The “imitation game,” coined by the British mathematician Alan Turing in 1950, is a test to determine if a machine exhibits intelligent behavior similar to humans. Widely considered the father of computer science, Turing proposed a philosophical question that became an important concept in artificial intelligence. The Imitation Game is also the title of a biographical film about Turing.
Turing spends his life imitating someone he’s not, but it is hardly a game. Instead, The Imitation Game is about painful secrets. During World War II, Turing, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, joins a cryptography team assigned to decode secret Nazi messages. But the film is not only about the clandestine lives of intelligence officers. It also explores Turing’s personal secrets. As the Chief of the British Secret Service Stewart Menzies (played by Mark Strong) tells Turing, “I know a lot of spies, Alan. You’re holding onto more secrets than the best of them.”
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game
On the surface, Turing is a brilliant mathematician but lacks social graces, unable to keep his arrogant thoughts to himself. His abrasive personality antagonizes his colleagues, and Turing is unaware that his mission will fail without their support. However, when his fiance Joan Clarke (played by Keira Knightley) advises him to be cordial by keeping his true feelings a secret, he gains allies. Consequently, Turing accomplishes his goal of deciphering the seemingly impossible Nazi code. But a person who struggles to place a filter between his thoughts and his mouth has secrets that he dares not reveal.
Today, historians consider Turing’s work during World War II as pivotal in defeating the Nazis. But Turing keeps his accomplishments a secret even after the war because the British government does not want future enemies to know of their code-breaking expertise. Thus, the war hero lives in relative obscurity. But there is another secret Turing is harboring that has a more significant impact on his life.
Alan Turing is gay. At a time when Britain criminalized sexual acts between men, he tries to keep his identity a secret. It seems hard to believe, but Britain only began decriminalizing homosexuality in 1967. And it took until 2013 for Britain to legalize same-sex marriage. In the same year, Alan Turing was given a posthumous pardon for his “gross indecency” conviction in 1952.
Alan Turing (biography.com)
Homosexuality is no longer illegal in most industrialized nations, but the stigma persists. Although the LGBTQ community in the United States no longer risk incarceration for their sexual orientation, they are still subjects of discrimination. Thus, countless Americans, including untold numbers of teenagers, undoubtedly conceal their true identities.
Teenagers who “come out” can be rejected by their parents, leading to an over-representation of LGBTQ youths in the homeless population. Therefore, many choose to hide their identity into adulthood, especially among certain social, religious, and occupational circles. And no one knows how many still carry their secrets to the grave.
Carl Nassib came out on June 21, 2021. The 28-year-old became the first active NFL player to acknowledge that he is gay. There have been more than 20,000 men who have played professional football, but the stigma of homosexuality is so severe in the league, only one gay man was brave enough to reveal his identity. Perhaps, his action will encourage others to follow his lead. But it’s hard to know what the immediate and future implications will be for Nassib’s career. And undoubtedly, there are other professions where LGBTQ members are still marginalized. Thus, even those who have shed their secret have not entirely escaped Turing’s torment from 70 years ago.
Carl Nassib (hollywoodinsider.com)
The Imitation Game is a fascinating film. The director Morten Tyldum expertly weaves numerous intertwining narratives to tell a cohesive and suspenseful tale. On the surface, it’s a war film detailing how British intelligence took down the Nazis by cracking their secret code. But at the core of the narrative, the movie offers important elements that paint a critical picture of British (if not all) society during the mid 20th century. For instance, the viewers cannot ignore how Tyldum sheds light on rampant misogyny through the mathematician Joan Clarke’s experiences. But the heart of the film involves Turing’s struggles in a profoundly homophobic society.
At the end of the narrative, Turing is convicted of committing a homosexual act and agrees to undergo “chemical castration” instead of jail. Two years later, the father of the modern computer commits suicide. He was 41 years old. And unfortunately, many in the LGBTQ community today also suffer untimely tragic deaths.
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 24. And LGBTQ youths are almost five times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual counterparts. Not surprisingly, the majority of the troubled individuals are from families that reject them or have been subjects of physical or verbal abuse.
The Imitation Game juxtaposes triumph with tragedy. The elation of defeating the evil German enemy hell-bent on world domination and genocide is tempered by the senseless loss of a brilliant scientist. One can only imagine what Turing could have accomplished if his life wasn’t cut so short. And the film begs the audience to consider others throughout history that could have changed our lives for the better if only society accepted them for who they were. But the tragedy is not only reserved for brilliant LGBTQ individuals but for everyone who is denigrated for choosing who to love.
Andrew’s grade: A
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