Enigma

Plot synopsis:
Alex Holbeck (Martin Sheen) is recruited as a CIA agent. He is sent to East Berlin on a mission to steal an Enigma code scrambler. This is part of an attempt to stop the Russian assassination of five Soviet dissidents which is planned for Christmas Day. What Alex doesn't know is that the CIA already has a code scrambler. By stealing the scrambler in Berlin, they are trying to convince the Russians that they don't have it.
On arrival in Berlin, Alex finds that the KGB knows he is there. Alex must use numerous disguises and escape from a number of capture attempts. He seeks shelter with his former lover, Karen (Brigitte Fossey) before moving on as this is too dangerous for her. Karen and a number of Alex's other old friends are arrested and tortured by the police in an attempt to gain information about Alex's whereabouts. As he gets more desperate, Alex enlists Karen's help again: she seduces Dimitri Vasilikov (Sam Neill), the KGB man in charge of the hunt for Alex, in order to obtain information. In the end Dimitri catches Alex and Karen and finds the scrambler hidden in an exhibition artifact. As he is in love with Karen, he lets them go, however, keeping the scrambler which was in fact not needed. On Christmas Day the assassination attempt is successfully thwarted.

Tags: murder, flashback

Review:
While 'Enigma' looks good and plays fairly well as a decent espionage film, the viewer who knows the factual background of this piece of fiction will probably be disappointed.
The best part for me was the recreation of the physical setting at wartime Bletchley Park, especially the Enigma machines themselves and the famous Bombes, which were invented by Turing (Jericho in the film).
But people like me, who are deeply interested in every aspect of the Second World War and who can appreciate a good story, certainly will love it.It's March 1943 and the crypto-analysts at Britain's code-breaking center have discovered that the German U-boats have changed their Enigma Code.
"Enigma" blends fact with fiction as it tells a carefully crafted story about the unseen and unsung heros of British WWII code-cracking who decrypted the infamous "Enigma" code which Germany used to command it's U-boat armada in the North Atlantic putting allied convoys in peril.
This is a rare pleasure of a film - one that is prepared to treat its viewers intelligently and tell a war-time story without explosives and histrionics and without falsifying history to glorify the Americans.
Here he has a decent screenplay from Tom Stoppard, assured direction from Michael Apsted, and three fine performances by British actors.Dougray Scott, in a very different role from his `Mission Impossible 2' outing, has lost weight to portray brilliant, but tortured, code-breaker Tom Jericho at Britain's war-time Bletchley Park; Kate Winslet put on weight (she was pregnant at the time) for a performance far removed from `Titantic' as the frumpy, but clever, Hester; and Jeremy Northam is excellent as the sardonic secret service agent Wigram who knows far more than he is prepared to reveal..
I was interested in (a) how the war effort was going, (b) whether Bletchley Park would come up with solutions in time, (c) HOW the process of breaking codes was actually carried out, and (d) when Tom would get over his idiotic infatuation with that annoying blonde chick and fall, as any sensible person would, for the dynamic and twenty-times-more-attractive Hester (Kate Winslet).
A pity he couldn't have found some other means - or moved Northam's character to a different movie altogether, where he wouldn't take time away from Enigma, Winslet's character, etc.The film - and the script, too, all things considered - is well put together (intelligent writing, excellent acting and photography), so the Claire subplot makes it a real missed opportunity..
The movie concerns upon an investigation team in the Bletchley Park mansion with the aim to decipher communication keys of German submarines during second world war.In the squad there are a wise nut-head (Dougray Scott) , an ugly and outcast girl (Kate Winslet) and another rush and beautiful (Saffron Burrows), and yet a clever investigator (Jeremy Norton).The movie mingles mystery , action , a love story , thriller and it's quite amusing.The flick is paced to nick of time , as they ought to figure out the clues by means of the Enigma , a mechanical device before that an Allied fleet was found by German subs .One of the motivations behind shooting this picture was the indignation of many British World War 2 veterans over the movie U-571 , in which the capture of the Enigma was shown to be done by American navy soldiers .
Michael Apted direction is nice , he creates enough suspense , we're very interested in the events , besides being based on real deeds.Final feature film with a full music score composed by John Barry , his music is fascinating likeness to "Dancing with wolves" and a lot of hits during his long career thirty years ago .It was such a thrilling movie that had a great success in box office.The film will appeal to emotions enthusiasts and suspense fans.Rating: 7/10 above average ..
Although the historical setting at the headquarters for code breaking during world war 2 is solid enough the characters we meet are fictional.The main character Thomas Jericho clearly has some connections to Alan Turing, but the differences are equally apparent to those who know the historical accounts, so anyone searching for a story about Turing should look elsewhere.If you can let go of this there is a good spy story to be had.
This is a movie worthy of Soviet, or worse, German propaganda, showing heroes as villains.Good plot and movie material: I am sending everyone interested to Wikipedia information about professors Rejewski, Zygalski, and Rozycki, men who broke Enigma and created first computing bombs.
This weakened their counter intelligence operations which, coupled with the extreme secrecy surrounding Ultra, meant that our success against Enigma went undetected.The film is well worth seeing for its entertainment value and just a wee peek at the work of Bletchley Park but for anyone interested in learning the truth about this fascinating story I suggest that they read the official history entitled "British Intelligence in WWII" by Professor Sir F.
Enigma is based on the fictional Robert Harris novel which is a part wartime thriller and part love story based on code breakers in Bletchley Park.
He returns to Bletchley to find out his ex lover, Claire has gone missing and there is pressure to crack the Enigma code and with intelligence officers crawling about, there might also be a mole in his team.Scott (with a variable accent) teams up with a dowdy Kate Winslet to investigate what happened to Claire and discover something more sinister.The film was adapted by Oscar winner Tom Stoppard.
Despite a few extravagant scenes it does look like a glorified television film.Scott and Winslet work well together but the film is too uneven, there are some good shots of the code breaking machines whirring around and some humorous scenes of the women working in Bletchley with the lecherous supervisor.
The thriller element despite a good start fails to work and in this adaptation seems flawed.Jeremy Northam's acting is provided by his hat and his supercilious character has a habit of speaking lines that sound out of period.A disappointment especially as I enjoyed reading the novel..
Rather here it's the opposite, with a twisty spy suspense story (Tom Stoppard's screenplay from a novel) about a broken-hearted, broken-down straight mathematician trying to break code while breaking secrets about the woman he's obsessed with (and either I missed something or I didn't quite get his moral outrage against secret agent Jeremy Northram or he was representing a less cynical age with less exposure to agents being out in the cold).Dougray Scott is haggardly good, looking so much like Tom Courtenay (while playing a character named Tom) that it helped me place him in the period; he should have played Tom's son in "Last Orders") and Kate Winslet makes good use of her then pregnancy towards being almost dumpy looking.
The few action set-pieces on board seem too detached from their surroundings to really engage and often seem like drop-ins, while the Scott/Winslet relationship seems to blossom unconvincingly from nowhere at all.However, it's fair to say, in conclusion, that this period thriller, while successfully recalling the depth and feel of British war-movies of the 50's, doesn't quite transcend that achievement and seems to lack fulfilment as a cinematic entertainment.
Michael Apted's `Enigma' is the first real attempt to tell the story of the Bletchley Park code breakers within the framework of both a thriller and a heterosexual romance.
The story of the Enigma machine and the people of Bletchley Park who worked to crack the German codes is one full of suspense and interesting, eccentric characters drawn from a wide spectrum of society to work on the riddle.
Sadly, it also has to share screen-time with a second, less satisfactory film: Namely a lame spy-thriller trying to be a 39 Steps (without investing either the necessary story time, character development or taut, intelligent dialogue) in which Jeremy Northam (surely the real successor to Donat and Moore) slides his way through each scene as the bad guy confusing underplaying for doing bugger all!!Still.
And after these revelations the last 15 minutes feels a little superfluous, even though it should be leading to a point of high drama.Script wise Tom Stoppard does a good job of condensing the book into a movie and manages to avoid the common problem of movies requiring detailed knowledge that needs to be explained to the audience.
Here most of the knowledge is imparted in the dialogue, with one exception - unless you know how codes were broken, the cracking of Shark is going to make no sense whatsoever.The dialogue feels right for the period and Stoppard has great fun with the reptilian Wigram (played with oily menace by Jeremy Northam), giving him most of the choice dialogue.Acting, its a mixed bunch.
The Harris Enigma book was a fascinating novel as well as a historical document.The true story had The real Tom Jericho ,Alan Turing (A Genius) who was persecuted by the British Authorities after the war because he was homosexual, and eventually killed himself.
While it's true that there was considerable artistic license and those with an interest in the Bletchley endevor can pick it apart to no end, I think the film does an excellent job of telling a good story and making it palatable to the non-crypto afficionado (yes, federal law mandates that 99.99% of all films produced must contain some measure of romance in order to adhere to the Title IX standards of cinematography).If you're looking for a history lesson...read a book.
However, there is neither too much or too little sappiness to take away from the rest of the film because, make no mistake about it, this is a very good movie.A combination of a choice selection of suspense filmmaking techniques by Michael Apted and 3 very good performances from Dougray Scott (who is superb as the moody yet complex Thomas Jericho), Jeremy Northam and Kate Winslet all blend together to form a fine finished product.
Suffice to say that the whole damn thing is idiotic.Perhaps the worst thing of all is how anybody who calls themselves a filmmaker could lose the one genuinely interesting part of this movie - the whole Bletchley Park code-breaking operation - amidst what is basically a 3rd-rate Harlequin romance novel.To take one of humanity's greatest thinkers, Alan Turing, and give us Dougray Scott's Tom Jericho character goes far beyond a mere insult - both to Turing and the viewer.Kate Winslett does a cheap Rachel Weisz impression (a la "The Mummy"), while everybody else appears to believe they're standing upon a stage in the West End. When I want to see this much ham, I'll visit a pig farm, thanks.The ludicrous action sequences were about as thrilling and suspenseful as a school play.
Enigma is a thriller in the tradition of films like The 39 Steps, The Third Man, and The Secret Agent - movies that do not assume those in the theatre will have their hands full ordering from the candy bar let alone deciphering a straight forward plot structure.
What a ridiculous movie.Enigma is the story of one man trying to break a German code during WW2.
after watching this movie,i was a bit disappointed.i mean,the movie was OK,but it doesn't compare to the book,which i found riveting.the movie is set During WWII,and is basically about the British code breakers who were continually trying to break the code of the Enigma machine,which is how the Germans communicated with each other.there is some fine acting here,by Dougray Scott,Kate Winslet,Saffron Burrows and Jeremy Northam,and many others.there a few moments of tension and suspense,but mostly the movie is all about the drama.there is also a love story angle here.this is not some big Hollywood blockbuster version of events.this is a small,independent film.it is based on true events,and i believe it is probably fairly accurate.it's taken from the book by Robert Harris.i highly recommend the book,but if you read it first you,will likely be disappointed in the movie.my vote for Enigma:5/10.
Jeremy Northam was simply incredible, very sly and very sexy and making even his most "oh boy, this is the part where the sly and sexy detective does/says this" moments so much fun I just couldn't help thinking "Hey, despite that huge nasty war and all the genocide, I wish I lived in the 40's so I could be a sly and sexy detective with good hats." All in all a good film, worth seeing if you like your movies heavy on the thinking side, though maybe a little deficient in the heart & soul..
In our time of CGI etc, this just shouldn't be allowed (at least not in a big budget mainstream film like this one).Enigma could have been so much more, either as a better love story, or more interesting war-thriller.
This film is good, but not very, as it tries to both be historically correct about the Enigma machine and how the Brits broke the German codes, and to be a thriller, and a love story at the same time.Acting by all is just perfect, as Kate Winslet is as good as ever and Dougray Scott is a very impressive new actor for me, plus an excellent supporting staff, as almost always when it comes to British films.So the film wants to be too much, and the images of ships being sunk by U-boats are simply dreadful - reminds me of similar films I've seen made in the 40's!
Add the roommate as a new love for the troubled `Beautiful-Mind' like hero, and the `enigma' becomes possible betrayal of love and country rather than the fascinating process of breaking the code by using the Germans' captured enigma machine.The film, however, has some delights: Jeremy Northam as British intelligence operative Wigram is superb, reminding us that the current craze for Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, and Hugh Grant is misdirected-Northam is a superior cad.The wit of a Carol Reed's thriller like `Night Train to Munich' or any Graham Greene spy story is my taste in intrigue, but super-star writer Tom Stoppard does have a moment or two here, as when the hero's previous breakdown is described: "Went off his trolley, didn't he -- about some girl?" I just wish there were more of that and less madness over the girl.
At last a British movie with a complex plot and complex characters scripted superbly by Tom Stoppard, a marvellous score by the God-like John Barry and damn fine direction by Michael Apted.I remember reading Robert Harris's FATHERLAND way back when and being stunned by it.
Script by Tom Stoppard, direction by Michael Apted, a great cast - what more do you want?This is a gripping and intelligent film which tells a complex and potentially very dull story with economy, subtlety and style.
This,in my humble,non-movie making opinion is a credit to the UK film industry.I have never and probably never ever will make a film in my entire life,but if I was to,I would be as proud as parent of the smartest kid in school,if this were the only film I ever made.Of course,some of our cousins across the pond may not understand exactly whats going on,as they would have probably seen that foul mess of lies,U-571 first,but any fan of technology will love this,it balances the right amount of information,with the lives of the characters just right.Well done all of those who were involved in this captivating film,lets hope this film is as much of a turning point for the UK film industry,as the code breakers of the Enigma were for intelligence during World War 2..
The actors set the scene perfectly for what Bletchley Park must have been like back in wartime.I was also fascinated by the love story, especially the myriad of emotions displayed by Tom as he battled a heavy heart.Definitely one to watch when you're in the mood for watching a movie that makes you think..
Despite the assembled talents (Kate Winslet, Michael Apted as director, and Tom Stoppard as the scriptwriter), Enigma is far less interesting than "Breaking the Code," which featured Derek Jacobi as the real Alan Turing, and told the extraordinary story of how the British broke the German code in World War II with much closer adherence to the facts There's really no need for fictional romances to enhance this amazing tale, and Turing is a far more interesting character than his fictional counterpart.If you're looking for Stoppard's humorous touch, there's absolutely none of it here.
If the movie had concentrated on only one of the two subplots (the code-breaking), it probably would have been much better, it would have had the necessary screen time to tackle all the details of this enormously complex and important WWII operation.On the other hand, I have to say that some of the acting in this film was very good, especially Dougray Scott as Thomas Jericho, the genius mathematician and Kate Winslet was also quite good as Hester Wallace.
I can't say how accurate this film is, after all its based on a novel and not history, but this tale of undoing the German Enigma code during the Second World War is a good way to spend a couple of hours.I had read mixed reviews of this film, but its recently showed up on cable and having run across it a couple of times I've found that I'm stopping to watch it each time I do so.
It would have been a great addition to spend a few minutes reviewing some of the actual history of the German enigma machines and the allied success in breaking codes, along with some entertaining "making of" material.
Enjoyable, smart WWII thriller about code breaking, based on a true story, and notable for being a war film more about human intelligence then daring action.
The lead couple played by Kate Winslet and Dougray Scott provide excellent acting in a well written movie honoring the code breakers of Enigma.