The Current War (2019) is a powerful drama of incredible historical figures! The film is directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon who also directed Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (20150. It is written by Michael Mitnick, a playwright, who also wrote the brilliant adaptation of The Giver (2014). The title has a double meaning that it is a war that is happening now and it also refers to the famous War of the Currents.
This was the struggle between two industrial giants, Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, with the genius inventor, Nikola Tesla, caught between them. We hear some wind sounds as we get the “Inspired by True Events” line. I have been fascinated with Tesla and have read his works and watched documentaries. This gives some substance to these historical figures working to build the future. It turns into a white screen, the snow is heavy, and we see a figure emerge from the snow. The snow howls as we see a man in a coat.
This cuts to 1880. We hear the voice of Thomas Alva Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) speaking about a patent for a lightbulb. Cumberbatch was finishing the last season of Sherlock in 2017 (the movie's release was delayed) and then appeared in Thor: Ragnarok (2017) as Doctor Strange. We move to a train in the night, the train hits its brakes, which is the Westinghouse railway air brake. This shifts to Menlo Park, New Jersey, a man is holding up a lamp as he leads a group of other men in the night partially lit by the moon.
The man blows out the lamp and we only see the top hats of the men. Edison calls out the signal and an impressive circle of light bulbs on posts revealing Thomas Edison, “inventor.” Excellent cinematography by Chung-hoon Chung and also the visuals match with the dialogue and pacing of the film. Edison looms large as an inventor, the power of celebrity vs. business, and also science and how it can help society. Still, Edison is obsessive, to the point where he is driven and doesn’t acknowledge other options. Even to the point where compromises his values.
After this demonstration, we are back in a train car with Mary Edison (Tuppence Middleton), she was in the tv movie Diana and I (2017) with her family. “Edison’s assistant”, Samuel Insull (Tom Holland) reminds him of a dinner appointment with Westinghouse. Holland was known as Spider-Man and just debuted as Peter Parker that year in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). Insull is interesting as a young assistant to a genius, his input is heard, but of course not considered.
Still, he is key to keeping Edison in with the machinations of big business. Then, we see the White House in the snowy day, Edison is meeting with J.P. Morgan (Matthew Macfayden), “banker.” The actor starred in the Howard’s End television mini-series adapting the E.M. Forester novel. Morgan is the money man, representing big business, Edison works with him to accomplish his means, but of course big business dominates inventors. They have a meal with Edison showing his invention, the phonograph, invented by Edison in 1877. It impresses Edison’s family.
Edison tells Morgan he doesn’t want to invent weapons of war. Instead, he shows one square block in New York that he will light up. Edison’s young son taps his spoon in Morse code, a message to his father about Morgan’s “cherry” nose. Clever and a secret joke between them. A carriage ride takes the group back as Edison has Insull set up his company, Edison Works. Night, Pittsburgh, we get gifts placed by Marguerite Westinghouse (Katherine Waterson). She starred as Daniels in Alien: Covenant (2017) that year. Marguerite reminds her children not to remark about Morgan’s nose.
She is fascinating, supportive, her husband would find himself hedged in by the cutthroat business without her. George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon), her husband and “industrialist”, walks in. He played Richard Strickland in The Shape of Water (2017). This is my favorite role for Shannon. He questions his wife about trivia questions as they ready for the Edison dinner. They take a carriage to meet Edison exciting about the meeting. At the train station, they meet with engineer, Franklin Pope, “chief electrician”, played by Stanley Townsend. He was also the drama series Redwater in 2017.
Insull tries to remind Edison, but he says he is tired and doesn’t want the train to stop. The stunned Westinghouses and Pope as the train passes by them! This causes a rift between the two men. They return to find silent servants who are told by Marguerite there was an “emergency.” There is a flashback, Westinghouse as a Union soldier is riding his horse in the rain. He checks his map and then faces a gun. This flashback is explored more fully later in the film, but it seems like a turning point in his life. Then, Pope notes that the Wizard of Menlo Park, Edison’s legendary name, stayed in his basement.
We get the contrast with Westinghouse, working with a team, to accomplish his goals. They go over Edison’s methods, Pope says he is methodical in pursuing a “needle in a haystack.” There is an interesting dimension to Westinghouse, he knows what is right, but of course unable to work with Edison so finds him as a rival. Mary is upset at her husband ignoring the dinner invitation. Morning, the Edison house as he is working on his phonograph with his family around him. Mary speaks into the phonograph. This captures a moment that of course is kept forever as a recording also as a memory.
Then, Edison answers a phone call from Morgan to get the funding. At his workshop, Edison draws a map of the country, all set with wires and lightbulbs. This is what will be the battle map between Edison and Westinghouse. Then, we get a closeup of Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hoult), “futurist”, in his ship cabin. At the time, Hoult was in the war film, Sand Castle (2017), and he is currently in series The Great. Tesla is emigrating from what is modern Croatia. He is complete genius trying to help build the future, but he is opposed by the American inventors and businessmen who take advantage of him as an immigrant.
Tesla starts to write in a notebook as the ship makes its way to New York. Edison speaks at the New York Stock Exchange testing his new lighting system. Tesla walks the dark streets and then looks up as the night is lit up. The crowds cheer for Edison. This is the conflict between Edison and Westinghouse. To light up New York and then the rest of the country through Edison’s direct current or Westinghouse trying to push for alternating current which can be transmitted over long distances. This also involves execution by the electric chair, life and death, media manipulation, politics and the competition of Westinghouse and Edison. Tesla’s ambition to build a hydroelectric plant at Niagra Falls that changes the world. The Current War lights the way to our future, the first rate cast playing historical figures, and their story that created our modern world.
Five Lightbulbs out of Five!
#TheCurrentWar, #AlfonsoGomezRejon, #BenedictCumberbatch, #MichaelShannon, #Tom Holland, #NicholasHoult, #TuppenceMiddleton, #KatherineWaterson, #StanleyTownsend
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