The Current War: Director’s Cut Parent Guide

Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) is an amazing inventor who has acquired some fame, especially with electricity and incandescent lightbulbs. Yet his genius has not netted him much in the way of fortune, so the ambitious man is forced to seek funds to make his dream of bringing light to the world a reality.

George Westinghouse (played by Michael Shannon) also dabbles in invention, but his brilliance is as a businessman. When Edison snubs his curiosity about the new creation, the wealthy man applies his own inspiration and hires his own engineers to adapt Edison’s achievements into an even broader vision.

With the knowledge they are playing with something that can change history forever, the two powerhouses run for the prize using different plans about the type of electricity they should use. Edison supports the safer, but very expensive DC (direct current) form, while Westinghouse advocates for the cheaper, though more dangerous AC (alternating current). And so the race begins…

Meanwhile, another competitor enters the field: Nikola Tesla (played by Nicholas Hoult). As an immigrant to America, the man has no financial backing for his ideas. While that doesn’t make his designs any less innovative, it does leave him at the mercy of investors – some of whom have more money than ethics.

If you come to this movie in the hope of learning more about the introduction of electricity, you may find yourself left in the dark. The script just assumes you know the history and that you have a pretty good understanding of technical details, and instead focuses its efforts on illuminating the human foibles of these now famous men.

Although the screenplay does a good job of dividing your sympathies between them, it does so by including scenes that connect these scientific heroes with vain ambition, the development of the electric chair, demonstrations of electrical danger by killing animals, engagements in smear campaigns and an attitude of racial prejudice. These depictions are all very sanitized, but reference some violent acts nonetheless.

Ironically this film, like the inventors it portrays, has also been mired down by the alleged faults of its original developer, The Weinstein Company. After a two-year hold-up, the movie is now being distributed by a different studio, and marketed as “Director’s Cut”. Despite all of that, The Current War is a beautifully shot and artistically handled study of the effects of greed, pride and taking offence. Even if that’s not what you might have expected, this biography-based tale has its own merits, especially as a discussion starter between parents and older children.

About author

Donna Gustafson

Donna Gustafson has been involved with her husband Rod's work since the beginning. Handling many of the behind-the-scenes tasks, she also creates preview pages for up-coming movies, acts as managing editor and occasionally writes reviews.