Winning the War Not with Bombs, but with Brains

review by Mark Bedetti

3/15/17

Everyone’s a Critic

  

            Alan Turing is known as the father of computer science and artificial intelligence as well as helping to shorten the war by around two years. The movie The Imitation Game directed by Morten Tyldum watched Turing’s progress on cracking the famous German intelligence “Enigma” code during world war two. Turing is played by Benedict Cumberbatch who was nominated for the “Best Actor” in the 87^th Academy Awards. The movie scanned over his life before working with the military in his secondary-school days as well as some time after the war. It was not easy for Alan Turing at school as he was seen as different and as an outcast in the movie because no one was able to understand his process of thinking. With limited friends in school, Turing suffered the loss of one of his only friends in school, Christopher. Alan Turing ends up naming his machine “Christopher” in memory of one of his only friends. During the breaking of the code, he proposes to his colleague, Joan Clarke (Keira Knightly) only to dump her when she has finished helping him crack the code. Turing comes out as homosexual and is charged with gross indecency which began the decline of his mental health in the film. Before his suicide in 1954, the machine ended up being one of his only friends as he is continued to be treated as separate from society.

            Although the film was supposed to be seen as a drama, there were areas where the movie broke the stereotypes of an often boring, non-fiction drama. It was the exact opposite of that stereotype and that it creates a thrilling atmosphere with the tension around the idea that Turing was on a clock on figuring out the German code. This element of suspense kept the viewer awake and involved in every scene. Another element of the layout that added to the film was the implementation of flash-backs and flash-forwards of Turing’s life to show history on what may have been going on in the scene. This assisted tremendously to filling in any cracks of confusion that may have been present about information that the viewer may not know about.

            Benedict Cumberbatch’s role as Alan Turing added immensely to the quality of The Imitation Game. Cumberbatch’s part was made to be seen as an outcast and hated by the other characters, but since he was the main character, the audience automatically had a fair bit of hope in him. This added to the suspense of the movie and the chance that he might not accomplish his goal on top of the fact that everyone in the movie is doubting him.

            The Imitation Game was a film full of tremendous acting, and an informative and realistic story that jerked tears and provided a supplementation of entertainment.