I saw The Illusionist (2006) in theaters when it first came out, and it instantly became one of my favorites. It was one of two magician-themed movies being released at that time (the other being The Prestige, which I also love), but the two films are actually quite different. The Illusionist, loosely based-off the short-story “Eisenheim the Illusionist,” is a romance/mystery set in 19th century Vienna, and analyzes the question “What happens after death?” 

The film opens with Eduard Abramovich (Edward Norton), known as “Eisenheim the Illusionist,” being arrested for conjuring spirits and inciting a riot. We then learn the story of young Eduard (Aaron Johnson), a peasant, whose romance with Sophie von Teschen (Eleanor Tomlinson), the duchess, was cut short due to their class differences. He promises Sophie that one day, they will run away together and no one will ever find them. Fifteen years later, Eduard is an acclaimed magician with a reputation for performing entertaining tricks that seem impossible to explain. When he becomes reacquainted with his childhood friend, Sophie (Jessica Biel), their feelings for each other are reignited. Unfortunately, Sophie is betrothed to the Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), who has a reputation for violence against women. Eduard convinces Sophie to break off her engagement, reminding her of his promise that they would run away together. 

After a violent confrontation with the Crown Prince, Sophie is found dead. Eduard is positive that Leopold has killed her, but without sufficient evidence, the police are unable to arrest the member of royalty. Meanwhile, angry with Sophie’s betrayal, Leopold wants Eduard arrested for being a charlatan. Eduard changes his act to consist primarily of the conjuring of spirits, and Leopold demands that the police learn how he is doing this. Eventually, Eduard conjures Sophie’s spirit at his shows, and she claims that the Crown Prince is the one who murdered her. This leads to the opening scene, in which Eduard is arrested for disturbing the peace.

I do not want to spoil the movie because the resolution is just so good. It is also not necessary that I spoil the movie to discuss the Catholic themes. This movie put Edward Norton on the map for me as I had somehow never seen any of his previous work. He gives an impressive performance as the somber and romantic Eduard. Sewell was a perfect villain. His confrontation with Biel is hard to watch. I found Jessica Biel a little of a miscast. She almost looks too modern for the role and doesn’t seem comfortable with the accent. Nonetheless, this movie really hits all the marks and is worth the watch. Note that there is a sex scene about forty-four minutes in that you may want to skip. 

Now, on to Catholic themes!

1. Eternal life – The most obvious Catholic theme present in this film is regarding the immortal soul. In the movie, one of the characters states, “With these spirits, these manifestations, Eisenheim has given us hard proof of the soul’s immortality.” However, we later learn that these manifestations are just an illusion. As Catholics, we do not have “hard proof” of the soul’s immortality, but we choose to believe because of what the Bible and the Church teach us. If we believe the Lord’s words when he mentions eternal life throughout scripture, we have to believe that this life is not the end for us. 

2. Does this mean ghosts are real? Well, there’s no definitive Catholic teaching about ghosts. We believe that souls of the departed go to heaven, hell, or purgatory, rather than sticking around on earth. However, some early Church Fathers believed that the existence of ghosts was inherent in our belief system. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “It is absurd to say that the souls of the departed do not leave their abode. It is also credible that this may occur sometimes to the damned, and that for man’s instruction and intimidation they be permitted to appear to the living. [Souls] are able to appear wondrously to the living when they will.” Nonetheless, whether ghosts do or don’t exist is distinct from belief in an eternal soul, and it is up to each believer to decide for themselves.

3. Can I interact with ghosts? The general rule of thumb is that our interaction with spirits should be only to pray for them. After all, we don’t know if those spirits are truly suffering souls from Purgatory or if they are demons. We certainly should not be conjuring them. The Lord is very clear when he condemns all divination in Deuteronomy 18:10-12: “Let there not be found among you anyone who causes their son or daughter to pass through the fire, or practices divination, or is a soothsayer, augur, or sorcerer, or who casts spells, consults ghosts and spirits or seeks oracles from the dead. Anyone who does such things is an abomination to the LORD, and because of such abominations the LORD, your God, is dispossessing them before you.” 

So, while The Illusionist is an enjoyable watch, don’t let it guide your spiritual practices.