Watch Tesla: Master of Lightning

In 2000, a documentary movie titled "Tesla: Master of Lightning" was released. The movie is directed by Robert Uth and Bernard Wilets, and it stars Stacy Keach, Elisabeth Noone, and several other actors who play the role of Nikola Tesla's contemporaries, such as Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and J.P. Morgan. The movie is a biography of Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist who is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. The film chronicles Tesla's life and career, from his childhood in Serbia to his pioneering work in electricity and wireless communication.

The movie begins with an introduction to Tesla's early life and education in Europe. We are introduced to his family background, his early interest in science and engineering, and his years studying at university. The film then moves on to Tesla's early career, which saw him working for Thomas Edison in New York City. Tesla's time working for Edison was marked by tension between the two men, with Edison favoring direct current (DC) electricity and Tesla promoting his alternating current (AC) system.

The documentary also explores Tesla's inventions and discoveries. It explains the concepts of AC currents, transformers, and wireless communication, all of which were groundbreaking and innovative for their time. The film also discusses Tesla's work on the Tesla coil, which he designed to produce high-voltage, low-current, high-frequency alternating-current electricity. The coil has become a staple of science demonstrations to this day.

The documentary delves into Nikola Tesla's life as an inventor and businessman, highlighting his struggles with finance and his dealings with industrialists such as Westinghouse and Morgan who invested in his patents. As Tesla's career progressed, he became more reclusive and introverted, which led to him being often overlooked by the scientific community of the time. This shift was highlighted further with the movie examining Tesla's final years, which were difficult for him financially and personally.

The film is structured around a series of dramatized scenes interspersed with interviews with historians, academics, and Tesla enthusiasts. These experts offer insights into Tesla's inventions and his significance as a pioneering figure in modern science and engineering. The dramatized scenes offer a glimpse into Tesla's world, with actors playing his contemporaries and bringing to life some of the key moments in his life.

Overall, "Tesla: Master of Lightning" is an insightful and well-crafted documentary that offers a detailed look at the life and career of one of the greatest inventors of the modern era. The movie should be of interest to anyone interested in science and engineering, as well as those who appreciate historical documentaries.