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Post by Nora on Nov 2, 2019 20:45:00 GMT
if you have the chance go see it. its a movie meant for the silver screen. very beautiful and with powerhouse of great actors. cannot speak to historical accuracy but enjoyed tue movie immensly for its visuals, storytellung as well as the people that were portraing those bright minds.
8/10 from me easy.
i dont get the critics hate on rt. 30%? come on. ok not enough tesla in it maybe but other than that, what was not to like? anybody here saw it?
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Post by Rey Kahuka on Nov 4, 2019 16:58:11 GMT
Posted this in another thread last week, I'll repost here:
The Current War: Director's Cut (2019) - 8/10
Loved this film, one of my favorites of the year. As a fan of Nikola Tesla, I was disheartened by the negative reviews regarding his modest screen time in the film. And while there was much more to his involvement in the subject matter, I feel like he was used appropriately considering which aspects of the story the film decided to focus on. It wasn't a biopic of any of the characters or even their inventions; it was specifically a look at the battle to decide how electricity would be distributed in the US. Considering Tesla was never as concerned with the financial implications of electricity so much as its application, it makes sense to focus more on the men concerned with legacy, financial gain and perhaps fame.
It depicts Edison as an egomaniac whose priority was taking credit for inventions rather than concerning himself with their ultimate value to society. Edison was a man of his place and time whose industrial age taught him greed, ruthlessness and compensation were the ultimate goals of invention. Cornering the market was paramount, otherwise to him, what was the point? George Westinghouse is depicted as perhaps more altruistic than Edison but still a captain of industry who viewed electricity as more of a commodity than an element to be mastered. Tesla alone saw electricity as a tool to be harnessed for the benefit of all mankind. His was a life of invention for invention's sake, and the betterment of society.
For this reason, I think, the film downplays Tesla's role in the story and focuses on the cutthroat nature of the industry and the age. (Spoilers ahead if you don't know the history) Ultimately, Tesla is proven correct and he is shown to be an honest if eccentric man, while Westinghouse is honorable by nature but not afraid to get his hands dirty-- and Edison, though not a complete monster, is viewed as a well intentioned and certainly gifted mind, perhaps oblivious of his own capacity for darkness while chasing the light. Again, as a fan of Tesla, I thought it was a fair representation of all the major players and a balanced if not 100% accurate retelling of the story. It ends with a poignant reminder of how the world works; Though Tesla was proven correct, Edison is lauded as the greatest mind of his day and died a millionaire, having spent a lifetime with the industry elite. Meanwhile Tesla, an immigrant and an outsider from the beginning, died penniless and alone in a hotel room he couldn't pay for.
The Current War is a well crafted period drama featuring excellent costuming and set design, solid acting by an impressive cast, and a magnificent use of its score. The editing is a bit choppy in places and I'm not entirely sure why they decided to use name cards for the characters at the beginning of the film. (Though I did appreciate Tesla being introduced not as an inventor, entrepreneur or electrician, but rather as 'Nikola Tesla, Futurist.') I highly recommend this film, especially if you have an interest in the subject matter or even the time period.
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Post by ellynmacg on Nov 9, 2019 4:41:54 GMT
if you have the chance go see it. its a movie meant for the silver screen. very beautiful and with powerhouse of great actors. cannot speak to historical accuracy but enjoyed tue movie immensly for its visuals, storytellung as well as the people that were portraing those bright minds. 8/10 from me easy. i dont get the critics hate on rt. 30%? come on. ok not enough tesla in it maybe but other than that, what was not to like? anybody here saw it? I, too, enjoyed the movie very much. I don't get the hate either. Maybe a bunch of the critics much preferred Beast (Tesla/Nicholas Hoult) and thought he deserved more screen time than Dr. Strange (Edison/Benedict Cumberbatch), General Zod (Westinghouse/Michael Shannon), and Spider-Man (Insull/Tom Holland)?  Seriously, though, I agree with you: what's not to like? Unless, of course, you're not interested in the subject matter to begin with...in that case, why watch it (unless, of course, you have no choice)? I also appreciated your review, Nora, especially this line: "very beautiful and with powerhouse of great actors." Was that pun intentional? Doesn't really matter--it was great, either way. 
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Post by ellynmacg on Nov 9, 2019 4:51:34 GMT
Posted this in another thread last week, I'll repost here: The Current War: Director's Cut (2019) - 8/10 Loved this film, one of my favorites of the year. As a fan of Nikola Tesla, I was disheartened by the negative reviews regarding his modest screen time in the film. And while there was much more to his involvement in the subject matter, I feel like he was used appropriately considering which aspects of the story the film decided to focus on. It wasn't a biopic of any of the characters or even their inventions; it was specifically a look at the battle to decide how electricity would be distributed in the US. Considering Tesla was never as concerned with the financial implications of electricity so much as its application, it makes sense to focus more on the men concerned with legacy, financial gain and perhaps fame. It depicts Edison as an egomaniac whose priority was taking credit for inventions rather than concerning himself with their ultimate value to society. Edison was a man of his place and time whose industrial age taught him greed, ruthlessness and compensation were the ultimate goals of invention. Cornering the market was paramount, otherwise to him, what was the point? George Westinghouse is depicted as perhaps more altruistic than Edison but still a captain of industry who viewed electricity as more of a commodity than an element to be mastered. Tesla alone saw electricity as a tool to be harnessed for the benefit of all mankind. His was a life of invention for invention's sake, and the betterment of society. For this reason, I think, the film downplays Tesla's role in the story and focuses on the cutthroat nature of the industry and the age. (Spoilers ahead if you don't know the history) Ultimately, Tesla is proven correct and he is shown to be an honest if eccentric man, while Westinghouse is honorable by nature but not afraid to get his hands dirty-- and Edison, though not a complete monster, is viewed as a well intentioned and certainly gifted mind, perhaps oblivious of his own capacity for darkness while chasing the light. Again, as a fan of Tesla, I thought it was a fair representation of all the major players and a balanced if not 100% accurate retelling of the story. It ends with a poignant reminder of how the world works; Though Tesla was proven correct, Edison is lauded as the greatest mind of his day and died a millionaire, having spent a lifetime with the industry elite. Meanwhile Tesla, an immigrant and an outsider from the beginning, died penniless and alone in a hotel room he couldn't pay for. The Current War is a well crafted period drama featuring excellent costuming and set design, solid acting by an impressive cast, and a magnificent use of its score. The editing is a bit choppy in places and I'm not entirely sure why they decided to use name cards for the characters at the beginning of the film. (Though I did appreciate Tesla being introduced not as an inventor, entrepreneur or electrician, but rather as 'Nikola Tesla, Futurist.') I highly recommend this film, especially if you have an interest in the subject matter or even the time period. I "highly recommend" your review, ReyKahuka ...especially this line: "Edison, though not a complete monster, is viewed as a well intentioned and certainly gifted mind, perhaps oblivious of his own capacity for darkness while chasing the light." That bolded phrase is sheer poetry, IMO. If I may, I have something to add to your summation of the contrasting fates of Edison and Tesla. For me, one of the greatest ironies of the film is that when George Westinghouse, near the end of his life, receives the ultimate honor from his peers, it is none other than the Edison Medal . Thanks again for such an insightful and appreciative review!
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