Enigma (2001)

A young genius frantically races against time to crack an enemy code and solve the mystery surrounding the woman he loves.

Director:

Michael Apted

Writers:

Robert Harris (novel), Tom Stoppard (screenplay)

Stars:

Dougray Scott, Kate Winslet, Saffron Burrows

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dougray Scott	...	Thomas Jericho
Kate Winslet	...	Hester Wallace
Saffron Burrows	...	Claire
Jeremy Northam	...	Wigram
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau	...	Puck (as Nikolaj Coster Waldau)
Tom Hollander	...	Logie
Donald Sumpter	...	Leveret
Matthew Macfadyen	...	Cave
Richard Leaf	...	Baxter
Ian Felce	...	Proudfoot
Bohdan Poraj	...	Pinker
Paul Rattray	...	Kingcome
Richard Katz	...	De Brooke
Tom Fisher	...	Upjohn
Robert Pugh	...	Skynner

Storyline

During the heart of World War II, in March of 1943, cryptoanalysts at Britain's code-breaking center have discovered to their horror that Nazi U-boats have changed their Enigma Code. Authorities enlist the help of a brilliant young man named Tom Jericho to help them break the code again. The possibility of a spy within the British code-breakers' ranks looms and Tom's love, Claire, has disappeared. To solve the mysteries, Tom recruits Claire's best friend, Hester Wallace. In investigating Claire's personal life, the pair discovers personal and international betrayals.

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Plot Keywords:

code breaking | spy | woman | suspicion | u boat | 

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Taglines:

10,000,000,000,000,000+ combinations - 24 hours to get it right

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for a sex scene and language

Details

Country:

UK USA Germany Netherlands

Language:

English German

Release Date:

7 June 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Enigma - Das Geheimnis

Filming Locations:

Trafalgar Square, St James's, London, England, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£796,776 (United Kingdom), 30 September 2001, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$156,587, 21 April 2002, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$4,298,329, 24 November 2002

Company Credits

Production Co:

Manhattan Pictures International, Intermedia Films, Senator Film Produktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the motivations behind making this movie was the indignation of many British World War 2 veterans (and civilians) over the movie U-571 (2000), in which the capture of the Enigma was shown to be done by American navy officers (despite the fact that the makers of that movie had indicated their movie to be a work of fiction and no accurate portrayal of the events leading to the capture of the Enigma).

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Goofs

The car chase scene in this film clearly shows telephone poles along the road with a modern insulated cable. In the 1940s, individual copper wires on insulators would have been used.

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Quotes

Tom Jericho: It's true though, isn't it? The Katyn Massacre?
Wigram: Oh, do shut up. There's a war to win, and Stalin's helping us win it.

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Connections

Referenced in The Holiday (2006)

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Soundtracks

Black Bottom
(1926)
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
By kind permission of Warner/Chappell Music Limited, Redwood Music Limited, Stephen Ballentine Publishing Company,
Henderson Music
Performed by Howard Lannin & His Orchestra
Licensed by kind permission of BMG Entertainment International (UK & Ireland) Limited

User Reviews

Not a war movie for the masses

'Enigma' is the kind of war movie that may not be loved by many people, mostly because there isn't much of action to be seen in it. At least, not the kind of action they would like to see: no heroically fighting soldiers, no breathtaking dogfights between the RAF and the Luftwaffe... 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. At first the English were able to read all their messages, but now they are back where they first started ... nowhere. Their only hope is the brilliant young man named Tom Jericho, who was able to crack the first code and who'll now have to do the same with the new one. In the meantime Tom's girlfriend Claire has disappeared and at the same time it is believed that there is a spy in the ranks of the code-breakers. When looking for his lost girlfriend and investigating her personal life, he uncovers some personal and international betrayals...

However it is clear that the main story of this movie is fictional, the entire movie is certainly interesting to watch. I mean, I have never had the chance to see how this enigma machines really worked, so I really appreciated the fact that it was shown so well in this movie. What I also liked in this movie was the love story that certainly wasn't too corny or overwhelming. It was an interesting part of the story that never bothered me, it just made the movie even better.

As I already said, this may not be the kind of war movie for the masses, but I liked it and that's why I give it at least a 7.5/10, perhaps even an 8/10.