"The Current War" - A Neglected Historical Masterpiece?

[@LadyTylerBioRodriguez]

My great grandfather worked for George Westinghouse. Or at least his company. Was a radio operator for Pershing in 1918. Survived mustard gas in the Meuse Argonne. Pershing wrote him a letter of recommendation and he got an electrical engineering job at Westinghouse. Kept that job through the depression. Glad he got a good movie depiction.

[@Sthemingway]

Chung-hoon Chung, the cinematographer, has a very impressive filmography. A sample of his more well-known films: Old Boy (2003), Lady Vengeance (2005), Thirst (2009), Stoker (2013), Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015), The Handmaiden (2016), It (2017), Last Night in Soho (2021), Heretic (2024). Fun fact: the director, writer, and cinematographer of The Current War all worked on Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.

[@eldorados_lost_searcher]

I caught this film when I was away from home for work, and I was floored by it at the time. Glad you gave it a look, and I'll see if I can find it again.

[@ReelHistory]

Definitely worth another look.

[@christopherholder9925]

I must be one of the relatively few who have seen this film, and quite liked it. Another great segment, thanks.

[@Zippezip]

Thanks!

[@ReelHistory]

Thank you!

[@Zippezip]

Jared the Title is a tad misleading. In the futum I would suggest asking a 25 year old what he thinks.

[@TheCaptainObrian]

thank you for covering this criminally underrated film

[@ReelHistory]

It definitely is.

[@LowSnake]

Thank you for a great historical movie review, added to my list!

[@ReelHistory]

You won't be disappointed.

[@jannarkiewicz633]

I watch. I learn. I thumbs up.

[@toneian]

JF, great job. Haven’t seen this one but I will now. New intro is awesome by the way wish we had it for Masters of the Air. Nice editing looking at the screen. Great improvement from the small screen before

[@ReelHistory]

Thank you!

[@gettysburgguy]

Great job team!

[@ReelHistory]

Thank you!

[@stephaniehendricks3537]

I did wonder what happened to this movie, it seemed like it disappeared. Plus it makes me want to suggest you could do a video on another good benedict cumberbatch movie; The Imitation Game, in my opinion another good world war ii movie.

[@ReelHistory]

It's on our list!

[@etherealtb6021]

Thank you! I remember seeing a trailer for this film and wanting to see it, but forgot about it!

[@davidk7324]

Thank you for this excellent breakdown of "The Current War" and the picture you draw of the past as prologue. " . . . a primary reason that this movie's chances to shine in theaters ultimately didn't reach fruition." You seamlessly slipped that in, Jared. And thanks for sharing your friend's impressions of the two companies' contrasting cultures. I agree that the Gilded Age's financial titan "sovereign immunity" is now publicly re-emergent but this time, it is slavishly admired and embraced. I watched “The Current War” on a flight shortly after its release, learned a lot, and thought to myself that I'd need to watch it again, that there was a lot of meat on the bone. BTW, my favorite coin is a MS 1893 Columbian Exposition half dollar. I suspect you might have one.

[@ReelHistory]

Thanks for the nice observations!

[@paulas2218]

I have put this 0:02 on my list of must-watch movies. Thanks!

[@howardblasingame7961]

Thanks for the excellent review. Tesla & Edison were truly historic characters

[@bobbiemurray3354]

This was a great movie. It kept my interest despite me not knowing much on the subject.

[@jeremybaumeister215]

I'd never heard of this movie. But i see a new Reel History video, I play it.

[@ReelHistory]

Thanks!

[@ryanryz64]

I wasn't sure this one would interest me and was going to skip it. So glad I didn't! I watched the first couple minutes and was sucked into watching the whole thing due to your historical commentary! Very interesting!

[@ReelHistory]

It has a very alluring affect.

[@GillyWhitfootHaysend]

You should watch "Young Tom Edison" and "Edison the Man" next. Even though these are very, very early 20th century movies (starring Mickey Rooney and Spencer Tracey, respectively) I think that these films kind of make a trilogy with this movie. Even though the movies don't explicitly give examples other than social awkwardness and the occasional use of the word addled (which was like saying tard back then), there is reason to believe that there may have been some ADD-the neglecting basic needs and even ignoring relationships, etc.

[@jerrysmooth24]

Im sorry Reel History team I was going to like the video but Edison bought the patent and threatens to sue me if i do.

[@ReelHistory]

Electrifying response!

[@andrewfischer8564]

i may have made the last change over from dc to ac in nyc.. we were renovating a whare house on 135th and 12th, with my crew and the late ollie macky.. around 90? it was still on dc

[@rodc7]

i can see a Toby mug in your background there. Can we look forward to a "Twelve O'clock High" viewing and breakdown?

[@ReelHistory]

It's on our list!

[@malebetegrrr5793]

Thank you

[@ReelHistory]

You are welcome!

[@kinnertubbyson]

Hoast... gets me every time. God I love my PA bros.

[@ReelHistory]

Our accent comes up a lot. I sure would like to know how else to pronounce "host". - Andy Anyways, I'll be down by the crick warshin up.

[@Zippezip]

Dude, you have the mug from 12 O'clock High, or one that looks like it. How cool is that? 🛫

[@ReelHistory]

We believe in classy props!

[@rayhallett]

Liked your video! It is always educational to hear an interesting story from history which speaks to larger ideas, or, is representative of a much broader societal issues. It's great that you find some of these stories. Plus, your comment on the dialect in America about the ugly cliches, then and now, is the best review of the latest election in your country. It almost seems as if the ideals are there, but, just not quite the reality of those ideals. (Very much like the beginning of America, with Jefferson writing of the equality of men into the Constitution by day, and then going home and enjoying the benefits of his slaves. Always, since the origin of the American idea.... just not quite the ideal.)

[@ReelHistory]

Our courage and creativity is often matched by contradictions.

[@oldfrend]

would probably be helpful to have the title of the film in the video title.

[@ReelHistory]

It's in the thumbnail

[@ChuckG92]

Saw it in the theatre and bought it used at Redbox. Very disappointed it never came on BluRay or 4K.

[@gettysburgguy]

It is indeed on Blu-ray.

[@ChuckG92]

@@gettysburgguy Must have missed it. Looked for a while, settled for the DVD and never looked again.

[@andrewfischer8564]

in local 3 electricians we have the latamer club. and his house is preserved in flushing.

[@ronbednarczyk2497]

I have to put this movie on my list of ones I need to watch. Sounds like Edison was on the Autism Spectrum.

[@johndoh5479]

I’m not sure why the emphasis on Leonard Pope dying after receiving 3,000 volts (!) of electricity. It is the amperage (the measurement of current - pause for the irony) and not the voltage that stops the heart if excessive . Tasers and stun guns deliver upwards of 50,000 volts without lasting injury. I believe Tom Holland’s character even makes reference to how many mA are fatal in one of the clips in your video. It’s a common mistake.

[@ReelHistory]

It's what I read in an Edison book I have. I am admittedly not a scientifically-minded expert and apologize for any technological terminology shortcomings. -Jared

[@jeff3229]

Great movie!

[@ReelHistory]

We agree!

[@T.R.75]

ive never heard of this movie. that crazy to me in this day and age.

[@andrewfischer8564]

Edison took credit for other mens work. swan invented the light bulb..

[@gravitypronepart2201]

Jared, I had not heard of this film. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Having said that, your thinly veiled political views are interesting. Speaking of class struggle, I wonder if you realize that it was the little guy, or as Amity Schlaes would say, the "Forgotten Man" who pulled the lever for 47, knowing fully well who he is and what he wants to do. Lastly, the weaponization of the Justice Department or any other, for that matter, for political ends is disgusting and undemocratic, and it needs to stop. While I'm a fan of neither candidate or party, I do hope that he can put an end to it along with the punishing prices most of us are feeling, and the devastating effects of an open boarder and bad immigration policy.

[@steveprager7862]

Yikes! I enjoyed the review, but your asides about current political affairs- illegal immigration and equity struggles between the sounds like pseudo- Marxist BS. Did you just miss the last election, sir? I’m gonna have to unsubscribe. What a disappointment you have become.

[@LowSnake]

We can’t all be disappointing from birth like you. Your rhetoric is moronic and baseless. From atop what ivory pillar do you rest your high horse? I watched the whole video to see what you meant and it’s a shame you look at the world thru dimmed, narrow lenses. He didn’t preach or push some imaginary agenda, he reviewed a film and gave context. I would say the only point he repeatedly hit on was Weinstein being a problem. It’ll a cleaner space without you polluting the air, take care ✌️

[@gettysburgguy]

Your loss.

[@spigottv6280]

Are the Marxists in the room with us now, Steve?

[@ReelHistory]

We can't decide what is thinner: your skin or your argument. One simply cannot discuss the Gilded Age without confronting class conflict and labor. Period. If you desire a more saccharine interpretation of the past, there's plenty to be found. In the meantime, we'll continue to have honest conversations here.

[@etherealtb6021]

​​@@ReelHistoryAnother Person who doesn't understand what Marxism is!