Editor’s note: The original article stated the film was in August. Note the corrected viewing date.
“The Imitation Game” is the featured movie at Odell Public Library, located at 307 S. Madison Street, Morrison, IL, on Tuesday, September 8, 2015, beginning at 2:00 p.m. in the Program Room. There is no charge, but donations are always welcome.
The story of Alan Turing’s tragically shortened life is both complex and fascinating. I am writing this feature article on a device that came into being partly as a result of papers Turing published, in the 1930’s, exploring the possibility of what he called “a universal machine.” His contributions to the breaking of the Nazi Enigma code gave the Allied forces an intelligence advantage that helped defeat Germany. However, the extent of his wartime role was kept secret for many years.
The film’s story is told in three phases. A mysterious detective investigates a burglary of Turing’s house where nothing is taken. The movie then flashes back to his school years, where he is not only bullied, but also discovers the world of cryptography. The story jumps to 1939 with Turing and his group trying desperately to break the Nazi code.
Alan Turing is as socially awkward as he is intelligently agile. He is the “odd duck” at Bletchley Park, the country estate where teams of linguists and mathematicians are working under military supervision to break the code. The film is tense as they race the clock.
What wins the war was data. The heroes were the tech guys and one woman who worked late, snacked freely, and “geeked out” over a piece of hardware that looked like a giant toy.
This film shows us a portion of World War II of which little was known. These “geeks” and the adversities they conquered helped win the war effort. It is time to hear their story.