Who Wrote It?
The
Imitation Game was written by Graham Moore, and based on the book Alan
Turing: The Enigma, written by Andrew Hodges.
How Long is It?
The Imitation Game is 114 minutes long, including credits.
What’s It About?
The Imitation Game tells the story of Alan Turing (played by
Benedict Cumberbatch), a gifted mathematician who gained a job as a codebreaker
during the Second World War. Hired to decrypt messages sent by the Germans
using the Enigma coding machine, he annoys his superiors with his anti-social
manner, but soon comes up with an elaborate machine to crack the Enigma code.
The film also deals with Turing’s homosexuality, illegal in Britain during his
lifetime, his ill-fated relationship with fellow code breaker Joan Clarke
(played by Kiera Knightley), his arrest for “Gross indecency” in 1952, and his
eventual suicide.
5
Screenwriting Lessons- The Imitation Game
(The
Following May Contain Spoilers)
Use
Flashbacks and Flash-forwards – The Imitation Game begins in
1952, with police responding to the break-in that would expose Turing’s sexuality
and lead to his arrest. The initial meeting is full of foreshadowing that sets
up Turing’s downfall. When the detectives investigating the case first see him,
he is cleaning up poisonous chemicals. As well as foreshadowing his suicide,
which is not depicted in the film itself, it sets up Turing’s awkward and
unsociable nature, which create as many obstacles for him as his homosexuality
does. The subsequent interrogation of Turing provides a framing device for his
narration. The detective conducting it, Detective Nock, serves as a stand-in
for the audience, as he listens to the narration and gains an increased
understanding of Turing as a person. This technique is used to emphasise the
secrecy involved in Turing’s life, as the story he tells was known only to
those directly involved at the time. In recent years, the tale has become more
familiar, but the depiction of a time when it wasn’t highlights the levels of
mystery that defined both Turing and the project in which he was involved.
As well as the scenes set after the war, there are also a
number of flashbacks to Turing’s past as a student at a boarding-school. These
serve to develop his character in a number of ways. He is implied to have Asperger’s
syndrome or a similar condition, which manifests itself in his obsession with
separating peas and carrots in his school dinner. This leads to him being
mercilessly bullied by a number of fellow students, and sets up the fact that
he is a misfit who nobody is able to understand. The flashbacks also depicts
his friendship with, and growing attraction towards, Christopher, an older
student who introduces him to the world of cryptanalysis. This ensures that he
is a more relatable protagonist, and provides motivation for his actions
throughout the rest of the film.
If A Line of
Dialogue is Significant, Echo It Later - There are a number of instances
in the film where a minor detail or exchange is used again later to emphasise
its effect. Some of these are comedic in nature. For example, when Turing is
hard at work designing his decryption machine, he refuses a request to go out
for lunch, claiming that he dislikes sandwiches. Later, one of his fellow
codebreakers steals a sandwich from him, citing this earlier comment when doing
so. Though the sequence is entirely humorous, it demonstrates that Turing’s
colleagues are ambivalent in their opinions of him. They accept his skills, but
still regard him as a loner and therefore treat him in a disrespectful manner. This
indicates that Turing is yet to fully win the approval of his team, and provides
a personal motive for Turing to succeed, in addition to the wider need to save
Britain.
However, the majority of echoes in the story are far more direct.
One significant line is “Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of
who do the things no one can imagine.” This is used three times in the movie.
It is first used Christopher, then Turing himself, and finally Joan in the last
scene. This reflects and reinforces the message of the movie, which is that the
Second World War was not won on the battlefield, but by an introverted
mathematician who was “agnostic” towards violence. The contrast between Turing’s
anonymous nature and his highly valuable contribution is inherently fascinating,
and this is at the heart of both the quote and the movie itself.
Protagonists
Don’t Have to be Likeable – The film places a significant amount of focus on
Alan Turing’s flaws. He was anti-social, overconfident, obtuse and lacking
inhibition. These traits are made particularly apparent in his interview with
Commander Denniston, the head of Britain’s Government Code and Cipher School,
the organisation for which Turing worked. For example, he tells Dennison “You
would need me a lot more than I need you.” The purpose of an interview is
usually to win over the person conducting it, but Turing’s blunt comments show
that he regards himself as being superior to Dennison, which is hardly an
endearing statement to make in such a serious context. However, because
Turing’s judgements turned out to be correct, the audience are on his side,
because they are aware that he will be an essential member of the team and hope
Denniston will recognise this. Turing’s confidence in his abilities make him a
compelling character, and this ensures that the audience more inclined to
follow him and see what effects his positive and negative characteristics have
on his success.
Use the
Period – The majority of the film takes place during the Second
World War, and this creates a significant degree of tension. The extent of the
threat posed by the Germans and their apparent invulnerability makes Turing and
the codebreakers seem like underdogs, and this is highlighted through the
menacing depiction of German ships and planes advancing on their enemies.
Furthermore, they represented a more immediate threat through “The Blitz”,
their bombing campaign against British cities. The attacks are depicted in a
quick montage which focuses on the effect that they had on the ordinary British
public. This conveys how destructive the conflict was and raises the stakes –
If Turing and his team don’t succeed, Britain might be destroyed. Due to the
distance between the codebreakers, based in the country estate Bletchley Park, and
the battlefields on which the war was fought, the decision to show the impact
of the fighting on those directly involved creates an increased sense of
urgency, and this is what forces the team at Bletchley Park to work together in
order to find the secret behind the Enigma machine as quickly as they can.
The German’s apparent dominance soon becomes an advantage for
Turing, but this generates an ethical dilemma. After he succeeds in cracking
the Enigma machine, the British now have a complete understanding of German
strategy throughout the world. However, Turing realises that if this advantage
is revealed, it would undo all the progress he has made. Therefore, he chooses
not to warn the British government about an impending attack on a ship. Even though one of his fellow codebreakers
has a brother on board the doomed vessel, Turing stands by his decision.
Although this is a pretty unlikely coincidence, it does highlight the effects
that concealing all knowledge of German activities had. Because the depiction
of the code breaking process omits almost all developments after Turing’s
breakthrough, the story needs to find another way of demonstrating the
obstacles the codebreakers faced from this point, and highlighting the problems
generated by the newfound insight into German activities provides a striking
way of doing this.
Relationships
are Key – The story of the Imitation Game is structured around
Turing’s relationship with Clarke. The first act ends with Turing inviting her
to join the codebreakers at Bletchley Park, his decision to propose to her
occurs at the midpoint of the story, and the second act ends with the
revelation of his sexuality. This is
important because whilst the cracking of Enigma was a significant event, the
majority of the process saw Turing use skills that he already possessed, namely
his tenacity and mathematical knowledge. In contrast, his relationship with Joan
forces him to change as a character and develop a close relationship with
another person – his inability to do so is at the centre of his personality.
This growth not only makes him into a more developed character, it enables him
to enjoy greater success. For all his prowess as a mathematician, it is being
able to listen to others provides Turing with the information needed to solve
the German code. Biographical dramas can
risk emphasising facts over character, and by focusing on Turing’s inability to
interact with his team, the script creates a story that can be applied to any
time or place, but is enhanced by the people and events involved.
Verdict
The Imitation Game succeeds as a biopic because it focuses on
characters instead of events. The Second World War is kept firmly in the
background, and the focus in in Alan Turing himself. He is a highly flawed
character, but has enough relatable traits to make him a protagonist worth
rooting for. The period is well depicted, and the flashbacks and flash forwards
are incorporated into the story effectively. The dialogue is strong, and in
spite of the lack of action, the various conflicts Turing and other characters
face are engaging. The screenplay provides a solid foundation for a talented
cast and crew, and this is the main reason why the film is a prominent
contender in this years’ awards season.
