FILM DISCUSSION GUIDE

The Imitation Game

UK, US | 2014 | 109 mins | Dir: Morten Tyldum | Cert. 12 | Engaging for ages 14-16
Curriculum links: History, Citizenship, PSHE Education

StudioCanal © (2014) All rights reserved.

The Imitation Game

 The Imitation Game
US, UK | 2014 | 109 mins | Dir: Morten Tyldum | Cert. 12 | Engaging for ages 14-16
Curriculum links: History, Citizenship, PSHE Education

When Britain declares war on Nazi Germany in 1939,

brilliant British mathematician Alan Turing becomes
part of the team responsible for decoding messages
they have intercepted from the Nazis, who are using
the formidable Enigma machine to hide their plans.
Desperate to figure out how to break their code, Turing
begins to develop his own complex computer and
assembles a team of mathematicians and scientists
who could potentially turn the tide and win the war.

The Imitation Game

 Talk about it
before the film

Why was codebreaking a

crucial component of World
War II? What do you know
about the Enigma machine?

StudioCanal © (2014) All rights reserved.

The Imitation Game

 Discussion points

1. What does the film suggest the views of wider

society are of homosexuality at this time? How does
Turing’s sexuality add to the film’s central theme of
secrecy?
2. What social skills does Turing lack? How does he
explain his difficulty in communicating with others?
3. In what ways is Joan also an outsider? What
prejudice does she face? How do she and Turing
support each other with strength and solidarity?
4. Watch the scene where the Bletchley team find
themselves with an awful ethical dilemma. How do
the filmmakers add drama to this scene?

The Imitation Game

 The Imitation Game

The Imitation Game

 Extension activities

A crucial moment in the film occurs when Turing writes a

letter to the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, asking for
funds to make his codebreaking machine.

However, we never see what it is that Turing writes and just

why it was so persuasive. Do you think he would have
appealed to Churchill’s emotions, logic, or something else?

Using what you know about Turing’s character and his

machine, write a short letter that attempts to convince the
Prime Minister to help a mathematician fund a codebreaking
computer which will ultimately change the course of history.

The Imitation Game

 Write about it

Bring your ideas together in a review and

share it on our Into Film clubs’ website. You
could include a summary of the story, mention
other films that it’s similar to, describe what
you particularly liked or disliked and give it
your star rating.

The Imitation Game

 Watch next
A Beautiful Mind
2001 | Cert. 12 | Engaging for ages 11-16
The true story of mathematical
genius John Nash and his battles
with the condition of schizophrenia.

DreamWorks © (2001) All rights reserved.

Their Finest
2016 | Cert. 12 | Engaging for ages 11+
During World War II, a young woman
discovers she has an inspiring way
with words when she is taken on as a
scriptwriter for propaganda films.

BBC Films © (2016) All rights reserved.

The Imitation Game