Juliet, the original play, so the idea has been around for a while in theory if not in practice.

**Spoiler** but when she died and no fuss was made it was so obvious that that was the big twist at the end

"You'll have to speak up...I'm wearing a towel"

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] politiciandiva 14 years ago

I get how they made her appear dead. What I want to know is how they dealt with there being no body...like...for a funeral. Surely one was held, even if we didn't see it. And I'm pretty sure they didn't cremate at that point. Did they have to use the "poison" on her again during the funeral...and then steal her body again?

aighhhh implausible.

[–] MeanerWithTheScenery 14 years ago

Perhaps open caskets weren't the thing back in the day? If so, they could have filled the casket with any old crap and buried it, who would know?

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