Prime Video

Rent The Secret of Nikola Tesla on Prime Video, or buy it on Prime Video.

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Impactful biopic deserves to be seen.

Rated: A

Feb 25, 2005

Full Review

Read all reviews

Audience Member

Wonderful movie, very good historical accuracy and details attention. edison cholera.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The subject matter is far more important than this particular film about it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Never would I have guessed that a bio-pic about the man who gave us AC (Alternating currents) would be so interesting. Though the production values leave much to be desired the story of the man who feuded with Thomas Jefferson, entertained Mark Twain, and was in business with George Westinghouse and JP Morgan is one that every American should be aware of and The Secret of Nikola Tesla is an easy and enlightening way of learning about a man that history has forgotten (and in some cases ostracized).

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Captivating and engrossing, captures the life of famed electricity discoverer and genius Nikola Tesla. Great period costuming and sets, decent acting too. The soundtrack is the huge drawback when it appears, sounding like a bad horror flick. The movie depicts Tesla as a loner, one who spoke his mind when it was not always appropriate. Even when speaking before the society elite about his triumphs, he shocked them by deriding their timidness about the future. In the end, it was Tesla himself who spoke carelessly to J.P. Morgan, his megabillionaire backer. Tesla claimed his access to power was to everyone on the planet, something Morgan saw no value in backing as he wanted to be the sole provider of power. The Secret of Nikola Tesla (Serbo-Croatian: Tajna Nikole Tesle), is a 1980 Yugoslav biographical film which details events in the life of legendary inventor Nikola Tesla (portrayed by Serbian actor Petar Bozovic per the credits). [img]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRrb4Sfxg5aaHKdxEnzYgZitkRY7nvXcnmD8cOOaLgZIDwsU1yK1g[/img] Stars Petar Bozovic, Orson Welles, Strother Martin. SEE the entire film here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnAqCNPiVeY REVIEWS: 80% I was interested in Tesla and that's what put this movie in my Netflix queue. Then I sat up when I noticed Strother Martin and Orson Welles in the op... [img]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR1Xump7Aclfg3jMbikp3GE9dR3SaZi6f6aPPRwKgPtANA40HUF[/img] actor Petar Bozovic as Tesla [img]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTk9KmDz83miuArzyY8l3lpuyC4vgTU-OGzVtaL9IOqZ2Ai2ynt[/img] The real Nikola Tesla NOTES: 1 Much of the focus is upon his battles with Thomas Edison involving the clear superiority of Alternating Current over Direct Current and his commercially unpopular dream of supplying consumers all around the globe with limitless free energy. 2 Not motivated by money, Tesla was more intent on serving mankind. He bristled at those who were driven by money and greed but he needed their money for his work. 3 Strother Martin (who died six weeks before the film's September 12, 1980 English-language premiere at the Toronto Film Festival) and Dennis Patrick as Westinghouse and Edison, respectively. [img]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT6LeUQtRxCPoSwHaOTcOb3rc7BhLSMcjXrohT6rQd3Hnm0YZ9IzQ[/img] Petar Bozovic as Nikola Tesla Strother Martin as George Westinghouse Orson Welles as J. P. Morgan Dennis Patrick as Thomas Edison Oja Kodar as Katharine Johnson Boris Buzančić as Robert Underwood Johnson Demeter Bitenc Vanja Drach The Secret of Nikola Tesla Directed by Krsto Papi Written by Ivo Brean Ivan Kuan Krsto Papi Music by Anelko Klobuar Cinematography Ivica Rajkovi Editing by Boris Erdelji Release date(s) 1980 Running time 115 minutes Country Yugoslavia Language English Serbo-Croatian [img]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQAfFzAVMJlvQ_DBAgBdGMvSRZq6yCHgiGhepXtNvXiuRVTpuyWAQ[/img]

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

probably the most accurate story of his life. most movies add many unknown theories. this one holds true to known facts.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I was interested in Tesla and that's what put this movie in my Netflix queue. Then I sat up when I noticed Strother Martin and Orson Welles in the opening credits. The movie is choppy, it is not brilliant, no attempt is made to elucidate at all the scientific issues between Tesla and Edison, besides the very human issue of Edison's fear and jealousy of Tesla. With all those caveats, the acting is wonderful. The actor playing Tesla captures the oddity and prescience of the man without making him seem psychotic, and the eternal issues of pride and greed are underscored very well, and then of course you get two masters, Martin and Welles. I enjoyed it and I'm glad I saw it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Krsto Papic

Director

Petar Božović

Nikola Tesla

Strother Martin

George Westinghouse

Orson Welles

J.P. Morgan

Dennis Patrick

Thomas Alva Edison

Oja Kodar

Catherine Johnson

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

View more photos

Synopsis

Based on the life of the Yugoslavian electrical engineer who introduced the concept of alternating current.

Director: Krsto Papic
Screenwriter: Krsto Papic, Ivo Bresan, Ivan Kusan
Production Co: Zagreb Film
Genre: Biography, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017
Runtime: 1h 55m

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch!

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Let's keep in touch!

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Movies / TV

Celebrity

No Results Found

The Secret of Nikola Tesla

Where to Watch