Ironically, for a film about the historic battle between two entrepreneurial inventors to light up America “from sea to shining sea” through competing electrical transmission systems, The Current War is a decidedly dull affair.

In the DC (direct current) corner, Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch), a bright spark with the bright idea to illuminate homes, blocks and neighbourhoods through incandescent lamps powered by low-voltage generators. A vast improvement on gas lighting, but restricted by the cost and range of its supply.

In the AC (alternating current) corner, George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon), an equally bright spark with an equally short fuse who courtesy of some creative wordsmithery in the patent department incorporated Edison’s lamps into his long-range, low-cost system. The only downfall being that it’s high-voltage increased risk of electrification – and death – which Edison publicised in surreptitious media briefings.

If the subject matter is as dry as a bone, then the screenplay by Michael Mitnick is as dry as a bone in the Gobi Desert. The scenes are too short to develop character and chemistry (what’s more, Cumberbatch and Shannon only come to face in the final minutes) and their dramatic structure is more flat-line than arc; the camerawork is stark and jarring for no discernible artistic purpose; and there are more montages than a Rocky box set.

Following its premiere to lukewarm reviews at the 2017 Toronto Film Festival, general release was postponed by over 18 months due to sexual abuse allegations levelled against the original producer Harvey Weinstein. (Nothing to do with the lukewarm reviews, of course.) Since then, there has been an extensive re-edit by director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon who reduced the running time by 10 minutes and included several newly-shot scenes. But the creative and controversial rigmarole pervades the final cut for after a bright opening one’s attention quickly dims.

Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Writer: Michael Mitnick
Stars: Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Katherine Waterston
Peter Callaghan
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