Obsession in The Prestige

As a movie buff, it would be wrong of me to reveal the many twists and turns found in The Prestige. But I can give a basic account from one point of view—the birth and destructiveness of obsession.

The Prestige is a battle of magicians—Robert (Hugh Jackman) versus Alfred (Christian Bale). In many ways, to differing degrees, obsession between these characters goes back and forth. Robert has to know how Alfred performs his tricks. Alfred has to know how Robert performs his. But it is obvious that Robert’s “needing to know” is not for mere curiosity, and it goes beyond his competitive nature. In the beginning of the picture he seems like a normal and moral gentleman, but soon his morality weakens and quickly erodes to single-minded obsession.

For Robert, what good does his obsession bring him?

• A ruined and embarrassed reputation
• The sacrifice and loss of loved ones
• Lost sense of right and wrong

In the book Surrender to Love, David Benner states, “We seek bridges from our isolation through people, possessions and accomplishment. But none of these are ever quite capable of satisfying the restlessness of the human heart.”

Robert was never satisfied. And nothing on this earth truly could have ever satisfied this character. He could have “beat” Alfred, but you know that the obsession would continue. His obsession was beyond Alfred. There would be no stopping it as long as this obsession was fed.

The story of Robert and Alfred reminds me about the story of Saul and David in 1 Samuel 9-31. Saul was the first king of Israel, chosen by God. But when he forgot to whom he served, God, his life took a downwards spiral. At a young age, a new king was chosen by God to replace Saul—David (if you are familiar with the Biblical story of David and Goliath, this is the same David). From this point on, Saul became tormented by an evil spirit. He became increasingly obsessed with jealousy and suspicion. He persecuted David relentlessly, drove him into hiding in the desert, and even pursued him there. The conflict was not resolved until Saul, defeated in a battle with the Philistines on Mount Gilboa, killed himself by falling on his own sword.

Obsession did not bring fulfillment or restoration to Saul, but only brought about his destruction, and even worse, separation from a perfect love that could have met all of his true needs and wants.

Let’s counter this with an opposite path to life, taken from Psalm 23, ironically written by David:

Psalm 23 (New Living Translation)
1 The LORD is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the LORD
forever.

Which do you believe is the preferred path to life—obsession or surrender to the perfect love that is found in God through his Son Jesus Christ? What brings true fulfillment? What truly brings to you “all that I [you] need?”

As I look back on my life, there was a significant moment when I was obsessed with something. It was a former girlfriend. It occurred after my freshman year in college. We were dating during most of the summer. I was completely infatuated. But alas, upon visiting her at her college during one of the first weekends of my sophomore year, she broke up with me. I was devastated! I could not sleep at all that night. The entire break-up scene tossed back and forth in my mind. I had a 3-plus hour drive back to my school and I thought about her on the road the whole way. And truly for much of that semester, I thought about her often throughout each day. I was obsessed. This obsession led me to depression. I was in a deep, deep hole.

I couldn’t pinpoint the day and time or whatever, but some time around second semester of my sophomore year, God was doing something with me (not that he didn’t try beforehand). He led me to read the Bible and meditate on His Word. In many ways, although not through necessarily conscious decision, I recall that I went into surrender mode—not giving up in life, but giving my life to God. Over time, God washed this obsession out of my life. It wasn’t instant. It took time. But more and more I was beginning to find the satisfaction in Jesus that David found in God in Psalm 23. I continue to grow with this. I am finding more “rest in the green meadows” and more sitting “beside the peaceful waters” which He leads me to.

Now everyone is different and there are varying degrees of obsession with which people struggle. Your road to recovery may look different, but I believe the following remedies I experienced definitely contribute to fighting this battle. I was extremely fortunate to have met some Christ-following folk who showed the love of Christ to me. I found a place, a Bible-believing church, to learn more about God and encounter his love. I surrendered control in my life and gave it to God. Yet, ultimately, I give ALL credit to God for transforming my life. I thank him regularly for sending his son, Jesus, to bridge the gap so that I may have an intimate relationship with God the Father. God was the shepherd who led (and continues to lead) me to a right path. I pray that you would experience a similar encounter.

If you would like to process what you are obsessing over with me, feel free to shoot me a comment. Life is not a solo act. We are all in this together.

Blessings on your spiritual journey!