The Bible says that no man can serve two masters and no one may know that better than creatives in the capitalist age. Breaking new ground can cost and acquiring the necessary capital to turn dreams into reality often requires compromise and work that is just as hard as creation. Striking this balance has sunk many a creator, even some of the greatest the world has ever seen.
Tesla is an unorthodox take on the biopic, taking us back to the turn of the 19th century alongside the visionary Nikola Tesla (Ethan Hawke). We watch as the inventor fights an uphill battle to bring his revolutionary alternating current electrical system to life against the direct current system of fellow inventor and former boss Thomas Edison (Kyle MacLachlan). With the help of fellow inventor and businessman George Westinghouse (Jim Gaffigan), Tesla navigates his clash with the more established Edison. Soon, Tesla faces new challenges with his idea for a system of worldwide wireless energy. Tesla courts of banking titan J.P. Morgan (Donnie Keshawarz) to back his idea alongside Morgan’s daughter Anne (Eve Hewson) who takes a more than casual interest in the inventor. Tesla must make his invention work amidst the pressure of answering to an investor who expects timely results.
Tesla offers an unconventional take on the period piece, interweaving glimpses of the present and its elements into the 19th century, including iPhones and Macbooks. Its out of the box presentation compliments the unique thought process of the figure at its center. Hewson narrates the film, often breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience. The stylistic choice from director Michael Almereyda may feel a bit too off-kilter for many, but it gives the low budget indie a rhythm that prevents it from becoming just another period piece biopic into something that feels a little different in a way that prevents distraction.
The film’s story offers a glimpse at the nexus of invention and commerce; how the two are inextricably linked and always have an effect on one another. The Nikola Tesla we are shown in the film is the same Tesla we’ve come to know over the past century, innovative and ahead of time, full of ideas that the world still marvels at in the present. Despite his genius, invention is not powered through thought alone and the reclusive genius consistently finds himself opposite a titan of industry in a battle to power his ideas. Whether it’s fellow inventor and businessman Edison, Westinghouse, or Morgan, Tesla must always face up to the fact that without overcoming the hurdle of their wealth or the need for their approval and financing, the visions that keep him up at night can never see the light of day. His struggle is an eternal one that still haunts creators to this day; how does one create and satisfy their ambitions without compromising too much at the altar of commerce? The struggle gets the best of Tesla in the end, as he dies admired but destitute and his grand ideas along with him, a fate that has struck many a creative since.
Ethan Hawke commits fully to the role of Nikola Tesla, displaying why he’s one of the best working actors today. The ensemble cast matches his skill level Eve Hewson in particular who shines as the film’s headstrong narrator. Tesla’s fourth wall breaking style may be a bit much for some, but makes for a more compelling watch as an indie, art house period piece biopic than it probably would have been otherwise. The film’s examination of the plight of the artist against the power of money is well done, but adds nothing new in its depiction. Tesla isn’t a complete waste of time at all, but probably won’t leave a lasting impression (save Hawke’s in character rendition of Tears for Fears’ Everybody Wants to Rule the World).
Image: IFC Films
