Film about WW2 codebreaker Alan Turing is attacked by biographer

23 June 2013

Film about WW2 codebreaker Alan Turing is attacked by biographer for 
exaggerating love affair with woman because he was gay and says Keira 
Knightley is 'too glamorous'

- Turing played a key role in breaking the German Enigma code during 
  WWII
- He is credited with saving thousands of lives during the conflict
- An American funded film is soon to be filmed about the gay codebreaker
- Will star Benedict Cumberbatch as Turing and Keira Knightley as 
  girlfriend
- But it has been slated by his autobiographer, who has called it 
  ludicrous

By Amanda Williams

A film about homosexual wartime codebreaker and father of modern computing 
Alan Turing has been attacked by his biographer.

Enigma hero Turing played a key role in breaking the German Enigma code 
during the Second World War while working at Bletchley Park. He is 
credited with saving thousands of lives during the conflict.

But a new American funded film about his life has been lambasted for 
exaggerating a love affair with a woman, played by Keira Knightley, and 
making a fictional connection to a notorious spy. Turing was a well known 
homosexual.

"The Imitation Game" is based on a biography by Andrew Hodges, an Oxford 
maths academic.

It is set to star Benedict Cumberbatch as Turing and fellow Bletchley 
codebreaker Joan Clarke will be played by Keira Knightley as Turing's 
girlfriend - despite the fact that he was gay.

The Sunday Times reports that Mr Hodges has been sent a script of the film 
and is 'alarmed by the inaccuracies it'.

He said : 'They have built up the relationship with Joan much more than it 
actually was.'

He said while the couple had been 'briefly engaged', it was said that he 
liked her because he could talk to her as if she were really another man' 
and there had never been much physical contact.

He said the casting of Keira Knightley in the role, did not 'strike him as 
right.'..../snip/


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2346828/Film-WW2-codebreaker-Alan-Turing-attacked-biographer-exaggerating-love-affair-woman-gay-says-Keira-Knightley-glamorous.html

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/Arts/article1277723.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2013_06_22

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/keira-knightley-may-costar-as-complicated-lov

http://www.turingfilm.com/