Electrifying! In Select Theaters 11/24/2017
YouTube: Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison and Michael Shannon as George Westinghouse, THE CURRENT WAR is the epic story of the cutthroat competition between the greatest inventors of the industrial age over whose electrical system would power the new century. Backed by J.P. Morgan, Edison dazzles the world by lighting Manhattan. But Westinghouse, aided by Nikola Tesla, has seen fatal flaws in Edison’s direct current design. Igniting a war of currents, Westinghouse and Tesla bet everything on risky and dangerous alternating current. Directed by Alfonso Gomez‐Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) and written by playwright Michael Mitnick (Sex Lives of our Parents), THE CURRENT WAR also stars Katherine Waterston, Nicholas Hoult, Tom Holland, Matthew Macfadyen, and Tuppence Middleton.
11 Comments
ChaosEnginesays...Eh, no.
First, is there some kind of international treaty we can sign that would bar Benedict Cumberbatch from doing American accents?
Second, "risky and dangerous alternating current"? Seriously???
Fantomassays...Some pretty nasty stuff was done to discredit AC current during the 'War of Currents', such as Edison electrocuting several animals.
I also agree the casting choices seem poorly made, my mental image of Tesla certainly doesn't include him playing pool.
I think Bowie's portrayal in Nolan's The Prestige was great though.
Edit: Turns out I was wrong. Tesla was quite the pool shark.
"risky and dangerous alternating current"? Seriously???
ChaosEnginesays...The trailer appears to be showing Edison as the plucky inventor being steam-rolled by the evil capitalist where in reality, Edison was a colossal asshole.
AC is a vastly superior system for electricity transmission and Edison actually had the opportunity to use it, but again, he was a colossal asshole.
Some pretty nasty stuff was done to discredit AC current during the 'War of Currents', such as Edison electrocuting several animals.
I also agree the casting choices seem poorly made, my mental image of Tesla certainly doesn't include him playing pool.
I think Bowie's portrayal in Nolan's The Prestige was great though.
Edit: Turns out I was wrong. Tesla was quite the pool shark.
Mordhaussays...This.
Edison was basically the Steve Jobs of his time.
The trailer appears to be showing Edison as the plucky inventor being steam-rolled by the evil capitalist where in reality, Edison was a colossal asshole.
AC is a vastly superior system for electricity transmission and Edison actually had the opportunity to use it, but again, he was a colossal asshole.
newtboysays...As crappy as Jobs was, was he really also a patent thief?
This.
Edison was basically the Steve Jobs of his time.
ChaosEnginesays...Whatever your feelings about Jobs, he wasn't nearly as bad as Edison.
Jobs never electrocuted any elephants or killed any employees with radiation. And whether or not you like Apple products, at least none of them were the electric chair.
All of which Edison did, because again, colossal asshole.
This.
Edison was basically the Steve Jobs of his time.
Mordhausjokingly says...As a former employee, I had access to the Steve Jobs special projects list, you would be surprised.
Whatever your feelings about Jobs, he wasn't nearly as bad as Edison.
Jobs never electrocuted any elephants or killed any employees with radiation. And whether or not you like Apple products, at least none of them were the electric chair.
All of which Edison did, because again, colossal asshole.
ChaosEnginejokingly says...So THAT's what happened to Woz...
As a former employee, I had access to the Steve Jobs special projects list, you would be surprised.
notarobotjokingly says...So... surprise us. Out with the lists.
How many elephants did Jobs fry, and how did he keep it a secret?
As a former employee, I had access to the Steve Jobs special projects list, you would be surprised.
oblio70says...I am also concerned how Westinghouse is protrayed. He is widely considered a Workers' hero from that era.
eric3579says...I found a few reviews that may shed some light on how these men were portrayed. I get the impression Edison is the jerk and Westinghouse the better man.
-http://www.vulture.com/2017/09/the-current-war-is-absorbing-but-never-snaps-into-focus.html
-http://www.indiewire.com/2017/09/the-current-war-review-benedict-cumberbatch-tiff-2017-1201874791/
-http://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/the-current-war-film-review-1202553511/
I am also concerned how Westinghouse is protrayed. He is widely considered a Workers' hero from that era.
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