Trivia and Quotes
Quotes
 Eisenheim: Everything you have seen here has been an illusion. Chief Inspector Uhl: Promise me you won`t do it again.
Eisenheim: I promise you you`ll enjoy this next show.
Crown Prince Leopold: I want you to put and end to it.
Crown Prince Leopold: You`re late.
Chief Inspector Uhl: My apologies, your Highness. I was attending to loose ends of the case.
Crown Prince Leopold: Are there still loose ends?
Chief Inspector Uhl: Very few.
Crown Prince Leopold: Did he do it again?
[Uhl nods]
Crown Prince Leopold: How does he do it?
Chief Inspector Uhl: I`m afraid I still don`t know.
Crown Prince Leopold: Did you ask him?
Chief Inspector Uhl: He`s not talking at this point.
Crown Prince Leopold: Well, I`m sure you have methods for that kind of thing. I want you to put an end to it. Surely you have something on him. Something from his past?
Chief Inspector Uhl: In the name of his Imperial Majesty in the city of Vienna, I hearby arrest Edward Abramovich, also known as Eisenheim The Illusionist on charges of disturbing public order, charlotonism and threats against the empire.
Chief Inspector Uhl: As a boy, I`m told, he had a chance encounter with a travelling magician. One version of the story was that the man himself vanished... along with the tree. People began to think he had some sort of special power... or at least that he was a bit different. And then he met her.
Josef Fischer: Life and death. Space and time. Fate and chance. Theses are the forces of the universe. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a man who has unlocked these mysteries. From the furthest corners of the world where the dark arts still hold sway he returns to us to demonstrate how nature’s laws may be bent. I give you Eisenheim.
Eisenheim: i thought we might end this evening with a discussion of the soul. All of the greatest religions speak of the soul’s endurance before the end of life. So what then does it mean to die?
Crown Prince Leopold: Well done.
Eisenheim: Thank you for coming. I hope you enjoyed it.
Crown Prince Leopold: Oh, we more than enjoyed it, it stimulated great discussion among us hasn`t it. Except of course for your assistant Duchess Von Teschen, you seem to have struck her quite speechless. Did you hypnotize her?
Eisenheim: In a fashion.
Crown Prince Leopold: I`d like to learn that trick. Reinher here seems to think you have supernatural powers. Do you claim supernatural powers?
Eisenheim: I`ve never said anything of that kind.
Crown Prince Leopold: Then you won`t mind me asking a question or two?
Sophie: Oh, lets not ruin it.
Crown Prince Leopold: I needn`t divulge in anything I can`t guess.
Eisenheim: As you wish.
Crown Prince Leopold: You`re assistants are behind the mirrors somewhere, in robes obviously; lights in the frame perhaps to illuminate them or angled mirrors.
Eisenheim: That would be one way to do it.
Crown Prince Leopold: I think i understand it all except the ghost. That was very very good.
Josef Fischer: Another viewing, perhaps?
Crown Prince Leopold: You must come the the Hoffburg next time. We`ll make an evening of it.
Eisenheim: That would be my pleasure.
Crown Prince Leopold: So be it. Sophie. I will gather our best minds next time. You really have to challenge them.
Eisenheim: Then I shall prepare something special. Perhaps I`ll make you disappear.
Eisenheim: My intention has only been to entertain, nothing more.
Chief Inspector Uhl: [pacing] Eisenheim, I don`t want to arrest you. I`m a cynical man, God knows... but if your manifestations are somehow real... then even I`m willing to admit, you`re a very special person. And if it`s a trick, then it`s equally impressive. Either way, you have a gift. So don`t make me put you in jail!
Crown Prince Leopold: What do you want?
Chief Inspector Uhl: Nothing.
Crown Prince Leopold: Then you shall get nothing.
Young Eisenheim: [When showing Young Sophie the locket he made for her] There`s a secret way to open it.
Eisenheim: Do you know me?
Sophie: No.
Eisenheim: Are you quite certain that we`ve never met?
Sophie: Yes, of course.
Young Sophie: Make us disappear!
Crown Prince Leopold: I know you`ve been with him.
Sophie: It has nothing to do with you.
Crown Prince Leopold: It has EVERYTHING to do with me!
Eisenheim: [Angrily] Are you completely corrupt?
Chief Inspector Uhl: No, not completely, which is why I`ll advise you not to accuse anyone.
Eisenheim: Why don`t you leave him?
Sophie: It`s not that easy.
Chief Inspector Uhl: You don`t know that.
Eisenheim: No. But you do.
Crown Prince Leopold: He has tricked you, it is all an illusion!
Chief Inspector Uhl: Perhaps there is truth in this illusion.
Sophie: What did you do to him?
Eisenheim: I gave him what he asked for.
Sophie: What possessed you to do something so foolish?
Chief Inspector Uhl: What do you want?
Eisenheim: Nothing.
Chief Inspector Uhl: Then why are you doing this?
Eisenheim: To be with her.
Crown Prince Leopold: How do I look?
Chief Inspector Uhl: Ordinary, sir. Very ordinary.
Eisenheim: I was meant to return... I just... I kept thinking I`ll find around the next corner...
Sophie: What?
Eisenheim: A real mystery. I saw remarkable things but the only mystery I never solved was... why my heart couldn`t let go of you.
Eisenheim: From the moment we enter this live we are in the flow of it. We measure it and We mock it, but we cannot defy it. We cannot even speed it up or slow it down. Or can we? Have we not each experienced the sensation that a beautiful moment seemed to pass to quickly, and wished that we could make it linger? Or felt time slow on a dull day, and wished that we could speed things up a bit?
Chief Inspector Uhl: As you know... we some times follow Duchess Von Teschen for her protection... Yesterday she was seen in the company of another man...
Crown Prince Leopold: What man?
Chief Inspector Uhl: Eisenheim, the illusionist.
Crown Prince Leopold: What were they doing?
Chief Inspector Uhl: Well they were meeting and uh...
Crown Prince Leopold: Touching? Kissing?... Fornicating?
Sophie: Then why did you speak to me? Why did you even bother talking...
Eisenheim: [goes forward and passionately kisses her]
Trivia
Although the story is fictional, some of the details are based on the life of Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf, only son of Emperor Franz Josef. The painting of the emperor which Eisenheim creates is an actual portrait of Franz Josef. The bodies of Rudolf and his mistress, the Baroness Mary Vetsera, were found at his hunting lodge Mayerling on January 30, 1889 in what is now known as the "Mayerling Incident". This was initially covered up by the Imperial Family, creating controversy and mystery.
When Prince Leopold is approached by Inspector Uhl, while hunting, to inform him of Eisenheim and Sophie`s meetings, the Prince asks what they were seen doing together. The line about if they were seen "fornicating" was originally filmed as him saying "fucking" instead. They dubbed in the word "fornicating" to avoid an R-Rating in compliance with the MPAA`s policy that the f-word not be used in reference to intercourse in a PG-13 film.
Edward Norton did many of his own magic tricks, with the coaching of James Freedman. He worked with Norton preparing him for his stage performances and acted as a hand double in numerous situations.
Jessica Biel replaced Liv Tyler, who dropped out of the film just as filming was about to begin.
The character of Eisenheim is closely based on the magician and supposed clairvoyant Erik Jan Hanussen, who was famous in Vienna in the early part of the 20th century and was murdered by Nazi soldiers in 1933.
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# The trick of the Orange Tree was made famous by a 19th Century French magician named Robert-Houdin. It was from Robert-Houdin that another magician, Ehrich Weiss, came up with the stage name "Houdini." This trick is first mentioned in old Indian manuscript as an illusion by Faux. Analogical trick was also performed by Pinetti, an 18th Century magician, but instead of oranges, he used lemons. Houdini was the first one to use real fruits.
The character portrayed by Philip McGough is shown in the credits to be named Dr. Hofzinser, after a prominent sleight-of-hand artist.
So that the crew would not have to use CGI to "fake" the magical illusions seen in the movie, Norton received intensive training in sleight of hand and other stage magic techniques from British magician James Freedman and American magician Ricky Jay.
The character Prince Leopold says during a performance of Eisenheim at the palace: "He tries to trick you ... I try to enlighten you. Which is the more noble pursuit?" This reference is to a famous slogan the RJ Reynolds tobacco company used in the 1930`s that said "It`s fun to be fooled ... it`s more fun to know." The slogan was combined with adverts showing the secrets behind famous mysteries. The impetus for this was a tribute to the popularity of the American magician Horace Goldin.
During the scene where Eisenheim is performing at the Hofburg, he places the Crown Prince`s sword upright on the stage. The first officer who attempts to lift it is unable. The second person to try -- to whom the Crown Prince says "Not so eager, cousin" -- is also unable. That second person was probably meant to be Karl von Habsburg-Lothringen, who succeeded "Crown Prince Leopold`s" father, Franz Josef, as Emperor in 1916.
According to the director`s commentary, Jessica Biel dressed in a period costume for her audition.
The love scene was entirely lit by kerosene lamps. By the end of each take, the small room was filled with smoke that it was hard to see.
Director Cameo: [Neil Burger] man projected onto smoke when Uhl tries to see how Eisenheim does his `ghost` trick
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Edward Norton
(as Eisenheim)
with Jessica Biel
(as Sophie)
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