The Imitation Game · written by Graham Moore · 2014

Joan improves Turing’s machine calculations, and Hugh contributes a diagonal wiring change that speeds up the search; Hugh begins working with them.

Scene 69 of 130 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

Hugh Alexander
Alan Turing
Joan Clarke

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:00 into a 1:57 film

The story so farBefore scene 69

At Bletchley Park, Alan Turing must persuade a skeptical team to build a machine that can break Enigma before the war is lost, while concealing the self the law condemns.

Scenes 1–12
Turing is investigated as a guarded outsider in 1951, then enters Bletchley in 1939 looking for the puzzle he can solve.
Scenes 13–30
He sees the scale of Enigma, believes a machine can solve it, and grows isolated from colleagues who make little progress.
Scenes 31–50
Churchill’s order gives Turing authority and his half-built machine advances toward sustained work.
Just before
Scene 66
Turing awkwardly offers the team apples and repeats a joke Joan taught him, then retreats to work alone with Christopher.
Scene 67
Young Alan and Christopher exchange encrypted notes in class; Alan retrieves one from the bin after the teacher discards it.
Scene 68
Alan deciphers Christopher’s note calling him his dearest friend.
Scene 69
This scene

69EXT. BLETCHLEY PARK - OUTSIDE HUT 8 - DAY - 1941

Alan and Joan eat a PICNIC LUNCH in a wooded area behind Hut 8.

Alan finishes writing an EQUATION, then hands his NOTEBOOK to Joan.

She looks at the equation, then instantly starts CROSSING THINGS OUT and REWRITING. Alan laughs. There aren’t many people who would cross out his work so brazenly.

Joan sees his laughter, looks up: “What’d I do?”

But before Alan can respond they both see: Hugh approaching.

Alan is nervous.

But Hugh simply HANDS ALAN A SHEET OF PAPER.

HUGH ALEXANDER

Look at this.

As Alan and Joan stare at SCHEMATICS on the paper, Hugh SWIPES A SANDWICH from their picnic and begins to chew.

HUGH ALEXANDER (CONT’D)

If you run the wires across the

plugboard matrix diagonally, you’ll

eliminate rotor positions 500 times

faster.

ALAN TURING

... This is actually not an

entirely terrible idea.

JOAN CLARKE

That’s Alan for “thank you.”

ALAN TURING

(looking up)

That’s my sandwich.

HUGH ALEXANDER

You don’t like sandwiches.

And with that, Hugh takes another bite, gives Joan a wink, and walks off.