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mnhtnbb

(31,319 posts)
Sat Dec 27, 2014, 07:54 AM Dec 2014

The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch

My husband wanted to go see this last night.

Fascinating story. We had seen an Enigma machine on display in London at Churchill's War Rooms
last May when we were there.

Some info: http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_enigma.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enigma_machine

I did not know anything about Alan Turing, although my husband had read a book about him.



Benedict Cumberbatch's performance is superb. Really well done.


Alan Turing:
Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.



Apparently, the relationship with Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley) is overdramatized, although
they did have a short engagement.


For some of the controversy surrounding the depiction of Turing's relationship with Joan Clarke:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2346828/Film-WW2-codebreaker-Alan-Turing-attacked-biographer-exaggerating-love-affair-woman-gay-says-Keira-Knightley-glamorous.html


And Keira Knightley's view about it: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/26/keira-knightley-imitation-game_n_6221196.html


Anyone else see it?

14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch (Original Post) mnhtnbb Dec 2014 OP
Tuesday is cheap night. I will see it then. Hoppy Dec 2014 #1
Just saw it today mcar Dec 2014 #2
Haven't seen it yet, but it's in my Netflix queue... SMC22307 Dec 2014 #3
We saw it a few days ago question everything Dec 2014 #4
I was curious about how the movie varied from the real story mnhtnbb Dec 2014 #5
Lat month TIME magazine had a story about Alan Turing question everything Dec 2014 #6
I don't read TIME so I missed it. But my on-line research mnhtnbb Dec 2014 #8
The Price of Genius question everything Dec 2014 #7
Saw it last night. loved it! ellenrr Jan 2015 #9
My absolute favorite movie of the year. AtomicKitten Jan 2015 #10
I thought it was outstanding. bigwillq Jan 2015 #11
Saw it tonight. A terrific movie. Lex Jan 2015 #12
I watched from my sofa... Callmecrazy Jan 2015 #13
I watch a lot of movies that way: bigwillq Jan 2015 #14

SMC22307

(8,088 posts)
3. Haven't seen it yet, but it's in my Netflix queue...
Tue Dec 30, 2014, 11:30 PM
Dec 2014

because 1) the history is fascinating, and 2) Benedict Cumberbatch.

question everything

(47,271 posts)
4. We saw it a few days ago
Wed Dec 31, 2014, 01:46 PM
Dec 2014

Both the movie and the actor deserve an Oscar. (OK, we have not seen many movies these years..)

I found it interesting that when Joan showed up to the "test" after solving the puzzle, she was told that "secretaries should go upstairs."

What I found touching was that after they broke the code, they had to decide how to handle it.

And, of course, the fact that in many parts of the world, homosexuality is still considered a crime, punishable by death.

mnhtnbb

(31,319 posts)
5. I was curious about how the movie varied from the real story
Wed Dec 31, 2014, 04:25 PM
Dec 2014

and did a little on-line searching.

Joan ran in to considerable misogyny as a woman working in a 'man's' world. Apparently,
there were very different pay scales for women--doing the same work--and she
ended up being classified as having translation skills--even though she didn't--as a result
of some of her male friends helping to do an end run around the pay scale inequities. And
she was not nearly the 'looker' that Keira Knightley is. Typical Hollywood.

I had a hard time following the story because it was back and forth so much in time,
and I never really 'got' that it was an investigation into a burglary at Turing's apartment in the early 50's
that 'uncovered' his homosexuality which resulted in the charges against him--and ultimately
his suicide--even though all his war colleagues were aware of it. Talk about invasion of privacy! And by the way, no thanks for help with ending WW II.

question everything

(47,271 posts)
6. Lat month TIME magazine had a story about Alan Turing
Wed Dec 31, 2014, 04:55 PM
Dec 2014

The True Story of The Imitation Game

http://time.com/3609585/the-true-story-of-the-imitation-game/

Alan Turing’s first love, Christopher, died at a young age

Ruling: Fact

Alan Turing was a closeted gay man

Ruling: Fact

Joan Clarke is invited to Bletchley Park, the home of the government’s code breaking operation, after completing a crossword puzzle

Ruling: Fiction

Joan’s parents didn’t want her at Bletchley

Ruling: Fiction

Turing named the code breaking machine “Christopher”

Ruling: Fiction

John Cairncross threatens to expose Turing’s sexuality if Turing reveals he’s a spy

Ruling: Fiction

Turing asked Clarke to marry him

Ruling: Fact

The government thought Turing might be a Soviet spy

Ruling: Fiction

Turing underwent chemical castration after his conviction

Ruling: Fact

mnhtnbb

(31,319 posts)
8. I don't read TIME so I missed it. But my on-line research
Wed Dec 31, 2014, 05:03 PM
Dec 2014

turned up the answers to all the fact/fiction items.

question everything

(47,271 posts)
7. The Price of Genius
Wed Dec 31, 2014, 04:56 PM
Dec 2014

This is what I read in TIME, by Walter Isaccson

http://time.com/3596955/the-price-of-genius/

Alan Turing, the man who pioneered computing, also forced the world to question what it means to be human

Alan Turing, the intellectual father of the modern computer, had a theory. He believed that one day machines would become so powerful that they would think just like humans. He even devised a test, which he called “the imitation game,” to herald the advent of computers that were indistinguishable from human minds. But as Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance in the new movie The Imitation Game shows, Turing’s heroic and tragic life provides a compelling counter to the concept that there might be no fundamental difference between our minds and machines.

ellenrr

(3,864 posts)
9. Saw it last night. loved it!
Fri Jan 2, 2015, 09:38 AM
Jan 2015

based on the book by Andrew Hodges: Alan Turing: The Enigma.
now I want to read the book.

There was an interview with Hodges last week on NPR also on pacifica. The one on Pacifica can be heard here:
https://itunes.apple.com/nz/podcast/letters-politics-kpfa-94.1/id406769844?mt=2

Either 12/30 or 12/31


https://itunes.apple.com/nz/podcast/letters-politics-kpfa-94.1/id406769844?mt=2

Callmecrazy

(3,065 posts)
13. I watched from my sofa...
Sat Jan 17, 2015, 11:38 AM
Jan 2015

What a great movie.
After that I watched American Sniper. Another good movie. Great performance by Bradley Cooper, but the ending was kind of abrupt.
You can find a lot of great movies for free at this site:
http://www.thedarewall.com/tv/ . Go to the boxoffice pull down and browse all the available films.

 

bigwillq

(72,790 posts)
14. I watch a lot of movies that way:
Sat Jan 17, 2015, 09:52 PM
Jan 2015

From my couch!

But I watch on a different site.

Watched Boyhood last night and started Wild today but didn't finish.

LOVED BOYHOOD!

I disliked the ending to American Sniper and I hated Sienna Miller. Thought it was good but not great. Cooper was outstanding.



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