Faith & Film: The Imitation Game
“The Imitation Game” tells the true story of Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) who successfully breaks the Nazi Enigma Code, contributing greatly to the defeat of Germany in World War II. Turing is recruited as part of a team to break the code in the early part of the war, a task that would take three years to accomplish. “The Imitation Game” is an excellent, absorbing account of the team that broke the code.
Benedict Cumberbatch is excellent as Turing. Perhaps today Turing would be diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. He is brilliant, but also severely lacking social skills, preferring to work by himself rather than as part of a team. Over the course of the movie, we also learn that Turing is homosexual. After the war, he is arrested for “gross indecency.” Cubmberbatch, best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in the contemporary BBC series, captures the brilliance of Turing, but also his rough edges, his difficult personality, and allows the audience to empathize with this not always likeable character.
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