I'm a huge fan of Alan Turing, and at least a moderate fan of
Benedict Cumberbatch, but the film reeks of political correctness:
Keira takes on the role of Joan Clarke while Benedict plays Alan Turing [WENN]
The
'Sherlock' star had also been styled appropriately for the time, and
wore a grey suit with a matching trench coat, and carried a brown
briefcase whilst chatting away to his co-star.
Filming of the
highly-anticipated movie began last month, and according to reports it
will be a dramatic portrayal of the life and work of Turing.
Following
his time of working at the top-secret code-breaking centre, Bletchley
Park, during the darkest days of World War II, Turing was later
criminally prosecuted for his homosexuality in 1952, when homosexual
acts were still illegal in the United Kingdom.
He accepted
treatment with female hormones (chemical castration) as an alternative
to prison, but died in 1954, just over two weeks before his 42nd
birthday, from cyanide poisoning.
Eric Raymond discussed this a while back:
The centennial of Alan Turing’s birth brings us the news that Alan Turing probably did not
commit suicide by eating a poisoned apple, was not depressed at the
time of his death, and that the hormone treatments intended to suppress
his homosexual urges had been discontinued a year before he died. I am
not in the least surprised by any of this; in fact I have been
half-expecting such inversions ever since I began noticing, twenty years
or so ago, the increasing mythologization of Turing’s life.
...
But the queasiest thing about the myths of Turing-the-exemplar and
Turing-the-victim is how they’ve become intertwined. It says no good
thing about the year 2012 that Turing’s supposed marginalization by the
society of his time has become in many popular accounts a perverse
credential for his greatness. In fact he was not marginalized at all –
he was a prominent Cambridge don and a hero of his country.who had been
awarded the Order of the British Empire. Rather than confront Turing’s
homosexuality, the British authorities from the arresting constable on
up tried to look the other way and gave every easy out they could;
Turing, through some combination of carelessness and
self-destructiveness, took none of them.
I'd watch more TV and films if it didn't seem so full of indoctrination. And quite obvious indoctrination at that.
2 comments:
My first thought when I saw your first few words of this was "who would make a movie about Alan Turing?". Don't get me wrong, everyone in the tech world knows about Turing, and while I'm neither a "huge fan" nor a computer scientist, I sure know who he is and know something of his work.
But go to your local mall and ask people what they think of Alan Turing and I'll bet dollars to donuts that you get 99% blank stares.
So the whole idea is to portray him as the noble homosexual who, after saving his country, is marginalized and driven to suicide (i.e., murdered) by it. Despite the fact that none of that is true. The producers could have just as well made up a story with another name and left Turing completely out of it, for all the truth they convey.
No thanks. I'll stick with light stuff, like sci-fi and superhero flicks.
Well I don't care how many stupid people line up in a row to proclaim homosexuality is beautiful and wonderful.
I don't think queers should be harassed - but I'll be damned if I will 'celebrate' them or cheerlead for them.
Far as I'm concerned that is a perversion to be forgiven, not a lifestyle to be advocated.
Post a Comment