Photo credit: Michael Priest Photography
Young and adult women alike, began screaming as if a Beatle was performing live circa 1964, as Benedict Cumberbatch walked on to the stage.
By now, you have probably heard about the plot of the film, directed by Norwegian film director, Morten Tyldum, who most recently directed, ‘Headhunters.’
WWII era. Cambridge. Troubled genius. Based on the true story of a real man. The entire cast: British. Classic filmmaking. The beginning of the film is the end of the film.
Sound familiar?
What sets ‘The Imitation Game’ and ‘Theory of Everything’ apart?
For one, Alan Turing, is a bit more arrogant and narcissistic, more like his beloved character, Sherlock, than Stephen Hawking. Coincidentally, however, Benedict Cumberbatch also played Stephen Hawking in the 2004 BBC version, ‘Hawking.’ ‘Stephen is an extrovert, and a theorist with a high standing in the scientific world.’
The lead character, Alan Turing, was a British mathematician, who assisted his team to crack Nazi Germany’s Enigma code that helped the Allies win World War II. Sadly, he went unrecognized, and was criminally prosecuted for ‘homosexual indecency.’
The film begins in 1951 where Alan is seen cleaning up a broken bottle which had white powder in it. Two detectives are there with him and are suspicious, believing that he is hiding something. Turn back to 1939 where Alan is on a job interview for the position as a cryptographer, when he almost loses the assignment because he doesn’t speak German. Add a female mathematician, Joan Clarke, who takes an interest in Alan. Turn back even further to his youth, and see the pivotal relationship between him and his childhood classmate, Christopher. Christopher is also the name he named the code-breaking machine that deciphered messages encoded by German machines, which was crucial in helping break the code that helped change the course of WWII, saving 14 million lives.
M Y M S A I C T R I S O A Y R J
Benedict Cumberbatch on Alan Turing:
“There was no footage of Alan to go from. I tried to humanize him as he was unable to make connections with people, easily. He closed himself off from the feelings of the world. God was beyond his belief. He did matter. They destroyed him, and Alan is the only person who can forgive.”
British Justice Secretary Chris Grayling on Alan Turing:
“Dr. Turing deserves to be remembered and recognized for his fantastic contribution to the war effort and his legacy to science,” “A pardon from the Queen is a fitting tribute to an exceptional man.”
One World Cinema
ABELLA Sharon 
