Rating (1 to 10) : 7
Summary: A neo-film noir revolving around Enigma, the code machine the Germans used in WW2.
An aptly named movie, as the title refers to both the mystery of the movie and the encipherment machine of the Germans. In WW2, the US and Great Britain secretly endeavored to break code from the German Enigma machines. Messages encrypted by Enigma and transmitted by radio were intercepted by Great Britain. Then the cryptanalysts at Bletchley Park, the main setting for this film, would try to break the code so that they could decipher subsequent Enigma messages, especially the ones sent to German U-boats operating in the Atlantic (see the movie “U-571” for another aspect of this intelligence warfare).
In this movie, Tom Jericho (Dougray Scott, Sean Ambrose in “Mission Impossible II”) is a brilliant cryptanalyst working at Bletchley who discovered a way to break the German Enigma code for the U-boats, referred to as “Shark” by the Bletchley people. During his time at Bletchley, he met and fell in love with one of the women also working at Bletchley, Claire Romilly (Saffron Burrows). Their relationship ends, sending Jericho into a tailspin and changing him into an emotionally scarred man.
Because of his breakup with Claire, Jericho had a nervous breakdown and was sent away for a sabbatical to recuperate. When he returns, he lands right into a mystery as Claire has disappeared and top secret Enigma messages were found hidden in her residence. With the help of Claire’s roommate Hester Wallace (Kate Winslet, Rose DeWitt in “Titanic”), Jericho tries to untangle the mystery concerning Claire, all the while trying to avoid the suspicious attention of Wigram (Jeremy Northam), the nosy and intrusive official in charge of internal security at Bletchley.
The acting by Dougray Scott deserves mention; he depicts the emotionally wounded man perfectly, his downcast eyes evincing sadness and a broken spirit. Kate Winslet, as the supporting actress, took on a role that was different than her usual roles and did a credible job as the owlish and inquisitive Hester, who becomes Tom’s sidekick in solving the mystery.
Although it might not seem like it at first glance, this movie is a neo-film noir. The main character, Jericho, is the wounded protagonist, Claire is the femme fatale, the plot contains flashback scenes of Jericho reliving his love affair with Claire, and the story is about a mystery. The only thing that seems out of place is the lighting of the cinematography, as film noirs are usually filmed in dark settings while the cinematography of this film had enough lighting to not give it a downbeat ambiance.
Why you should or should not see this movie:
You should see this movie because it is an interesting film noir movie that tells the story in a setting different from other movies of its type. The story doesn’t occur in a city with darkness and shadows but in a bright English countryside, yet still has all the elements of the film noir. This is an underrated movie from 2001 and well worth renting from your local video store.
Mr. Mermagen (talking to Hester): Do you know, without your glasses you don’t look half-bad?
Hester: Do you know, without my glasses, nor do you?
Tom Jericho: I like numbers. Because with numbers, truth and beauty are the same thing.
Tom Jericho (a little later): A rose is just plain text.
Claire: Poor you. I really got under your skin didn’t I?
Cave: “Full moon. Ten U-boats, somewhere. Thirty-seven merchants, five escorts, one of which is lost contact with the convoy, no rescue ship and no air cover.”
(phone rings)
Cryptoanalyst: “Eighteen”
Guy (answering phone): “Flowerdown two-six-eight degrees.”
Cave: It’s what you might call a bitch.”
Copyright by the Doomster 2004