The current war is a biopic drama following the life of Thomas Edison around the time of the spread of the new invention of electricity across America, and how the battle with Westinghouse begins over who can establish dominance across the land as to who’s electricity is best ultimately ending with the war over who gets to build their idea’s into the world of tomorrow presentation.
It’s an interesting insight into the mind’s of Edison and the others as to what motivates them and how their interactions with each other helped drive the path forward to the modern world we live in today, and it’s interesting to wonder what might be different had Edison not have snubbed Westinghouse driving his train past him at the station ignoring his dinner invite, as this triggered Westinghouse to begin his quest to take down Edison and provide a cheaper and more efficient dispersal system, which is ironic because Edison didn’t want to talk to him because he believed he was trying to steal his invention, where it is later revealed he only wanted to know what it was like and how he felt at that moment inventing something new and never before imagined.
The drama remains high throughout both with events unfolding in edisons private and personal life as his wife becomes ill but also with the constant battles over who claims which territory of America as the sole supplier of electricity. While this isn’t usually a movie I would go see I remained gripped and interested throughout the movie as events unfolded and evolved the nature of the race to both supply electricity to the nation, but also the interpersonal natures of the characters and seeing their motivations and drives which lead them to never give up despite the hardships entailed on both ends.
Nicola tesla plays a small but very pivotal role in the movie and clearly deserves greater recognition than he ever gained in life as he came up with idea’s both ahead of their time but also the pivotal piece of technology which allowed Westinghouse and AC to become viable and run machines and not just lightbulbs. He started out being hired by Edison, who actively refused to work with AC believing it to be dangerous, and was promised a huge $50,000 bonus in the event of doing something monumental however when it comes time to claim such a prize Edison laughst it off as joking leading him to go off on his own, and lacking the money or fame the other characters have and being an immigrant he’s quickly taken advantage of yet again losing both his patents and his company in the process.
In the end tesla has a meeting with Westinghouse who’s desperate for his designs of a transformer that allows his AC current to work on machinery, without which his company would fail and ultimately Edison would win, however seeing deficiencies and desperation in tesla he makes grand false promises which take advantage of tesla yet again, where the movie reveals he dies without fortune or family never having been able to turn his idea’s profitable which I feel is a real shame because he should have reaped the rewards for his inventions without which AC would never have been viable, and the movie does end a little abruptly without following this plot to it’s terminus, but ultimately where do you draw the line on the path of electricity across the nation, ending with the world of tomorrow battle being won is a good as place as any.
While I wouldn’t’ve chosen to go watch the movie with what I’ve seen I was gripped and entertained throughout and learnt new things both about the struggles of establishing electricity but also the mindsets of the inventors and their motivations which drove them as well as the sacrifices they made in order to be successful. Whilst it’s a very narrow audience who may be interested in this movie I think it’s a worthwhile watch, and if you don’t go see it at the cinema I would definitely suggest you take the opportunity to watch it on TV when it inevitably airs as you will be entertained and there are quire a few twists and turns along the way keeping up the drama throughout.