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Britain's Greatest Codebreaker

Britain's Greatest Codebreaker

Genius. Hero. Outcast.
Oct 17, 2012 1h 24m
6.1
31 votes

Synopsis

Alan Turing is the genius British mathematician who was instrumental in breaking the German naval Enigma Code during World War II, arguably saving millions of lives. Turing's achievements went unrecognised during his lifetime. Instead he ended up being treated as a common criminal, for being homosexual at a time when homosexual acts were a crime. In 1952, he was convicted of 'gross indecency' with another man and was forced to undergo so-called 'organo-therapy' - chemical castration. Two years later, he killed himself with cyanide, aged just 41. Alan Turing was driven to a terrible despair and early death by the nation he'd done so much to save.

Title Britain's Greatest Codebreaker
Companies Story Center Films, Furnace, Channel 4 Television
Countries United Kingdom
Keywords suicide, world war ii, genius, cryptographic device, biography, male homosexuality, cryptologist, cryptography, computer science
Ed Stoppard

Ed Stoppard

Alan Turing
Henry Goodman

Henry Goodman

Franz Greenbaum
Paul McGann

Paul McGann

Himself - Narrator (voice)
Asa Briggs

Asa Briggs

Himself - Codebreaker, Bletchley Park
Jean Valentine

Jean Valentine

Herself - WRNS and Bombe Operator, Bletchley Park
David Leavitt

David Leavitt

Himself - Alan Turing's Biographer
Rolf Noskwith

Rolf Noskwith

Himself - Codebreaker, Bletchley Park
Dermot Turing

Dermot Turing

Himself - Alan Turing's Nephew
Christopher Morcom

Christopher Morcom

Himself - Christopher Morcom's Nephew (as Christopher Morcom QC)
Ian Stewart

Ian Stewart

Himself - University of Warwick (as Professor Ian Stewart)