REVIEW #80 The Imitation Game (2014)

The Imitation Game is directed by Morten Tyldum and is based on the true story of British mathematician Alan Turing as he joins the cryptography team to decipher the German enigma code during World War 2. With the help of his fellow Mathematicians, he builds a machine that will crack the codes and turn the tide in the war.

CAST & THE ACTING 

Benedict Cumberbatch leads the cast as Alan Turing, a genius who comes up with the idea of building the machine that cracks the enigma code. He is also a homosexual man at a time where it was illegal to be. Despite helping to win the war he is chemically castrated and it’s side effects ultimately drive Turing into Madness and cause him to take his own life. Cumberbatch plays every aspect of Turing perfectly, his genius and his depression, which created such an emotional ending that really shocks the audience. Keira Knightley plays Joan Clarke a female mathematician recruited by Turing for the cryptography team. She portrays a smart and strong women determined to break the mould of what women could and couldn’t do during that time period. Cumberbatch and Knightley show great chemistry in the film, showing a real bond between close friends. The other cast members include Mark Strong, Charles Dance and Matthew Goode who also deliver strong performances in the film. 

PLOT & THE STORYLINE 

The main storyline is a race against time for this group of mathematicians to crack the enigma code, a secret code used by the Germans in World War 2 to coordinate their attacks. Turing, a genius recruited by the government, creates a team and comes up with the idea of a machine that could crack each days enigma code quick enough for the British Forces to act on the information. That over arching storyline is interesting enough, however there are a lot of sub plots that provide context of the constraints that were in place during that time period. Turing was a homosexual man, unable to come out openly due to the prosecution of homosexual men at that time, Joan Clarke a brilliantly smart women who had to lie about her job in the team because women had a set place in society and using their brains was not it. There is also the pressure on men and women to settle down and get married, which is also shown in the film. These sub plots not only set the time period but also created the necessary character exploration and as a result the audience were so invested in their stories. This is why the ending of the film is so shocking and emotional when Turing is finally prosecuted for being gay, despite him having just helped win the war. I was shocked to discover he was only pardoned for this ‘crime’ in 2013, which is unbelievable! 

CINEMATOGRAPHY & SPECIAL EFFECTS 

There weren’t any special effects in this film, which is good because it is an historical film set in World War 2 and therefore any effects could work as a distraction. The cinematography is nicely done, there are some really nice scenes in the film, so credit has to go to Oscar Faura who was responsible for the cinematography. I particularly liked the scenes where it overlooked Turing at work, he often looked quite small and took up little space in those scenes which I feel represented a man obsessed by his work and emphasised the size of the task at hand. The costume and set design done very well at portraying the time period convincingly which is important in order to make the film as realistic as possible, especially when it is based on a true story. 

OVERALL (7.8/10)

I enjoyed The Imitation Game, when something is based on a true story I usually find myself researching as much as I can about it after I finish it. This was no different, there are moments that really shocked me and I couldn’t believe what was done to Turing after he was prosecuted for being homosexual just after helping us win the war. The acting was good across the board, Cumberbatch is brilliant and I feel this is a role perfect for him. The plot was gripping and had my attention from start to finish, I was unaware of Turing and his work during World War 2 and I feel like it’s something that needs to be taught more in schools. The cinematography was good and there are plenty of scenes that looked great and convincingly portrayed the time period. If you like historical dramas, definitely give it a go because it’s worth the watch. 

Thanks for reading.

Callan