The Imitation Game

Alan Turing (1912-54) is no longer alive to forgive us, adding to the remorse some feel in needing to be forgiven by him. This complication arises because a great wrong was done to a great man in a time of great ignorance and intolerance. Hounded and persecuted, he was driven to suicide at age 41 by a perverse morality that criminalised him for his nature — that of preferring the intimate company of men over women. Why should this have mattered? It didn’t, or shouldn’t have. So it’s a question many still ask and are troubled by. Among other things, Turing was a hero and mathematical genius. He helped save Britain and defeat the Nazis in the Second World War, invented the computer and AI, and was the first to apply mathematics to the studies of zoology and botany, discovering why, for instance, the leopard has spots and the zebra stripes. He called this process morphogenesis, the study of the shapes and patterns in living organisms. During the war he was recruited from Cambridge by MI5 to work at Bletchley Park, the secretive but now famous intelligence-gathering unit tasked with breaking the “unbreakable” German military code called Enigma. The problem looked insurmountable because the permutations of Enigma were nearly endless, millions of combinations of code changed daily by the code senders. A human mind, or series of human minds working in concert together, might take weeks to run through the combinations with paper and pencil. But weeks were useless when Enigma’s settings could be changed daily (and were) by the Germans. Thus Britain was gradually losing the war to this sinister machine, its warships and destroyers routinely a step behind that of the German U-boats at sea. So Turing thought the obvious: if human minds can’t solve the riddle, maybe a machine can. But none existed. It would have to be invented. Thus out of desperation and the visions of a genius the computer was born, a machine that could compute (meaning think) faster than humans can. Some say Turing and his machine represent the biggest shift in human culture since Gutenberg. The returns are still coming in, but it seems so. Our human world now is constructed on digitalised information. Even our money is invisible, primarily stored as binary code in the minds of computers, not as banknotes in vaults. The machines are already on the way to running the show. A time is coming when your flight from London to New York will be flown without a pilot and you’ll think nothing of it. In 1950, Turing wrote an article on AI called The Imitation Game, generally understood to be a synonym for the Turing Test. His central question was: “Can machines think?” And by that he really meant: “Can machines imitate or mimic human thought so well that a human observer might be fooled into thinking the machine is human?” The question is important because a lot hinges on the answer. If, for instance, the observer can be fooled, what’s next? What does this imply for man and civilisation? We can’t answer it yet, but we know enough already to be unsettled by the question. Turing logically implies in his paper that AI was made inevitable by the construction of computing machines (computers). There’s no turning back, in other words, to a time of previous innocence before the machines existed. Human intellect, he also implies, is no match for the exponential intellectual powers of machines. Thus he was among the first to see into the future. He also foresaw that AI would force redefinitions of humanity on us, and this is exactly where we are at the moment — absorbed in a philosophical revolution of thought whose manifestations cannot be read yet with any authority. Turing, much like Einstein, was a worrier. He understood better than most the Pandora’s box his mind was opening up. Even now many are way behind on the learning curve. To them AI is just a form of sci-fi entertainment. But it won’t be so entertaining in the future when the terminators are programmed to terminate us if they can be, and you can be sure that some humans among us will try, human mendacity and history being what it is. This film does not spend its time going into all this, but the genesis of it is there just the same. What we mostly see is the struggle of a brilliant mind with the incomprehensible, with a problem so difficult it may as well be impossible. That he could solve it is almost beyond belief, a god-like accomplishment with few precedents. Radar helped win the war — this is true. Likewise heroic were the RAF and the Americans at D-Day and beyond. But without Turing and his team the Nazi menace might have trampled over all of us. We’ll never know, and we can thank Turing for it. Benedict Cumberbatch received an Oscar nomination for his turn as Turing. Seeing the film you can understand why. We’ll never know in detail who Alan Turing was because he can’t be duplicated. But put on your blindfold and maybe Cumberbatch passes another kind of Turing Test — the one of becoming Alan Turing. I doubt a better effort can be made. Derek Jacobi is wonderful in an earlier version of the Turing story (Breaking the Code, 1996). But Cumberbatch raises the bar even higher, so to speak. What he brings as Turing is what Turing himself must have brought — manic determination, a will to succeed that defies logic. The demons he fights are many and various: Hitler, the Enigma, time, his superiors, budget constraints, his own health, sexuality, nerves, doubts and the finite number of grey cells in his brain. The key that opens the door must fit a million locks or more. He’s essentially told it can’t be unlocked, yet is ordered to find a way to open it. If we want to turn to myth, Odysseus on his long, hazardous voyage provides a good image. His goal is the Golden Fleece, heretofore unfound by all mortals who have sought it. Odysseus, as we know, perseveres. So does Turing. The Golden Fleece moment in the film, if it can be called that, doesn’t come at Bletchley proper where all the hard work is being done. Creativity seldom works this way, as it’s far more stealthy in spirit. Inspiration, as most artists and thinkers know, arrives from unexpected quarters: not from the studio or blackboard, but from the bath tub, say, or from a dream or walk in the park with the dog. Turing’s moment, modestly and homely enough, came in a British pub. He and his colleagues were unwinding after yet another long, draining, exasperating day in code with the dreadful Germans. Then, just like that, over beers, the epiphany arrived via a stray comment made by a fellow English decoder at their table. Turing freezes, stares into a place of insight hidden from the others. The eyes widen and in them we see wonder and recognition. He jumps from his seat and shouts dementedly, “Germany has just lost the bloody the war!” Beer is spilt, the tab unpaid, the code breakers dashing up the path to Bletchley. There they race past security guards, then to their ciphers and the huge computing machine Turing has nicknamed Christopher (after his dearest schoolboy friend whose young death Turing never got over). It’s the world’s first prototype computer. They input new information into it. Rotors rotate and millions of numbers continue to spin. Then the rotors click into place and stop, the entire machine coming to a peaceful halt. This hasn’t happened before. The codebreakers, breathless, look at the machine, then at themselves. They take the sequence of numbers given to them by Christopher and type a sequence of letters into their Enigma (gifted to them by the Polish Navy which scavenged it from a German vessel in the Baltic). Out comes a coded message in German, a weather report for the North Atlantic at 6:00 a.m. along with coordinates for an attack on British ships in the area. Code broken. Minds trying to absorb the fact. Stunned silence. Disbelief. Then rapturous joy and tearful embraces. Turing looks exhausted, as befits a man who has just won the war for Britain and its Allies. From here on out Germany will have no secrets, Enigma no longer enigmatic. The sell-by date of the Thousand Year Reich has come rather earlier than expected. This film is a celebration of many things — of genius, ingenuity, improvisation, faith, determination, perseverance and heroism. It’s also a morality tale of good and evil, virtue versus vice. But in ironic counterpoint to the heroism of Turing is the callousness and cowardice of the British establishment in its treatment of him after the war. Yes, he was brilliant and we acknowledge his contribution to the war effort, thinks the government. But we must be practical and realistic. The war is over but a new one is on our hands now with the Russians. Turing is unpredictable, hard to control, a loose cannon. His access to sensitive intelligence makes him potentially dangerous, a liability to be closely monitored. Who knows who he is consorting with, as we’re very aware of his deviancies in private life? Why is he making these trips to Norway, Switzerland, and other strange places most Britons do not visit? These events are not shown in the film but underpin the suspicion the government has toward Turing. None who worked at Bletchley were allowed to talk. Ever. As in perpetuity. They were sworn to secrecy under the Official Secrets Act. Sometimes all that’s needed to destroy a person is enough doubt and suspicion. The government would not have wanted Turing dead, but it succeeded indirectly in killing him through harassment that led to his suicide. Since those awful cold-war times the government has tried to make amends publicly. In 2009 it apologised for the “appalling” way in which Turing had been treated after the war. Then in 2013 Queen Elizabeth II signed a pardon, overturning his 1952 conviction of gross indecency. In addition, there have been posthumous honours bestowed on him from universities and research institutions around the world, far too numerous to list here. But another mildly amusing indication of his fame in recent years in his inclusion in the list of 100 Greatest Britons (conducted by public polling in 2002). He ranks no. 21 on it, higher than the two Davids (Bowie and Beckham, nos. 29 and 33, respectively), but lower than Princess Diana (no. 3), a person thought to be more important in the cultural life and history of Britain than Charles Darwin (no. 4), William Shakespeare (no. 5) and Sir Isaac Newton (no. 6). Of course on one level it’s quite silly, frivolous and pitiful, as most similar lists are. But not entirely. It does mean he is known, remembered and appreciated by the public, at least in Britain, so his gifts and accomplishments have not been completely lost to the world. In fact, his public profile has never been higher, as the making of this film probably attests. We can’t go back to right the wrongs of the past, but maybe an important step toward not repeating them with others is to publicly acknowledge them as wrong. In this sense Turing lives on as a symbol of much needed tolerance and acceptance. And so, at the risk of sounding maudlin, we can say we’re thankful for what he did for us and sorry for what we did to him. Finally, I apologise for not writing more directly about the film. I thought it more important to say some cogent things about Turing than to analyse the film in detail, thinking readers can go to other reviews to get descriptions of it. But I’ll close by saying it’s beautiful, deserving of both five stars and, more importantly, all the awards it has received, including an Academy Award. You will not be disappointed. Or I hope you aren’t. I found it deeply moving.

A Masterpiece of History and Heart The Imitation Game is an absolute triumph. Benedict Cumberbatch delivers a career-defining performance as Alan Turing, perfectly capturing his brilliant, complex, and deeply tragic life. The film does a phenomenal job of balancing the high-stakes tension of breaking the Enigma code with the heartbreaking human element of Turing’s personal struggles and the injustice he faced. Keira Knightley is also fantastic, providing a strong, sharp anchor to the story. The pacing is tight, the score is beautiful, and the message stays with you long after the credits roll. A beautiful tribute to a true hero.

Purchased this Dvd and found it entertaining, good price and delivery

Great film. Looking forward to watching this again

Having visited Bletchley Park near Milton Keynes after watching this film and saw how they processed the code though the different huts that where there as well as the Colossus designed by Tommy Flowers well worth a visit good film help me learn more about the code breakers

Great movie, very authentic, convincing and historically accurate portrayal of true WW2 events. Brilliant!

Professor Alan Turin was a brilliant mathematician who excelled at "solving" what they call Non-Polynominal Equations. I'm studying on a BSc (Honours) Computing and IT course at the moment and we've studied Turin's work which is still used to this day. The term, The Imitation Game was nothing to do with Enigma. Alan Turin used the term to describe a game where there is a person or machine (e.g. computer or robot) in a room and 2 other people outside. By conversing with each other the people outside the room had to decide whether there was a person or machine within the room. Modern day robot scientists still use the theory today, which is called The Turin Test. The film was riveting and Benedict Cumberbatch deserved his Oscar and Academy nominations as best actor. From a child, Turin was very reclusive but extremely intelligent. His homo-sexual tendency was apparent from an early age at a time when "being Gay" was against the Law. The Enigma Machine was seen as an unbreakable encryption device and many countries had tried to break the code before it got to Bletchley Park. From the beginning Turin knew exactly what he had planned and was given a rough ride when they should have been investing in what he needed. His machine, which he named Christopher after the school friend who died, is still in Bletchley today. It was one of the first electro-mechanical machines ever build, bringing in the age of today's computers. The machine was truely remarkable for its time, it was reprogrammable and its output was in a readable format. Breaking the Enigma code helped the allies win WWII, with an estimated 11 million lives saved and 2 years knocked off its conclusion. After the War Professor Turin became a recluse. He, or any member of his team, received no plaudits or awards for what they had achieved. Breaking Enigma was kept a secret in case it effected future Wars and wasn't officially made public until the 1990's Alan Turin however was charged with indecency, a crime in which he could have served 2 years in jail or endure "chemical castration" by taking medication which almost killed him. Approximately a year later he committed suicide. What an end to a man to whom this nation owed so much. How times have changed, where today Gay Marriage is common-place. It wasn't until 2013 when Queen Elizabeth II awarded Professor Alan Turin a postumous pardon with a citation "for services to you King and Country".

I can't understand the negative reviews here. Were we watching the same movie? Well atleast out of 778 reveiews about 700+ are 5&4 star. I don't know the Alan Turing Story in detail. I'm not about to find out either. I was watching this as an 'entertainment' not as a 'documentary'. It is 'based on his life and work' not a 1000 hr minute detail by detail chronological account of his life. So, I loved it. I truly did. As a tribute piece I 'd rank it easily with 'A Bridge too Far'. It is a very fine tribute to the work of Alan Turing at BP. It is a recognition of how his work shortened the war, saved lives, and helped in no small way, in fact a very fundamental way, to defeat Hitler. I think the fact that he has been pardoned isn't enough. Every town in the country should have something named in his honour. His work, his machine prevented the UK from beig starved to death. His machine led to the failure of the U-boat campaign. His machine gave us daily intel on every German military movement and decision taken. It was a phenomenal achievment. The film portrays that achievment magnificently. It is quantumly ahead of the miserable 1986 version 'Breaking the Code' with Derek Jacobi (fine British actor) which focuses almost exclusively on his homosexuality and only has about 2 scenes where he is talking mathematical theory to officials who were both ignorant and couldn't give a damn. It is even better than Enigma with Dougray Scott, thogh I enjoy that film immensly. I think DC portrayal of AT 'as we are generally awarte of him' is well nigh perfect. All the cast is perfect. The script is superb. I watched it twice in 2 days, and enjoyed it both times. As a rule I do not watch movies made after 2000 as I find them unwatchable (I'm 60 so grew up with different kinds of films, less or no CGI etc.). This is exceptional. It is a classic.

I'm a sucker for WW2 movies, this one is pretty interesting, and keeps moving along. Not action packed, it's not that type of movie, but a story of behind the scene breaking of the German Enigma machine code. Well cast, well done, and is an easy watch without a lot of WW2 knowledge required.

Comme certains autres commentateurs, Alan Turing avait croisé ma vie lors des mes études en Infomatique et en Intelligence Artificielle, donc pas inconnu du tout (machine de Turing, indécidabitié et autres). Enfin il était lié d'amitié avec Gödel et Einstein. Le film retrace l'éducation d'Alan Turing, et se focalise sur son "craquage" (génial) de la machine de cryptologie allemande Enigma, durant la 2de Guerre Mondiale. Ce qui, aux dires d'experts, a permis de gagner au moins 2 ans sur la fin de la guerre, ainsi que des millions de vies humaines. Avec von Neumann, il est le père des premiers ordinateurs numériques et de l'IA. Turing était un génie, qui a été persécuté, car bien plus intelligent que la plupart des contemporains (directeur du MI6 compris), et surtout en raison de son homosexualité. Après la guerre, il a été condamné par la justice britannique, ce qui l'a poussé au suicide ... Elisabeth II l'a réhabilité en 2013 ... Quelle honte! Quelle manque de tolérance! Qui prouvent bien que nos sociétés ne sont pas (encore) capables d'accepter les différences, et ne savent pas reconnaître les génies! Pour rappel, les homosexuels étaient également persécutés par le régime nazi (internement, camp de concentration), et qu'en Allemagne, l'homosexualité n'est plus un délit, seulement depuis 1993! Quel aurait été l'apport d'Alan Turing au domaine des Mathématiques, de l'Informatique, de l'IA, si la société d'alors avait été plus tolérante et capable de reconnaitre un génie? Quelle perte pour l'Humanité, quelle tristesse! Il s'agit du meilleur film que j'ai vu depuis plusieurs années (tout y est: suspens, contexte historique, aspect intellectuel et scientifique, aspect sociologue). Je vous le recommande vivement.

In formato bd ottima qualità audio e video. Ho adorato questo film non solo per l interpretazione del cast stellare ma soprattutto per come la storia della vita di Turing viene rappresentata. Romanzata o no che sia consiglio di vero cuore a chiunque di guardare questo film per renderci conto di quanto il prossimo debba essere valorizzato e non represso o schiacciato. Si deve molto a delle grandissime persone di cui non sappiamo nemmeno l'esistenza o di cui ci disinteressiamo per pigrizia. Voto 8/10

1 man saves 14 MILLION lives and ends WWII by 2 years. Benedict and Kiera are perfect, Oscar-worthy. Alan Turing should have statues erected in his likeness. His mind conceived and built a computer capable of defeating the German Enigma machine... with it's 159 MILLION, MILLION, MILLION possible settings. This is BEFORE transistors or silicone chips. It's... BOGGLING! He literally INVENTED ALL parts needed. This should be viewed by everyone. Alan Turing should be the screensaver on every single person involved in computer sciences. And how the UK Goverment treated this human being is beyond despicable (if then ending doesn't tear you up... check yourself for a pulse). This is as much a 'MUST-WATCH' movie as Hidden Figures. A great movie about a true genius and the support team he built. This is a Shawshank, Slingblade-class movie.

Niet alles is zo gebeurd. Maar deze film is voor ICT mensen een Must have watched.