Ch 39: Secrets Are My Life (The Prestige - Part IV)

{3rd Person POV}

Wednesday, 21st May, 2008

There were now very few scenes left to shoot, so few in fact, that Oliver could count them on one hand. For him, 'The Prestige' had been the most difficult film for him to shoot, though that didn't really say much as this was only his third film. But even still, the more fantastical and complex nature of the tricks had made it quite a hard job for both him and the production team to film the movie.

Today, they were going to be shooting the scene which happens immediately after Borden gives Angier a note that says "Tesla" to save Fallon, his ingenieur, from death by suffocation. Borden then starts digging Fallon out and goes to a high-end restaurant to celebrate the prevention of Fallon's death, and that's where the scene begins.

For now, only two actors were on set: Emily Carter, and the person playing Fallon, John Wilson. He was the body double for Michael, and had worked with him on his previous projects. So, Oliver only saw it fit to hire him as both Michael's body double for both Borden and Fallon.

For the most part, John was more like an actor himself than a body double, as most of the scenes of Fallon were with Borden. For those scenes, he would play the role of Borden's ingenieur, but when Fallon would be alone, Michael himself would act as the mysterious ingenieur. So, John was basically unofficially playing the role of Fallon.

Moving on to the second person, Emily was seated in her position, which was a dining table, and waiting for her co-stars to get to the filming area. She was wearing a frilly, yellow coloured dress and had her hair tied up. If you showed a black-and-white picture of her to someone and said that this is a picture of a rich lady from the Victorian Era, 9/10 people would certainly believe you. That's just how good the costume designing was.

Soon, Michael walked onto the area, adorning an unbuttoned black tuxedo which was red from inside, black pants, a white undershirt and a black bow tie. To top it all off, he had also gotten a fake moustache and beard, which looked quite silly to basically everyone.

"I look like an idiot." Michael lamented as he walked to Oliver, who was giving the cameraman some directions.

Oliver turned to Michael, and just one look at his face made him nearly burst out laughing. "H-hey, c'mon, you don't look that bad!" Oliver said, trying to cheer Michael up.

While Oliver's words may have been comforting, his face betrayed that notion as he looked like he was trying his hardest to not laugh.

Michael narrowed his eyes, and said, "You're lying, aren't you?"

"Of course not!" He immediately replied.

"C'mon, I know that you're about to fall to the floor laughing. There's no need to lie." Michael remarked in a matter-of-fact tone.

Oliver, seeing as he had been busted, brought his arms up in the air, surrendering. "You got me." He looked at Michael straight in the eye, and said. "Though, the suit looks quite decent. Take off that fake moustache and beard and you'd be like an 8/10."

"Thanks, I guess." Michael sighed deeply, and asked, " What's taking Scarlett so long?"

Oliver shrugged, and replied, "Who knows. Women take quite a long time to get dressed anyway."

As if on cue, Scarlett entered the dining hall. She was wearing a dark black coat with red linings and a red skirt, as well as a black Beret hat and a handbag.

"Took you quite a long time." Oliver commented.

"Indeed. But let's move on and be done with this scene. You don't want to waste any more time, do you?"

Oliver nodded, "Fair enough. Alright everyone, get to your positions!"

After giving the commands, Oliver moved to his Director's chair. "Everybody, quiet on set!" He shouted. "Background!" As soon as the word "background" left his lips, the other people inside the restaurant, aka background characters, started chatting with each other or just silently eating their food.

The topic for talking didn't matter as long as they could make it believable, and that was the reason why these people weren't just ordinary people eating at a restaurant; No, they were people who knew at the very least basic acting. Obviously you can't rely on actors to fill in the role of extras all the time because that'd be too expensive, but there weren't that many people needed, so Oliver just went along with this.

"3, 2, 1… action!"

On cue, Borden opened the door to the dining hall and walked to the table where Sarah sat, with both Olivia and Fallon behind, following him.

"Hello darling!" Borden greeted, chuckling soon after. He turned to a waiter near him and said, "Champagne. Your finest."

"I didn't know we'd be joined for dinner." Sarah said, clearly annoyed. She had hoped for some time alone with Borden, with the both of them becoming a parent and Borden mostly spending his time at his workshop, and yet, even today, other people would be joining them.

"Absolutely. We're celebrating." Borden explained to Sarah as he took a seat next to Olivia.

"Miss Wenscombe, Mr. Fallon." Sarah greeted the two guests. "Well, what are we celebrating?" She asked Borden.

"Well, we've hit upon a new trick. Haven't we Fallon?"

Olivia turned her head toward Borden, her face clearly showing confusion. "What trick, Freddy?"

"Yes, "Freddy". What trick?" Sarah asked, irritated at Olivia for calling Borden with a nickname. Olivia looked a bit guilty and looked down at tge table.

As they were talking, the waiter put down glasses of water and a variety of alcohol.

"I'm going to bury myself alive every night, and then someone will come along and dig me up." He explained his new trick while laughing." Wonderful." Borden said as another waiter brought the champagne bottle he had asked for.

Sarah turned to the waiter, and said, "No, I don't my husband needs-"

"No, no, pull the champagne!" He ordered the waiter. "C'mon, pull the champagne." He then turned to Sarah, and said, "Sarah, don't talk to me like that, I'm not a bloody child."

Sarah looked at Borden, shocked at his behaviour.

"Perhaps it would-" Olivia started, sensing the tension skyrocketing.

"Perhaps Mr. Fallon, you might escort Ms. Wenscombe home. My husband's being a bore. I see no reason for the two of you to suffer as well."

Borden had begun drinking the champagne, but his mood turned foul and he put the glass down. "Oh, please, don't ruin this beautiful evening."

However, both Fallon and Olivia pulled their chairs back and stood up, ready to leave.

"Goodnight Ms. Borden, goodnight Freddy." Olivia bid her farewell as she left with Fallon.

"Cut! Take a break and we'll continue." Said Oliver.

Michael got up from the chair, ready to take some rest. "You were really good, Emily." He complimented her.

"Thank you." She meekly replied.

After around forty or so minutes of rest time, which Michael had spent discussing the scene with Oliver, the filming had resumed.

"Action!"

The two of them, Borden and Sarah, stared at each other with irritation for a few seconds.

""Freddy"?" Sarah asked, demanding to know why Olivia called him with an entirely different name than the one he had.

"Well, that's my name." Borden explained.

Sarah shook her head. "Not at home."

"I'm not always at home, am I?"

Sarah looked at Borden, completely flabbergasted. "Couldn't you have at least taken off the beard?"

"Sarah, I just came from the bloody theatre. Just now. Alright? And I'm out in public. Everybody else loves it."

"Why are you being like this, Alfred?"

"I had a terrible ordeal today. I thought that something very precious had been lost to me. So, I just wanted to celebrate. Just a little." He explained.

"Alright, what did you lose?"

Borden looked at her with a gaping mouth, not giving Sarah the answer she wanted.

Sarah nodded slowly. "I see, more secrets."

"Sarah, secrets are my life, our life."

"No, Alfred, stop! This isn't you!" Sarah said, now tears falling from her eyes. "Stop performing!"

Borden looked to his left and right, and finally at Sarah, giving a look that said "I can't". Sarah put her hand on her mouth to stop herself from crying, and then drank a glass of champagne to calm herself down.

"Cut! That was great! We'll move onto another scene."

~~~

A/N: Well, shit.

I was going to do THREE (Yes, you read that correctly) scenes from the film for this chapter, but because today's Navratri, I had to help around the house a lot and that interrupted a lot with my schedule.

So, I had to cut literally 2/3rds of the chapter. And that's how the shortest of the last 12 or so chapters was created!

Guess I'll have to do a The Prestige - Part V :P

P.S: Seems like a lot of my new readers are Filipino. The % of people who read this novel being from Philippines shot up to 2.5%. Oh, and Germany (0.7%) just kicked out Brazil from the top 10.

Anyways, see ya later, Alligator!