 Den Shewman of Creative Screenwriting says the film asks how far one would go to devote oneself to an art . The character of Chung Ling Soo , according to Shewman , is a metaphor for this theme . Film critic Alex Manugian refers to this theme as the " meaning of commitment . " For example , Soo 's pretense of being slow and feeble misdirects his audience from noticing the physical strength required to perform the goldfish bowl trick , but the cost of maintaining this illusion is the sacrifice of individuality : Soo 's true appearance and freedom to act naturally are consciously suppressed in his ceaseless dedication to the art of magic . 
