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Tesla: Master of Lightning

Name: Tesla: Master of Lightning
Director: Robert Uth
Released: 2000
Duration: 87 min

Representation Score

2.4/10

Limited

2000

TV-PG

Director

Robert Uth

Runtime

87 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Tesla: Master of Lightning is a specialized biographical documentary that prioritizes historical accuracy and technological history. The film focuses on reclaiming Nikola Tesla's scientific legacy, emphasizing his rivalry with contemporaries like Edison and Marconi. Because it adheres to the biographical constraints of its subject matter, it does not aim to challenge social hierarchies. Instead, it serves an educational purpose within a traditional documentary format, reflecting the specific demographic and social realities of the era it depicts.

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Category Breakdown

Does Tesla: Master of Lightning have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The documentary focuses on Tesla's professional and scientific achievements without addressing LGBTQ+ identities or challenging assumptions about straight relationships.

How does Tesla: Master of Lightning portray gender?

Limited

The film follows a traditional historical narrative centered on male figures in electrical engineering. It lacks strong roles for women or challenges to gender hierarchies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Tesla: Master of Lightning?

Limited

The film reflects the demographics of the early 20th-century scientific community, focusing on European-descended figures like Tesla, Edison, and Marconi.

How does Tesla: Master of Lightning represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative explores the misunderstood visionary archetype, prioritizing scientific merit over a critique of Western institutions or religion.

Does Tesla: Master of Lightning include disability representation?

Minimal

While Tesla is described as eccentric, the film does not specifically address his eccentricities through the lens of neurodivergent representation or disability.

Present on Screen

Offers a focused reclamation of Nikola Tesla's scientific and historical contributions.
Uses rare photographs and re-creations to complement scientific and autobiographical writings.

Limited or Absent

Lacks strong female representation or roles in the historical scientific narrative.
Does not address neurodivergence or disability through a lens of empowerment.
Does not offer a diverse cast or critique of systemic social hierarchies.

Official Synopsis

This program recounts the life of scientist, inventor, and visionary Nikola Tesla, often remembered as more of an eccentric cult figure than an electrical engineering genius. Many of his achievements are still attributed to contemporaries Thomas Edison and Guglielmo Marconi. Tesla's surprising inventions are revealed in his autobiographical and scientific writings, supplemented by rare photographs and re-creations.

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