The Current War: Director's Cut [Includes Digital Copy] [Blu-ray/DVD]

Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Overview

Kingpins in the electrical power industry, George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) and Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) find their rivalry escalating, plunging deeper into a brutal race to electrify the United States. Loyalties are tested and lines are crossed as the magnates vie to not only exert their influence across the nation but also bring their patented electrical system to the entire modern world. Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, co-starring Tom Holland, Tuppence Middleton, Matthew Macfadyen, and Nicholas Hoult.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/31/2020
UPC:	0191329134061
Original Release:	2019
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Universal Studios
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:43:00
Sales rank:	20,094

Special Features

Feature commentary with director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon; Deleted scenes; 1080p High-Definition; 480i/p Standard Definition; English DVS; English SDH subtitles

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Benedict Cumberbatch	Thomas Edison
Katherine Waterston	Marguerite Westinghouse
Michael Shannon	George Westinghouse
Nicholas Hoult	Nikola Tesla
Tom Holland	Samuel Insull
Tuppence Middleton	Mary Edison
Matthew Macfadyen	Actor
Matthew Macfayden	J.P. Morgan
Damien Molony	Bourke Cockran
Emma Davies	Dorothy Brookes
Craig Conway	Warden Durston
Simon Kunz	Womack
Celyn Jones	Sherman Quincy
Woody Norman	Dash Edison
Amy Marston	Annabelle Worthington
Ekow Quartey	Journalist 1
Colin Stinton	Daniel Burnham
Simon Lowe	Mr. Cannon
Tom Sweet	Boy
Conor MacNeill	William Kemmler
Tom Fisher	Actor
Dustin O'Halloran	Composer
Saunder Jurriaans	Composer
Volker Bertelmann	Composer
Danny Bensi	Composer

Technical Credits

Michael Mitnick

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon	Director
Michael Mitnick	Screenwriter,Executive Producer
Michele Wolkoff	Executive Producer
Benedict Cumberbatch	Executive Producer
David C. Glasser	Executive Producer
David Hutkin	Executive Producer
Bob Yari	Executive Producer
Adam Sidman	Executive Producer
Bob Weinstein	Executive Producer
Garrett Basch	Executive Producer
Adam Ackland	Executive Producer
Timur Bekmambetov	Producer
Theo Park	Casting
Ann Ruark	Executive Producer
Ellen Lewis	Casting
Basil Iwanyk	Producer
Martin Scorsese	Executive Producer
Steven Zaillian	Executive Producer

Editorial Reviews

The Current War: Director's Cut, features a mesmerizing look into the United States early electrical race, laying out how and why the current infrastructure exists today. The biopic documents the true stories surrounding an inventor, Thomas Edison, a mogul, George Westinghouse, and a genius, Nikola Tesla. When all three characters come together and mold this awe-inspiring tale, Current War is at its best. Where the film falters is in its questionable direction, as young director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon constantly interjects distracting camera work that can truly take a viewer out of the experience. To be fair, the 107-minute runtime seems to fly by, and the movie is paced wonderfully; although this may be more of a credit to writer, Michael Mitnick. Directorial issues aside, The Current War is an absolute must-see for any fan of American history, or anyone interested in some real-life, yet almost unbelievable drama. It is the year 1880, and Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) has secured a patent for his incandescent light bulb. His vision is simple, to light up America, and eventually the world. By harnessing the power of a direct current electricity, Edison plans illuminate the country using miles and miles of copper wire, buried underneath the ground. With the help of his personal secretary, Samuel Insull (Tom Holland), Edison plans to become even more famous in the eyes of Americans. Although effective, Edison's method is very inefficient, and competition arises. George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon), an air brake manufacturer in Pittsburgh, starts to explore the possibility of using an alternating current from a single power source, which has the potential to be much more effective and a great deal cheaper. As the race commences, Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hoult), a Serbian immigrant, inserts his hat into the ring, all while never truly gaining the respect he deserves. The Current War delivers such an enticing story, that many of its problems do not matter. As the drama sways back and forth from character to character, the audience gets a feel for how tense this race really was. This was the "Wild West" of American innovation, and the capitalization of said innovation. Yes, these men wanted to change the world, but they also wanted their names to be remembered in the process. This biopic by Gomez-Rejon features three separate types of people: someone blinded by their own ambitions, a grizzled war-vet who places integrity above all else, and philosophical genius who is just trying to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, the distracting camera work and direction hold this film back from being something truly special. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon tries to play with each individual scene a bit too much, especially noticeable early on. Extreme close-ups followed by the use of wide-angle lens and awkward camera placement are jarring and unnecessary; it's a perfect example of a director trying to do too much with their project. However, he seems to grow into the feature as it moves on, and the audience is treated to the fascinating story rather than the director's personal touch. As a high-level view to the electrical race in the late 1800's, The Current War does a fantastic job telling the story. The tension slowly builds all the way through the third act and makes for a dramatic finish. The Current War: Director's Cut is absolutely compelling for anyone interested in the topic at hand. It is informative, interesting, and most importantly, entertaining.