The Imitation Game is a 2014 film starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, a statistician who helped to crack the Enigma code of the Nazis during World War II. I personally really enjoyed this film for several reasons, including the historical significance, as well as the storyline of the movie.
(Spoilers incoming!) Cumberbatch can portray the tortured mind of a genius to near perfection, missing cues of emotion, including arrogant quips, and giving off an air of confidence that can only come with being one of the smartest mathematicians alive. There are flashbacks in which a young Alan Turing shows signs of his social awkwardness as well as his affinity for puzzles. It is through these flashbacks and World War II era stories that an important fact about Alan is revealed: he is homosexual. This fact makes him an extremely sympathetic character, especially as the movie carries on.
The story of Alan’s progress to decode the Enigma machine, a tool used to encrypt messages that were thought to be unbreakable, is astonishing. He had to fight to be able to continue his work when the government tried to shut down his project, and, eventually, the code was cracked. After the war concludes, all of his tireless work is destroyed, leaving no mark of his astounding accomplishments.
In the final stages of his life, Turing is on drugs which were supposed to change his sexual orientation. His inability to be himself, as well as the drugs’effect on his physical abilities like no longer being able to do a crossword, something he loved doing before the war, eventually leads him to commit suicide.
This film holds great importance historically, as the information in it was only released within the last few decades. As someone who is very interested in World War II, the film gives a new perspective into the war efforts on the home front. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is looking to become more knowledgeable about lesser-known occurrences in World War II or anyone who is looking for a dramatic and sad movie. The movie depicts Turing and his life beautifully, and I encourage you to see for yourself!
