 Angier 's theft of Borden 's teleportation illusion in the film echoes many real @-@ world examples of stolen tricks among magicians . Outside the film , similar rivalries include magicians John Nevil Maskelyne and Harry Kellar 's dispute over a levitation illusion . Gary Westfahl of Locus Online also notes a " new proclivity for mayhem " in the film over the novel , citing the murder / suicide disposition of Angier 's duplicates and intensified violent acts of revenge and counter @-@ revenge . This " relates to a more general alteration in the events and tone of the film " rather than significantly changing the underlying themes . 
