The Imitation Game Scene-By-Scene Breakdown Written by Rick Dyke Based on: Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges Script: 117 pages Film Length: 114 minutes The script for The Imitation Game was named the best adapted screenplay of 2014 by the Writers Guild of America, beating the scripts for American Sniper, Gone Girl, Guardians of the Galaxy and Wild. It also won the Academy Award Oscar for Adapted Screenplay over American Sniper, Inherent Vice, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash. Scene 1) Pages: 1-7 Location: Alan Touring House 1951 Action: There s been a break-in at Alan Turing s house, but nothing is missing. The police are investigating, but Alan Turing is not cooperative, raising suspicions. Purpose: Introduce Alan Turing he s smart, acts on his own, and he seems to have something to hide. Scene 2) Pages: 7-13 Location: Leading to & Bletchley Park Commander Denniston s Office - 1939 Action: There s a war going on and Alan Turing is interviewed for a top-secret code breaking project. He s very self- confident, almost arrogant about his ability to break the German code Enigma. Purpose: There s an almost impossible task and Alan Turing looks like he s smart enough to solve it. Alan Turing is very self-confident. Scene 3) Pages: 13-17 Location: Bletchley Park soon after scene 2 Action: Alan Turing is introduced to the Enigma machine, the challenge to solve, and the men he will work with. Purpose: This seems an impossible task, and Alan Turing wants to work by himself. Scene 4) Pages: 17-20 Location: Sherborne School for Boys - 1927 Action: As a schoolboy, Alan is obsessed with separating peas from carrots. Then other schoolboys torture Alan by burying him in a makeshift coffin. Alan has a friendship with Christopher. Purpose: Alan Turing is an odd duck he s different. He seems to have a true friend in Christopher Scene 5) Pages: 20-23 Location: Manchester Police Station and streets - 1951 Action: The police detective Nock is confused about the Alan Turing case, and he is being followed. Somehow the Foreign Office is involved. Purpose: There s something to be discovered about Alan Turing. Scene 6) Pages: 24 26 Location: War footage & Bletchley Park Huts 14 & 8 Action: War footage show the Germans attacking. There is a large resource trying to break this code, but only 4 cryptographers. The number of possible solutions is too large the task
seems impossible. Purpose: Breaking the code is important to end the war, but it seems impossible. 2 Scene 7) Pages: 26-29 Location: Bletchley Park Hut 8 Action: The group tried to invite Alan to lunch he makes it a difficult conversation and declines, but asks them to bring him back soup. Purpose: Alan is a loner not part of the group Scene 8) Pages: 29-32 Location: Bletchley Park Action: Alan reveals he is building a machine to break the code. Commander Denniston denies him the funds to build it and says his co-workers have filed a complaint. Alan isn t worried about the complaint he is willing to contact Winston Churchill to get his machine built. Purpose: Alan Turing has a singular focus on solving the Enigma code his way. Scene 9) Pages: 32-33 Location: Bletchley Park - Commander Denniston s Office Action: Churchill has put Alan in charge of the Enigma project - he fires some of his coworkers. Purpose: The climax of conflict between Alan and co-workers Alan is doing this his way! Scene 10) Pages: 33-35 Location: Bletchley Park & insert shots of people all over England Action: The project needs more code breakers and Alan decides to use a crossword puzzle to find potential candidates. His puzzle catches the interest of many people. Purpose: Alan is creative and will do things his way. Scene 11) Pages: 35 39 Location: MI-6 Headquarters and a classroom somewhere Action: The candidates who passed the crossword puzzle test are in a room to be tested again. A woman Joan Clarke arrives late and immediately shows self-confidence. She solves a crossword puzzle in 5 ½ minutes that took Alan Turing 8 minutes to solve. Purpose: Alan s methods look promising, and he has found someone special in Joan Clarke. Scene 12) Pages: 39-41 Location: Sherborne School for Boys 1927 - Day Action: Alan s friend Christopher introduces Alan to cryptography. They are becoming very close friends. Purpose: Foreshadowing of Alan s abilities and shows importance of Christopher in his life. Scene 13) Pages: 41-43 Location: Manchester Police Station and streets - 1951 Action: Alan Turing s war file is empty classified. Detective Nock is suspicious about him so they are going to follow him. Purpose: Alan Turing has something to hide what is it? Scene 14) Pages: 43 46 Location: Bletchley Park Hut 11 & Clarke household Action: Joan Clarke doesn t show up with the new recruits. Alan goes to her house to convince her to come work with him. Her parents insist she work in a lady-like environment and Alan will make sure it happens. Purpose: Alan wants desperately to work with Joan hints of an important relationship.
Scene 15) Pages: 46 49 Location: Bletchley Park Huts 8 & 11 Action: Alan s coworkers are frustrated they are not making progress. They go to Alan working on his machine and confront him about not helping them. Purpose: It s men vs Alan s machine he is confident, but must prove his commitment to his new machine is the right answer. 3 Scene 16) Pages: 49 53 Location: leading up to and in Joan s Flat after dark Action: Alan goes against the rules to climb into Joan s room with decoded messages seeking a clue to solving Enigma. Purpose: Alan finally has someone to work with. He seems to like Joan. We start to wonder where this relationship will go. Scene 17) Pages: 53-54 Location: Bletchley Park Hut 8 the next day Action: There is a Soviet spy in the midst of the project. Because of his habit of working by Himself, and his conflict with his co-workers, Alan is a suspect, Purpose: A level of tension is added who is the double agent? Scene 18) Pages: 55 58 Location: Bletchley Park Beer Hut Action: Joan hangs out socially with the guys, even flirting with Hugh Alexander. Hugh states that he does not believe Alan is the double agent. Purpose: Joan is an important member of the group. The co-workers are warming to Alan. Scene 19) Pages: 58 59 Location: Bletchley Park Hut 8 Action: Suggested by Joan, Alan brings apples to his coworkers. He tells a joke. Purpose: Alan is trying to relate to his co-workers. Scene 20) Pages: 59 60 Location: Sherborne School for Boys 1927 - Day Action: Alan and Christopher pass notes in class they are in code. Christopher calls Alan dearest friend. Purpose: Emphasize the importance of the Alan-Christopher relationship. Scene 21) Pages: 61-62 Location: Bletchley Park Hut 8 & 11 Action: Alan finishes his Enigma computer, called Christopher, with an important suggestion from Hugh. Will it work? Purpose: Alan s co-workers do make a contribution to the project. Now comes the big question will the new computer work? Scene 22) Pages: 62-66 Location: Bletchley Park Hut 11 Action: Alan s computer just runs and runs but doesn t produce the solution. Commander Denniston fires Alan, but his co-workers say the computer is the best chance of success. They all threaten to quit. The group is given 1 month to make the computer work. Purpose: Alan and his computer have earned the respect of his co-workers, but can they get it to work? The tension increases because time is running out. Scene 23) Pages: 66-68 Location: Manchester Police Station - 1951
Action: By following Turing, the police discover he is a homosexual, which is illegal. But Detective Nock wasn t looking for this, he thought Turing was a traitor Purpose: Alan Turing s secret is revealed. 4 Scene 24) Pages: 68-71 Location: Joan Clarke s Flat 1941 Action: Joan threatens to leave Bletchley because of her parents. Alan insists that she stay he needs her. He proposes marriage. Purpose: Alan needs a relationship in his life. He likes his relationship with Joan. Scene 25) Pages: 72 74 Location: Bletchley Park Beer Hut Action: An engagement party Joan is happy. Alan discusses his homosexuality with John Cairncross. It must remain a secret or it could mean Alan s death. Purpose: Establishes the severity of being a homosexual in England at this time. Scene 26) Pages: 74-75 Location: Sherborne School for Boys 1927 Action: Alan is waiting for Christopher to return to school. He will tell him he loves him. Christopher does not return Purpose: Alan has accepted his feelings but it will led to heartbreak. Scene 27) Pages: 75 77 Location: Manchester Police Station Interrogation Room - 1951 Action: Detective Nock is interrogating Alan. He is asking him about his work during the war and his theories of artificial intelligence and computers. Purpose: Reveals the main theme of Alan Turing s work. Detective Nock is trying to understand Alan Turing. Scene 28) Pages: 77 84 Location: Bletchley Park Hut 11 and Beer Hut Action: Alan s Enigma machine is working, but not fast enough. It can t solve the problem. At the beer hut later, a radio operator reveals that one German always starts the message with the same 5 letters. Alan runs out of the hut this is a breakthrough. Purpose: The final key to breaking the code may be finally revealed. The tension of near resolution rises. Scene 29) Pages: 84 87 Location: Bletchley Park Hut 8 Action: The code breakers realize they may know some of the words in the messages Heil Hitler. They can use this to set the computer to break the code. They try it out and it works! They have broken the Enigma code everyone is joyous, Purpose: A climax in the action success! Scene 30) Pages: 87 93 Location: Bletchley Park Hut 8 Action: Even though the code is broken, Alan realizes they can t just use the information directly to stop attacks. If they did the Germans would know the code is broken and change the code. They have to keep it a secret that the code is broken even if thousands will die in a convoy attack, including the brother of one of the code breakers. Purpose: One conflict is resolved breaking the code, but it is replaced with a new conflict keeping the code breaking secret.
5 Scene 31) Pages: 94 95 Location: London Tea Shop Action: Alan and Joan explain the strategy for using the broken German code so they can win the war. The code breaking must be kept secret. Purpose: Alan will use logic and statistics not emotion to help win the war. Scene 32) Pages: 95 98 Location: Bletchley Park various huts Action: The uncoded messages are helping the British defeat the Germans. One day Alan discovers that John Cairncross is the Soviet spy. Alan threatens to tell, but he can t because his secret of being a homosexual will be revealed. Purpose: Alan s secret does cost him it can be used against him. Scene 33) Pages: 98 102 Location: Bletchley Park Joan s Flat and flashbacks Action: The intelligence contact, Stewart Menzies, reveals that he knows who the Soviet spy is, in fact he placed him in the group on purpose. He enlists Alan to help share just the right information with the Soviets. Purpose: The complexity and the web of lies increases. Alan s intellect can solve these issues. Scene 34) Pages: 102 104 Location: Bletchley Park - behind Hut 8 Action: Alan tries to get Joan to leave and break off the engagement because he is concerned for her safety. She refuses, so Alan pretends he doesn t care for her. Joan reacts angrily. Purpose: Alan really cares for Joan enough to threaten their relationship. Scene 35) Pages: 104 106 Location: Sherborne School for Boys Headmaster s Office - 1927 Action: Alan is told that his only friend, Christopher has died of tuberculosis. He had never told Alan he was sick. Purpose: Alan s relationship often end tragically. He is emotionally wounded by this. Scene 36) Pages: 106 108 Location: Bletchley Park intercut with archival war footage Action: Voiceover of Alan explaining how breaking the code won the war. Purpose: Show the rewards of all the hard work and genius of Alan Turing WW 2 is won! Scene 37) Pages: 109-110 Location: Bletchley Park - 1945 Action: The war is over. The code breakers are told to burn all their work. Purpose: The end of the mission. It must be a secret. Another secret in the life of Alan Turing. Scene 38) Pages: 110 115 Location: Manchester Police Station and Alan Turing s House - 1951 Action: Alan Turing is found guilty of indecency. Detective Nock is not happy with the outcome. Joan Clarke visits to support Alan. We find out he is being forced to take hormonal therapy. Alan is working on a new version of his computer, Christopher. It is his only friend. Purpose: Society cannot accept Alan because he is different. But Joan makes an important statement Someone normal couldn t have accomplished what you did.
Scene 39) Pages: 115 Location: Sherborne School for Boys 1927 Action: Alan sitting alone under a tree crying over the loss of his only friend, Christopher. Purpose: Alan will be alone his whole life. 6 Scene 40) Pages: 115-116 Location: Alan Turing s House - 1954 Action: The police come and find Alan Turing dead. He has committed suicide by poisoning. Purpose: A sad and tragic end to someone who has contributed so much. Scene 41) Pages: 116 117 Location: Bletchley Park - 1945 Action: The codebreakers are burning all evidence of their Enigma code breaking project. Titles tell of the legacy of Alan Turing and his impact on computers. The British government in 1967 changes the laws against homosexuality. Purpose: Alan Turing led a tortured life for being different, but he left a lasting legacy. Summary: One question we should ask is Why is this script recognized? What makes it stand out and win the awards it has won? I believe the main answer to that question is that this script takes a story that is inherently not visual and undramatic and makes it into a compelling movie. The breaking of a code and making a computer are done in the mind. They are not visual acts. They do not lend themselves to a good movie. But Graham Moore has created a screenplay that is compelling, has a strong forward movement and creates a strong emotional picture of the life of Alan Turing. Script Take-Aways: Here are just a few things I learned while summarizing the scenes. The script creates conflict to tell the story. Besides just the conflict of solving the code, Alan Turing is in conflict with his co-workers, his supervisors, and the internal and external conflict over his homosexuality. I think this script has some similarities in structure to The Social Network. That film is structured around the conflict that Mark Zuckerberg creates in founding Facebook. The script uses the 3 running story lines Alan s childhood friendship, solving the Enigma code and the investigation of him in the 1950 s to do 2 things: move the story forward and emphasize the internal conflict that Alan is going through. By jumping between the story lines, momentum forward is created. Alan must be likeable protagonist. His relationship with Joan Clarke makes him into a whole person one we can like and root for. Lost love is a powerful emotion. The story line of his childhood friendship with Christopher magnifies the emotion and inner torture that Alan lives with. The script does a good job of making Alan a very unique person. His difference is emphasized and we can see his genius.