 The rivalry between Borden and Angier dominates the film . Obsession , secrecy , and sacrifice fuel the battle , as both magicians contribute their fair share to a deadly duel of one @-@ upmanship , with disastrous results . Angier 's obsession with beating Borden costs him a great deal of money and Cutter 's friendship , while providing him with a collection of his own suicide victims ; Borden 's obsession with maintaining the secrecy of his twin leads Sarah to question their relationship eventually resulting in her suicide when she suspects the truth . Angier and one of the twins both lose Olivia 's love because of their inhumanity . Finally , Borden is hanged and the last copy of Angier shot . Their struggle is also expressed through class warfare : Borden as The Professor , a working @-@ class magician who gets his hands dirty , versus Angier as The Great Danton , a classy , elitist showman whose accent makes him appear American . Film critic Matt Brunson claimed that a complex theme of duality is exemplified by Angier and Borden , that the film chooses not to depict either magician as good or evil . 
