Director: Alfonzo Gomez-Rejon
Original Release Date: October 25, 2019
Summary: Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, the greatest inventors of the industrial age, engage in a battle of technology and ideas that will determine whose electrical system will power the new century. Backed by J.P. Morgan, Edison dazzles the world by lighting Manhattan. But Westinghouse, aided by Nikola Tesla, sees fatal flaws in Edison’s direct current design. Westinghouse and Tesla bet everything on risky and dangerous alternating current.
Hello Readers,
Today I will be reviewing The Current War directed by Alfonzo Gomez-Rejon.
The first thing I will say is that the movie is very good overall. I know that it has received some negative criticism, but I think the criticism is a little exaggerated. While the movie does have some mishaps, it’s still a very good piece of cinema.
One element of the film that I loved is the cinematography. The movie has some great cinematography which gives the film its own unique style. It also has some great camera work and lighting in the scenes. One that stands out, in particular, is the scene between Thomas Edison (Cumberbatch) and Samuel Insull (Holland). The scene is lit with red lights only giving it intensity. It is also meant to represent how Westinghouse’s design has completely taken overshadowed Edison and his team. It was great and just one reason why I love the technical aspects of the film so much.
An interesting element of this film is the story structure. The story is told mostly through Edison’s perspective. He is the principal character of the film. However, they do not portray him as perfect. Throughout the first half of the film, Edison says he will never create a device that will kill a human being. However, in an effort to discredit Westinghouse he helps to create the electric chair, a device meant to kill a human using electric shock. The same goes for George Westinghouse. He was portrayed as the more moral figure, but in a flashback scene, we see that he is not afraid to get his hands dirty. Creating the story structure this way allows the audience to see the triumphs and downfalls of these two figures so we don’t have a biased opinion on who should win this “current war.”
One downside to the story was the handling of Nikola Tesla (Hoult). In the film he was also competing with Edison, his former employer to be the expert leader on electrical current. The reason I say it’s a downside is that Tesla’s story is so condensed. The audience doesn’t really get to see what Tesla is capable of. I believe he is deserving of his own movie.
While the story structure of the film was great, one thing I thought could’ve been better was the movie’s pacing. Some of the scenes dragged on while others were rushed a little. There were scenes that I thought needed a little more context. While this is a minor complaint, a movie’s pacing is important to the overall enjoyment.
Another standout part of the film was the actors’ performances. This film has such as star-studded cast and all of the actors brought their A-game. Michael Shannon as George Westinghouse was phenomenal. He played the character with such conviction. Also Tom Holland as Samuel Insull. Even though his role was minor, he really gave the role his all. The most surprising performance for me was Nicolas Hoult as Nikola Tesla. Hoult played the role very well and his accent was convincing.
Then there was Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison. Emotionally, Cumberbatch nailed his performance. He was so believable and genuine. One thing about his performance I thought could’ve been better was his accent. While not horrible, I believe his American accent could use some work. Other than this, I thought Cumberbatch was great in this role.
Overall, this was a great movie. It had an interesting story and performances that kept the audience engaged the entire time. If you’re looking for a good piece of cinema, I recommend watching The Current War.
My Rating: 3.5/5 ★
Question: What did you think of The Current War?
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