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 | u boat | traitor | espionage | 

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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

The real Bletchley Park was the home to the Enigma code-breakers during WWII. The English only admitted to the existence of Bletchley Park in the 1970s.

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Goofs

In the final scene, in London after the war (1946), Hester steps off the pavement and we see double yellow lines painted at the kerbside (denoting No Parking). These road markings were introduced much later.

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Quotes

Wigram: Were you surprised when you heard that Admiral Donitz had changed the weather code?
Tom Jericho: Well, the Germans were always nervous about Enigma. That was the reason Shark came on in the first place...
Wigram: But the Germans believe Enigma's supposed to be infallible, because it would take people a thousand years to figure out the settings for one day, and they are changed every day. But we don't use people for that, do we, Mr. Jericho?
Tom Jericho: No.
Wigram: No. And that is the secret inside the secret: your thinking machines. ...

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Connections

Referenced in Cash Trapped: Episode #2.10 (2017)

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Soundtracks

Put Your Arms Around Me Honey
(1910)
Music by Albert von Tilzer
Lyrics Junie McCree
Published by Redwood Music Limited and Francis Day & Hunter Limited
Performed by Phil Green Orchestra
Licensed courtesy of Decca Music Group Limited

User Reviews

Nutritious whole brain entertainment for the mind

"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. With plenty of history and super-secret code cracking to feed the left brain and a dramatic tale of a top code-cracker and his surreptitious affairs of heart and mind for the right brain, "Enigma" has something to offer everyone. The film manages it's intricate plot well, offers solid performances, blends intrigues with lots of WWII crypto-speak, and moves along swiftly while staying real and avoiding the usual excesses of filmdom. A smart flick for smart minds. (B+)