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Imitation Game

Overall impression I loved how the film humanized Turing’s machine-like character through presence of Joan, who revealed his flaws and pain as a hidden war hero; his fragility and tragedy of being condemned by his own country is thus made relatable to the audience. The sentimental acting that gave Cumberbatch an oscar nomination was both heartbreaking and dramatic, effectively drawing sympathy from the audience. What is the meaning and significance of the title, “Imitation Game”? An “imitation game” is a game where a machine imitates a man, or when a man imitates a woman. The director utilises this concept to create the overall themes in the film: deception and acceptance. In the movie, Turing is portrayed to lack emotional intelligence - he cannot cooperate with others or infer emotions, much like a machine. Hence he constantly struggles to “imitate” a normal human being and wishes that he can become one. He then meets Joan - a female mathematical genius. Due to her gender, at first she declines Turing’s invitation to work with him as it is “indecorous” for a female to work a man’s profession. The director utilizes Turing and Joan to represent the two versions of the game - a machine imitating a man, and a “man” imitating a woman. Eventually, both of them embrace the fact that they are different and cease trying to imitate a “normal” person. Turing’s Relationship with Christopher Christopher was the only person who accepted Turing’s differences and attempted to cultivate them - although just before Turing decided to confess his love to him, Christopher dies of tuberculosis. Decades later, Turing names his machine in the movie christopher (lowercase c). Turing gradually becomes unhealthily obsessed with the machine, and starts treating it like a human being. In the end when he chooses to be chemically castrated to avoid being sent to prison, his quote, “I don’t want to be left alone again” to christopher reveals to the audience that Turing had superimposed his image of Christopher onto his machine. After all these years, he still loved Christopher, and had attempted to keep him alive as his machine. His desperate attempts to make the machine “smarter” can be interpreted as an attempt to recreate Christopher, trying to make Christopher pass the imitation game to give him an actual, human mind. Analysis of the ending: In the last shot of the film, Turing smiles at his “christopher,” turns the light off in “christopher’” room, and disappears into the dark room. This shot symbolizes Turing’s suicide, and reinforces to the audience the bond between him and christopher. Turing turning the light off symbolizes his suicide, and walking towards “christopher” reflects his wish to be reunited with his first love. This symbolic ending implies that Turing killed himself to be with Christopher - thus underscoring Turing’s strong emotional connection.

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The Theory of Everything

Themes: Inevitability of the universe and time, vertigo due to the spread between one's reality and ideals.

The rewinding of time is a significant aspect of the movie. Referencing Hawking’s theory of “going back to the beginning of time”, the first scene of the film is actually the end scene, where Hawking is knighted by the queen. Similarly, at the end, the film rewinds to Hawking’s younger years, echoing how the purpose of the film was also to “discover the beginning,” echoing Hawking’s discovery of the beginning of the Universe.

Symbolism

Spirals: The Theory of Everything includes many shots of spirals and rotations, such as shots of milk spiralling inside the coffee, and Jane and Hawking twirling together. These visuals evoke the imagery of the universe spinning back and reversing in time, a key motivation for Hawking. The movie begins with Stephen Hawking being spun around in his wheelchair - which transitions into the wheels of his bike as the young Stephen Hawking and his friends race together. These use of wheels also provide contrast between the current state of Hawking and his younger days, and emphasize the tragedy of his inability to reverse his own time. Later in the movie, there are , further paralleling the image of orbiting space.

Fallling Objects: Many items fall and are emphasized via a close up shot. Pens, mugs, and even Hawking himself. They echo the sentiment that once broken, things cannot be fixed, and thus foreshadow the tragedy of Hawking’s disease. The director uses this effect to create tragic irony as well. As Hawking gives an inspirational speech on stage, claiming that ”there should be no boundaries to human endeavour,” his pen drops - and Hawking is unable to pick it up.

Glasses: Hawking’s glasses are another effective symbol. In the scene where Jane tearfully claims that she will stay with him through his illness, Jane remarks, “Your glasses are always dirty” and cleans his glasses. This could be seen as a symbol of how she provides a firm clarity in Hawkings life, as this is the moment where he finally realizes that the best option for them both is to stay together. The quote is repeated by Jane in the latter half of the film when Hawking gets honoured by the queen. This repetition is effectively used to draw an emotional response from the audience, as they are reminded of better times when Jane and Hawking were still together - in contrast to the present, where both parties have been mentally and physically damaged.

Diagnosis Scene: The scene following Hawking’s diagnosis is powerfully shot. The director uses a fish-eye lens to zoom into Hawking’s face, symbolizing the sudden distortion of life. He also is shown alone and in a bathtub, symbolizing his vulnerability and sense of separation.

Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition between his title and physical state is also effectively used to increase the potency of Hawking having the illness. The scenes where Hawking receives the title of professor is intermingled with scenes where he can't dress himself and needs help to wake up - exactly the same as their baby in the house. When Hawking struggles to move up the stairs, the camera focuses on the baby watching him - further emphasizing how he is almost like another infant that Jane has to care for.

Music

The minimal and subtle music was extremely effective in focusing on the conversation between the characters. Music was only used in dramatic scenes such as when Hawking and Jane danced, and when Hawking developed pneumonia. Personally, I liked how the music seemed “natural” - it came on in settings where there was natural to be music. For example, the soundtrack was present at the festival, at the opera, and when Jonathan played the piano.

Criticism

When the film structured the thesis scene so that the professors reading Hawking’s paper appeared to hate it at first, only for it to be revealed that they loved it.

Display of Hawkings genius as he rapidly solves complex equations.

Jane and Hawking’s last quote, “look at what we created” pointing to their children

Other thoughts

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed by the director’s delicate touch. I think the castings were genius - Eddie Redmayne’s portrayal of Parkinsons disease was very convincing, and he convingly captures Hawking’s humor and charm. Felicity Jones also had an amazing interpretation of Jane, especially in her portrayal of Jane holding back her tears for Hawking.

I also liked the ending credit as well. The credits show the universe morphing into neurons, and then morphing back into universe. This symbolizes how Stephen Hawking demolished the boundary between quantum physics and general physics - and simultaneously between the able-bodied and the disabled.

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On Shape of Water

Shape of Water parodies traditional axioms. It deals with classic themes such as Man vs. Beast, Sexuality, Love, etc.. except it turns everything on its head. It sees what was seen to be good as bad, and what was bad as good.

Man vs. Beast is a timeless struggle seen everywhere. However, here the main character - the “hero” is the beast, and not the man. The man, with his stoicism, logic, rationality and goals, is shown to be ghastly and frightening - while the beast is portrayed as an amicable and loving creature. It knows no order, no authority, and no morals. Only visceral, beautiful emotion.

It’s the pure genius of del toro that makes us relate more to the beast and less to the man. In fact, I think he illustrates the beast as more “man” and the man as more “beast.”

Sexuality in this movie is interesting. It shows sexuality not from a male perspective, but from a female perspective. Traditionally, sex was used as a motif to make creatures more terrifying - such as the phallic symbolism of the Alien’s tongue, or a seductive female villain that tempts man (succubus). They attempted to utilize sex to evoke a sense of primitive fear, and entertained the narrative that man’s greatest shame was losing his masculinity. This movie celebrates sex and sexuality as a medium of unconditional love. Sex is not some primitive act we should be ashamed of.

Love and acceptance is a theme that’s been on the rise globally. I think that’s a core reason why this movie won the Oscars, and I think it’s beautiful. The movie has minorities as its main cast, and unlike beauty and the beast, the asset does not transform himself in order to be loved.

Historically, thought was infatuated with the idea of man overcoming his emotions, proving he is a being of rationality and logic (Descartes etc). But the recent force of technology has strengthened its counterfactual sentiment. Now we no longer wish to prove that we are not animals. There’s a stranger creature on the other end of the spectrum now, a colder creature that feeds on pure linear logic. We wish to prove that unlike this unfathomable creature, we are capable of loving, accepting and caring - shown through the popularized feminist and gay pride movements. Shape of Water is a tale of people in solidarity together regardless of their differences.

A love story not towards mans rational capacities, but for our ability to hold each others’ hands.

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