Is The Imitation Game a True Story?
The 2014 movie The Imitation Game was a riveting drama which portrays the story of Alan Turing, a renowned mathematician and computer scientist.
The movie focuses on his time as a code breaker at Bletchley Park, where Turing and his team worked to decipher the Enigma codes utilized by the German forces during World War II.
The Real History
It is indeed a true story that during WWII the British Intelligence needed people to decode the Enigma messages in order to gain an advantage against the Nazi forces. The team had to use intelligence, mathematics and complex computing in order to gain a understanding of the encryption system and to break the codes.
Turing, as shown in the movie, used proto-computers to enable the successful decipherment of the codes. He was also able to successfully create the Bombe, which was an improved version of the existing Polish bomba. Turing and his team did play a vital role in helping Britain gain the upper hand against the Nazis and significantly shortened the war with their contributions.
The Dramatic Backstory
Although the movie is based on a true story, some important parts of the narrative have been dramatized for the big screen. Some of the dramatic additions to the movie include establishing Turing as a somewhat isolated figure, dealing with a personal struggle of accepting his sexuality. Turing’s family also only reluctantly goes along with his code-breaking activities.
The movie also goes beyond his public stories and covers his personal loves, secrets and loneliness. The movie is based on the historical facts surrounding Alan Turing, however the film follows his life more closely than the actual real life events. It attempts to make the historical figures more human and humanize the incredible accomplishments of Turing
Conclusion
To conclude, The Imitation Game is a story that is based on true events, although some of the narrative has been fictionalized for dramatic effect. The film accurately portrays the tensions during World War II and how Turing and his team were able to use their skills and knowledge to help Britain gain an advantage during the war.
