The Prestige (spoiler)

what I don't understand is why Bale got in trouble for "murdering" Jackman when he was clearly trying to break the glass to get him out. MyCocaine rushed in there while this was happening and clearly saw what Bale was trying to do.

This part always bothered me.

Which Jackman was the one in the end? The original or the drunk?

It sort of interesting they include "real magic" in the movie. The ability to instantly clone a person seems a bit odd to throw in there.

And how and why did Bale send Jackman to Tesla?

Did Bale know anything about the Tesla research?

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I believe he was always the original. Always killed the clones.

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Technically not necessarily true. He said he never knew which one he would end up being, the prestige or the one in the box. No way to know which one was the original. The drunk was long gone by that point though.

When Bale revealed his secret, Jackman told his story and it showed him shooting another Jackman. My question is which Jackman was shot, was that the drunk actor, original or a clone?

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And how and why did Bale send Jackman to Tesla?

Did Bale know anything about the Tesla research?

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Yes Bale knew about Tesla's research. He sent them there on a wild goose chase to try and bankrupt and ruin Jackman, which he almost did. Tesla told Jackman that Bale came and saw him.

Bale also told Jackman, via his diary, that Tesla was a mirage to get him to chase.

You guys missed a lot of dialogue in this movie

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When Bale revealed his secret, Jackman told his story and it showed him shooting another Jackman. My question is which Jackman was shot, was that the drunk actor, original or a clone?

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Drunk actor was long gone at that point. I believe he was actually dead (he was the one hanging with the sign on him at the show). Maybe just passed out, but regardless, after that he was never seen again.

We don't know which one was shot, that was the point. Every time it happened, Jackman didn't know what position the machine would put him in. That part seemed to be random. Either he shot the clone or the clone shot him.

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This is wrong regardless. Because the first time he did it, he killed the “copy.” All the other times, he killed the “original.”

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I don't think that is necessarily true either. I believe all the clones all had his memories. In the first scene, the clone and Jackman both remembered the gun at about the same time.

Based on this quote, I always assumed that it was random once the machine turned on. Sometimes the original went in the box, sometimes the clone. After the first few times, he would have known which one he was otherwise.

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It took courage... it took courage to climb into that machine every night... not knowing... if I'd be the man in the box... or the prestige.

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Right, but if the one that always stepped into the machine was the one that went into the box, he would have know which one he was. His line about courage would have meant nothing. He would know he was going to be the one in the box.


ETA: NVM, I see what you're saying now.

Cain's character was the only good guy.

Jackman never got over his wife being killed. He was a good guy until that happened. And.. I assume that the Bale that was more aggressive (the one that eventually died) was the one that disobeyed the request to tie the right knot. So, in the end, they were square.

On the other hand, the Bale character that married and had a daughter seemed like he was a good guy, but the whole charade of the twins... he chose his act over his family. So, I guess he wasn't so good after all.
But, he was milder, wanted to let the feud go. And he's rewarded in the end with his daughter. I guess that part is a bit fitting, and I have no doubt he'll be a good father. His penance for participating in the whole ordeal is that he lost his wife and brother.