Codebreaker

2014 • 81 minutes

About this movie

CODEBREAKER tells the remarkable and tragic story of one of the 20th century's most important people. Alan Turing set in motion the computer age and his World War II codebreaking helped turn the tide of the Second World War. Instead of receiving accolades, Turing faced terrible persecution. In 1952, the British Government forced him to undergo chemical castration as punishment for his homosexuality. In despair, Turing committed suicide. He was only 41 years old. Documentary elements seamlessly interconnect with drama scenes in CODEBREAKER to offer a three dimensional picture of Turing, his accomplishments, his tragic end, and his lasting legacy.

Ratings and reviews

This documentary covers the life of Alan Turing, a british thinker who's seminal work covered broad topics, particularly in mathematics. He is considered to be the original computer scientist, pioneering ideas in cryptography and artificial intelligence. While biopics must, to some extent, gloss over the science for the brevity of the story, codebreaker manages to provide sufficient explanation of Turings ideas and accomplishments and the historical events surrounding them. A visit to his wikipedia page explains why covering everything he did in one movie is nearly impossible. This film attempts to explain who Alan Turing was, which is a challenge given that he is an enigma in some ways. Interviews with people knowledgeable about Turing or his work are intermixed with and actors playing the roles of Turing and his psychiatrist during the final days of his life. This story does not have a happy ending, but that can be nullified somewhat by celebrating his life's work.

Excellent biographical documentary on THE most important genius who started the idea of computers. A worthwhile viewing!

A great documentary and I recommend to watch it consecutively with "The Internet's Own Boy."