Directed by: Morten Tyldum
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Mark Strong, Charles Dance
The Imitation Game would have been a solid thriller even if it only dealt with Alan Turing's attempts to crack the Nazi Enigma radio code which was considered to be impregnable. Its undercurrent of anger and sadness transforms it into a more emotionally charged thriller. Like The Social Network, its protagonist is an unpleasant fellow with secrets of his own. Alan Turing (Cumberbatch) at first is socially inept and brusque with his co-workers, who are also hired by the British government to break Enigma. He is an arrogant believer in his own brilliance, like a British Dr. Sheldon Cooper. Perhaps Turing is among Dr. Cooper's heroes. I think I heard Turing mentioned once on The Big Bang Theory.
Turing did indeed break the Enigma code with help from a computer he designed and created. His work with the British government was classified, so no one really knew how important Turing was to ending World War II when he was convicted of the crime of homosexuality in 1951. Until fairly recently, homosexuality was an actual punishable crime in Britain. In Turing's case, he was chemically castrated and practically imprisoned in his home. It is pitiful that someone who did so much for his country was treated so inhumanely.
Turing's initial interview with the British government didn't go well. His off-putting, aloof manner offended most people who came in contact with him, including his team of codebreakers. Because the code was so elaborate, trying to break the code using just human intuition was a fool's errand. Turing gradually softens, thanks mostly to a woman named Joan (Knightley), who comes aboard the team after showing true ingenuity in her interview session. She senses his awkwardness and loneliness, perhaps even sensing his secrets. Turing's teenage years are shown in flashback when he falls for another male student. Of course, he was forced to keep that a secret even though at one critical point we see his heart breaking after hearing devastating news.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Turing is indeed smug, arrogant, and touchingly human during critical scenes. He walks a tightrope of fear and insecurity underneath his overconfident exterior. He alienates nearly everyone he meets, except maybe Winston Churchill and Joan. The human stakes are high, though, because the British are losing the war and need to break the code to have any hopes of defeating Germany. Knightley is kind, understanding, and sees through Turing's facade. He awkwardly proposes to her to keep her on the project, but her response to his confession of homosexuality is "Of course you are."
When the code is finally broken, it is triumphant to be sure, but then The Imitation Game presents a moral quandary involving not openly presenting this newfound information because the Germans will simply change their code. Even though the Allies will know details of every German military attack or invasion, Turing's crew knows they can't stop them all because it will tip off the enemy. This leads to cold, logical mathematics and statistics to determine which attacks to thwart and which ones to leave in God's hands. Breaking the secret code must also remain a secret.
The Imitation Game is skillfully directed by Morten Tyldum. The film is a thriller and a race against time, but it also takes care in developing its characters. Turing is an enigma to others and perhaps to himself, but this creates a person who was undone by the very country he helped save from defeat. It's sad and an outrage. If we consider that gay marriage is still an issue yet to be decided by the Supreme Court and the Russians put their anti-gay legislation on full display during the Olympics, can we say we have come a long way in being progressive towards homosexuality? The movie allows us to ponder that very question.
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