Imitation Game: The Significance of Alan Turing to the WWII

The film The Imitation Game both possess limitations and benefits of its representation of an historical figure. In evaluating the film's representation of the past there are many key issues to be discussed which include the essential questions about how and why the film has changed the historical representation of the figure and what has influenced the historical representation in the film. Another fundamental issue needs to be discussed about the overall usefulness of the film as a source of history. Under all of these questions the film contains both limitations and benefits but the overarching effect of the film is successful in to depicting an important historical figure and raise moral questions surrounding the character’s situation.

The Imitation Game illustrates the story of Alan Turing and his significance to WWII. Alan Turing was a British citizen who worked at Bletchley and built a machine that cracked the Nazi Enigma code. The film was developed from a biographical novel called Alan Turing The Enigma by Andrew Hodges and is set over three time periods. The earliest time period deals with issues Turing faced during highschool that helped shaped his character and want to crack the Nazi code. The second time period is set during WWII and focusses on Turing developing a machine and cracking Enigma. The final time period highlights Turing's life post WWII and his arrest for being homosexual. The purpose of the film is acknowledge and celebrate Turing's achievement and significance to WWII.

The recognition of Alan Turing's story overtime has significantly changed from being majority unheard of to being celebrated. The secrecy of Bletchley Park during and after WWII contributed to why his story remained a mystery however, it was only in recent years that his story was recognised among the general public. The movie Imitation Game entered cinema in 2014 and was based on the biographical novel Alan Turing: The Enigma written in 1983 by Andrew Hodges. Hodges recalled that 'At the time almost every publisher turned me down. They said nobody would be interested'. The novel was the first effort made to try and recognise Turing's contribution. However, in 2001 a film called Enigma was released and made no effort to capture Turing's story. Instead it produced a purely fictional character who was heterosexual. It could be concluded that the lack of Turing's portrayal in Enigma is due to Turing's sexual orientation however for audiences who have little background knowledge on the subject, it prompts an incorrect assumption about an historical figure. Richard Holmes, a professor of military and security studies at Cranfield University stated that [endnoteRef:2]'people tend to believe what they see on the screen…if it's in a historical context, it's damaging and unhelpful'. This can be applied to the movie Enigma which although acknowledges it fictional basis, is actually damaging and disrespectful to the real Alan Turing. Fortunately in recent years Turing's real story has been uncovered and celebrated in society which can be acquainted to the acceptance of homosexuals in society and the importance of computers in everyday life. In 2013, the Queen of England granted Turing a pardon for his 'gross indecency' and an official apology was given about the unfair treatment of Turing. The factual and engaging depiction of Turing in the film Imitation Game gained popularity among the wider public which has also helped improve Turing's recognition. Turing is now positively remembered as an acclaimed mathematician and war hero.

The representation of Turing in the Imitation Game incorporates elements that have been influenced by the cinematic requirements of today's society. Generally, films are between 90 and 120 minutes which subsequently impacts the information and detailing of what is presented. In 90 minutes, the full story including background information cannot be conveyed and therefore the representation of an historical event or figure is limited. In The Imitation Game elements such as dramatic features have been included for the purpose of entertainment and engagement amongst the audience despite not being completely factual. An example in the film is the false accusation of Turing being a Soviet spy which adds a dramatic effect and builds tension. In an article in the Guardian, The Imitation Game is critisised of being 'historically offensive…to falsely allege that Alan Turing, one of Britain's greatest war heroes, was mixed up with the Cambridge Spies, some of Britain's most notorious traitors' The film also magnifies certain traits and aspects of Turing's personality to further evoke emotion amongst the audience. Turing's characterisation according to an ABC article was [endnoteRef:4]'exaggerated slightly to the point where he seems to be on the Autism spectrum. According to Andrew Hodges' biography, which the film is based upon, Turing was never that socially awkward' A major factor in Turing's life is his homosexuality which is explored in the film however only briefly. Supposedly this is a result of the film attempting to please all audiences including more conservative ones. Unfortunately this has resulted in a lack of depth and detailed scenes about his homosexuality. Instead the film only focusses on his relationship with Joan Clarke when it could have explored his homosexuality more which was a significant part of his life. This influence of making a film 'safe' for all audiences is evident in multiple films and according to the same ABC article as mentioned earlier, 'Once films get picked up for distribution, certain marketing tactics come into play that 'straightwash' any queer elements'. By doing this the film is not illustrating all aspects of Turing's personal and therefore the audience is not presented with a wider understanding of his life.

The Imitation Game has limitations in its representation of history due to the adding of dramatic elements that are historically incorrect and its lack of depth on the true anxieties and fear surrounding WWII. The dramatic features that have been added to the film impact the credibility of the film as a source of history. Although some details have little effect on the truth of the story the can still lead to false presumptions about Turing's personal and work life. An article produced by the Guardian, states that 'Only 41.4% of the scenes in Alan Turing movie The Imitation Game were deemed 'real'. 'To be fair' ' Historically inaccurate scenes raises questions about whether the source is a useful and reliable source of history. In a review published by The Christian Science Monitor another issue on the film's usefulness is proposed 'Imitation mutes World War II anxieties and Alan Turing's personal story'. Despite the film being focussed around the British home front, the film does not convey the true feeling of anxiousness or growing fear that was evident during WWII. In one scene bombs are being dropped over London although the scene is unable to highlight the fear and true threat of the situation due to the use of light-hearted music. In doing so the audience does not receive a broader understanding of the WWII. In our current time though, background knowledge about WWII is presumed and majority of the audience if not all would watch the film already having contextual information about WWII. The film also has a limiting perspective on the treatment of Turing post war. The film depicts how Turing was arrested for a 'gross indecency' which is historically accurate however little is shown about the government's treatment of him in the work force. In reality Turing was denied access from working for GCHQ which was the post WW2 successor of Bletchley Circle. By doing so the film avoids confronting the controversial issue of Britain's earlier treatment of homosexuals that would now be considered immoral.

Despite the limitation the film presents, the film is overall a useful source of history and fulfils its purpose to illustrate the achievements of Alan Turing during WWII. The film incorporates original footage accompanied by the news report voice over of Britain declaration of war against Germany. The film is based on a biographical book which gathered information from reliable sources and interviews making majority of the film's detailing factual. The few details that were altered due to entertainment purposes make little difference on the overall portrayal of history. The film also includes some details that have little significance to the story but historically accurate such as the train scene that depicts the evacuation of children to the countryside. This combined with use of clothing and cars that are representative of the era, produces an accurate and realistic image. The effect of these cinematic tools increases the audience's trust that the information presented is factual and accurate. Although some details have been changed for entertainment purposes Ultimately, the film is successful in depicting Turing's impact to the war without bias in an attempt to illustrate a factual celebration of his contribution.

Inconclusion the film's benefits of its representation of Alan Turing outweigh the limitations and its lasting effect on society has been positive. Although it is important to consider when analysing an historical film that it is simply impossible for the film to contain every information about the event whilst maintaining the viewer's engagement. Furthermore as the audience we must recognise and understand that the film's portrayal of events will not be completely accurate. However, from the film we can gain an overall insight into the story of Alan Turing and therefore The Imitation Game is successful in its depiction of history.