Ephemeris of the Mind (Film Review) The Imitation Game
Time to read: 2 min read
Movie Poster
Somtimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine.
Review
Alan Turing is perhaps one of the most pivotal figures in the history of computer science. This movie covers his role in World War II, when he worked with a top secret team of researchers at Bletchley Park to crack the German Enigma codes for the Allies.
Benedict Cumberbatch is one of my favourite actors and he plays a perfect socially awkward and logical Turing. The entire supporting cast, such as Matthew Goode’s Hugh Alexander, Allen Leech’s John Cairncross, and Charles Dance’s Commander Denniston, all serve as foils for Cumberbatch’s Turing. My favourite supporting characters are Mark Strong’s cunning Stewart Menzies and Kiera Knightley’s brilliant Joan Clarke.
This film does take liberties with the actual history in order to sensationalize and dramatize the truth. For instance, the film downplays the contributions of Turing’s teammates, such as the machine being built with plenty of help from Gordon Welchman, who was left out of the film. Other plot points involve Turing’s actual personality; while people have tried to retrospectively diagnose Turing with autism, most accounts of Turing indicate that he was sociable, had friends, and had amicable working relationships with his colleagues. Furthermore, the meetings and plot points with Menzies and Cairncross are probably both fictional, so the entire blackmail plot is slanderous for those involved. I would've preferred a more historically accurate account of the story.
Overall though, The Imitation Game is an excellent war film, with sleek set design and elegant cinematography. I also like how the film touches on his homosexuality, and how the British government persecuted him despite his wartime contributions.
Conclusion
I do like this trend of celebrating the more cerebral contributions to the war effort. I wonder when we'll get a Hollywood film about Marian Rejewski, the Polish mathematician who first cracked Enigma.