The Current War: Director’s Cut Movie Review
Nathan Swank
October 25th, 2019
Then God said, “Let there be Light”; and there was light. (Genesis 1:3)
Harnessing the power to distribute light will never cease being an impressive feat. THE CURRENT WAR tells the fascinating story about the cutthroat race between celebrity inventor Thomas Edison’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) direct current and charismatic businessman George Westinghouse’s (Michael Shannon) alternating current to determine whose electrical system will light the world.
Sure, I can say I lived through the cultural lifestyle change of having the Internet and cell phones, but the change of adding electricity in the 1880’s had to be on a whole other level. While we all know Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, THE CURRENT WAR tells the next step in that story of distributing that electricity. While THE CURRENT WAR is by no means a great film or even a thoroughly detailed account of the historical events, it is an insightful and entertaining look at the revolutionary change in our culture. There’s an interesting parallel about the almost immediate use of the “electric chair” that is happening simultaneously and even has a prominent, albeit unpleasant, role in the race between the electricity titans.
Unfortunately, through no fault of its own, the THE CURRENT WAR sat on the shelf for a couple of years after debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017. So why did it take so long to finally find distribution? And why does it have the title THE CURRENT WAR: DIRECTOR’S CUT when it is a first run film that has presumably never seen a “director-less” cut? Let’s get some of these oddities explained away. You might remember a large and ugly behemoth at the forefront of the #MeToo movement in the form of producer Harvey Weinstein. As his despicableness became more apparent, movies that he was associated with were locked away on a shelf. And this is where THE CURRENT WAR sat for the last few years. Presumably until director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (ME, EARL, AND THE DYING GIRL) was able to swoop it back up, re-edit the film and with the help of many other find a distributor through 101 Studios.
The production on THE CURRENT WAR is top notch with wonderful art direction and costuming. The score is subtle but effective and the actors are all top notch. The story leans heavily on Cumberbatch’s Edison and even attempts to soften his unpleasant personality and actions, but it’s not difficult to see through that. Michael Shannon as Westinghouse steals nearly every scene he is in, proving he should be cast in everything. Nicholas Hoult as Nikola Tesla seems thrown in almost as an alter thought, but was interesting nonetheless. And Tom Holland as Edison’s assistant Samuel Insull is nearly completely unnecessary.
THE CURRENT WAR isn’t necessarily a standout film, but educational material about world history that has a sort of “learning is fun” affect, has a very high floor in my opinion, making it an easy recommendation. And perhaps “Easy” is not so bad for this PG-13, 107 minute feature that’s been waiting to be seen for the past few years.
Like many movies, THE CURRENT WAR, covers the events similar to cliff notes. But the strong production, high caliber actors, and fascinating material, help turn THE CURRENT WAR into a quick-paced, thrilling journey into one of our world’s greatest historical achievements.
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