Script Analysis: “The Imitation Game” — Part 2: Major Plot Points

Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule:

Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown
Tuesday: Major Plot Points
Wednesday: Sequences
Thursday: Psychological Journey
Friday: Takeaways

Today: Major Plot Points.

In every scene, something happens. A plot point is a scene or group of scenes in which something major happens, an event that impacts the narrative causing it to turn in a new direction.

A relevant anecdote. Years ago, I was on the phone with a writer discussing a script project. My son Will, who was about four years old at the time, must have been listening to me talking about “plot points” during the conversation because after I hung up, he asked, “Daddy, what’s a plop point?”

That’s in effect what a plot point is. It’s an event that ‘plops’ into the narrative and changes its course. So when you think Plot Point, think Plop Point!

The value of this exercise:

* To identify the backbone of the story structure.

* To examine each major plot point and see how it is effective as an individual event.

* To analyze the major plot points in aggregate to determine why they work together as the central plot.

This week: The Imitation Game. You may download the script — free and legal — here: The Imitation Game.

Screenplay by Graham Moore, book by Andrew Hodges.

IMDb plot summary: During World War II, mathematician Alan Turing tries to crack the enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians.

We are fortunate to have two breakdowns of The Imitation Game. Today’s version provides an analysis of each scene’s function.

The Imitation Game

Scene-By-Scene Breakdown

Written by Rick Dyke

GoIntoTheStory.com

Based on: “Alan Turing: The Enigma” by Andrew Hodges

Script: 117 pages

Film Length: 114 minutes

The script for “The Imitation Game” was named the best adapted screenplay of 2014 by the Writers Guild of America, beating the scripts for “American Sniper,” “Gone Girl,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Wild.” It also won the Academy Award Oscar for Adapted Screenplay over “American Sniper,” “Inherent Vice,” “The Theory of Everything,” and “Whiplash.”

Scene 1) Pages: 1–7 Location: Alan Touring House — 1951
Action: There’s been a break-in at Alan Turing’s house, but nothing is missing. The police are investigating, but Alan Turing is not cooperative, raising suspicions.
Purpose: Introduce Alan Turing — he’s smart, acts on his own, and he seems to have something to hide.

Scene 2) Pages: 7–13 Location: Leading to & Bletchley Park–Commander Denniston’s Office — 1939
Action: There’s a war going on and Alan Turing is interviewed for a top-secret code breaking project. He’s very self- confident, almost arrogant about his ability to break the German code — Enigma.
Purpose: There’s an almost impossible task and Alan Turing looks like he’s smart enough to solve it. Alan Turing is very self-confident.

Scene 3) Pages: 13–17 Location: Bletchley Park — soon after scene 2
Action: Alan Turing is introduced to the Enigma machine, the challenge to solve, and the men he will work with.
Purpose: This seems an impossible task, and Alan Turing wants to work by himself.

Scene 4) Pages: 17- 20 Location: Sherborne School for Boys — 1927
Action: As a schoolboy, Alan is obsessed with separating peas from carrots. Then other schoolboys torture Alan by burying him in a makeshift coffin. Alan has a friendship with Christopher.
Purpose: Alan Turing is an “odd duck” — he’s different. He seems to have a true friend in Christopher

Scene 5) Pages: 20–23 Location: Manchester Police Station and streets — 1951
Action: The police detective Nock is confused about the Alan Turing case, and he is being followed. Somehow the Foreign Office is involved.
Purpose: There’s something to be discovered about Alan Turing.

Scene 6) Pages: 24–26 Location: War footage & Bletchley Park — Huts 14 & 8
Action: War footage show the Germans attacking. There is a large resource trying to break this code, but only 4 cryptographers. The number of possible solutions is too large — the task seems impossible.
Purpose: Breaking the code is important to end the war, but it seems impossible.

Scene 7) Pages: 26–29 Location: Bletchley Park — Hut 8
Action: The group tried to invite Alan to lunch — he makes it a difficult conversation and declines, but asks them to bring him back soup.
Purpose: Alan is a loner — not part of the group

Scene 8) Pages: 29- 32 Location: Bletchley Park
Action: Alan reveals he is building a machine to break the code. Commander Denniston denies him the funds to build it and says his co-workers have filed a complaint. Alan isn’t worried about the complaint — he is willing to contact Winston Churchill to get his machine built.
Purpose: Alan Turing has a singular focus on solving the Enigma code his way.

Scene 9) Pages: 32–33 Location: Bletchley Park — Commander Denniston’s Office
Action: Churchill has put Alan in charge of the Enigma project — he fires some of his coworkers.
Purpose: The climax of conflict between Alan and co-workers — Alan is doing this his way!

Scene 10) Pages: 33–35 Location: Bletchley Park & insert shots of people all over England
Action: The project needs more code breakers and Alan decides to use a crossword puzzle to find potential candidates. His puzzle catches the interest of many people.
Purpose: Alan is creative and will do things his way.

Scene 11) Pages: 35–39 Location: MI-6 Headquarters and a classroom somewhere
Action: The candidates who passed the crossword puzzle test are in a room to be tested again. A woman — Joan Clarke — arrives late and immediately shows self-confidence. She solves a crossword puzzle in 5 ½ minutes that took Alan Turing 8 minutes to solve.
Purpose: Alan’s methods look promising, and he has found someone special in Joan Clarke.

Scene 12) Pages: 39–41 Location: Sherborne School for Boys — 1927 — Day
Action: Alan’s friend Christopher introduces Alan to cryptography. They are becoming very close friends.
Purpose: Foreshadowing of Alan’s abilities and shows importance of Christopher in his life.

Scene 13) Pages: 41–43 Location: Manchester Police Station and streets — 1951
Action: Alan Turing’s war file is empty — classified. Detective Nock is suspicious about him so they are going to follow him.
Purpose: Alan Turing has something to hide — what is it?

Scene 14) Pages: 43–46 Location: Bletchley Park — Hut 11 & Clarke household
Action: Joan Clarke doesn’t show up with the new recruits. Alan goes to her house to convince her to come work with him. Her parents insist she work in a “lady-like environment” and Alan will make sure it happens.
Purpose: Alan wants desperately to work with Joan — hints of an important relationship.

Scene 15) Pages: 46–49 Location: Bletchley Park — Huts 8 & 11
Action: Alan’s coworkers are frustrated — they are not making progress. They go to Alan working on his machine and confront him about not helping them.
Purpose: It’s men vs Alan’s machine — he is confident, but must prove his commitment to his new machine is the right answer.

Scene 16) Pages: 49–53 Location: leading up to and in Joan’s Flat — after dark
Action: Alan goes against the rules to climb into Joan’s room with decoded messages seeking a clue to solving Enigma.
Purpose: Alan finally has someone to work with. He seems to like Joan. We start to wonder where this relationship will go.

Scene 17) Pages: 53–54 Location: Bletchley Park — Hut 8 the next day
Action: There is a Soviet spy in the midst of the project. Because of his habit of working by Himself, and his conflict with his co-workers, Alan is a suspect,
Purpose: A level of tension is added — who is the double agent?

Scene 18) Pages: 55–58 Location: Bletchley Park — Beer Hut
Action: Joan hangs out socially with the guys, even flirting with Hugh Alexander. Hugh states that he does not believe Alan is the double agent.
Purpose: Joan is an important member of the group. The co-workers are warming to Alan.

Scene 19) Pages: 58–59 Location: Bletchley Park — Hut 8
Action: Suggested by Joan, Alan brings apples to his coworkers. He tells a joke.
Purpose: Alan is trying to relate to his co-workers.

Scene 20) Pages: 59–60 Location: Sherborne School for Boys — 1927 — Day
Action: Alan and Christopher pass notes in class — they are in code. Christopher calls Alan “dearest friend.”
Purpose: Emphasize the importance of the Alan-Christopher relationship.

Scene 21) Pages: 61–62 Location: Bletchley Park — Hut 8 & 11
Action: Alan finishes his Enigma computer, called Christopher, with an important suggestion from Hugh. Will it work?
Purpose: Alan’s co-workers do make a contribution to the project. Now comes the big question — will the new computer work?

Scene 22) Pages: 62–66 Location: Bletchley Park — Hut 11
Action: Alan’s computer just runs and runs but doesn’t produce the solution. Commander Denniston fires Alan, but his co-workers say the computer is the best chance of success. They all threaten to quit. The group is given 1 month to make the computer work.
Purpose: Alan and his computer have earned the respect of his co-workers, but can they get it to work? The tension increases because time is running out.

Scene 23) Pages: 66–68 Location: Manchester Police Station — 1951
Action: By following Turing, the police discover he is a homosexual, which is illegal. But Detective Nock wasn’t looking for this, he thought Turing was a traitor
Purpose: Alan Turing’s secret is revealed.

Scene 24) Pages: 68–71 Location: Joan Clarke’s Flat — 1941
Action: Joan threatens to leave Bletchley because of her parents. Alan insists that she stay — he needs her. He proposes marriage.
Purpose: Alan needs a relationship in his life. He likes his relationship with Joan.

Scene 25) Pages: 72–74 Location: Bletchley Park — Beer Hut
Action: An engagement party — Joan is happy. Alan discusses his homosexuality with John Cairncross. It must remain a secret — or it could mean Alan’s death.
Purpose: Establishes the severity of being a homosexual in England at this time.

Scene 26) Pages: 74–75 Location: Sherborne School for Boys — 1927
Action: Alan is waiting for Christopher to return to school. He will tell him he loves him. Christopher does not return
Purpose: Alan has accepted his feelings but it will led to heartbreak.

Scene 27) Pages: 75–77 Location: Manchester Police Station — Interrogation Room — 1951
Action: Detective Nock is interrogating Alan. He is asking him about his work during the war and his theories of artificial intelligence and computers.
Purpose: Reveals the main theme of Alan Turing’s work. Detective Nock is trying to understand Alan Turing.

Scene 28) Pages: 77–84 Location: Bletchley Park — Hut 11 and Beer Hut
Action: Alan’s Enigma machine is working, but not fast enough. It can’t solve the problem. At the beer hut later, a radio operator reveals that one German always starts the message with the same 5 letters. Alan runs out of the hut — this is a breakthrough.
Purpose: The final key to breaking the code may be finally revealed. The tension of near resolution rises.

Scene 29) Pages: 84–87 Location: Bletchley Park — Hut 8
Action: The code breakers realize they may know some of the words in the messages — “Heil Hitler”. They can use this to set the computer to break the code. They try it out and it works! They have broken the Enigma code — everyone is joyous,
Purpose: A climax in the action — success!

Scene 30) Pages: 87–93 Location: Bletchley Park — Hut 8
Action: Even though the code is broken, Alan realizes they can’t just use the information directly to stop attacks. If they did the Germans would know the code is broken and change the code. They have to keep it a secret that the code is broken — even if thousands will die in a convoy attack, including the brother of one of the code breakers.
Purpose: One conflict is resolved — breaking the code, but it is replaced with a new conflict — keeping the code breaking secret.

Scene 31) Pages: 94–95 Location: London — Tea Shop
Action: Alan and Joan explain the strategy for using the broken German code so they can win the war. The code breaking must be kept secret.
Purpose: Alan will use logic and statistics — not emotion — to help win the war.

Scene 32) Pages: 95–98 Location: Bletchley Park — various huts
Action: The uncoded messages are helping the British defeat the Germans. One day Alan discovers that John Cairncross is the Soviet spy. Alan threatens to tell, but he can’t because his secret of being a homosexual will be revealed.
Purpose: Alan’s secret does cost him — it can be used against him.

Scene 33) Pages: 98–102 Location: Bletchley Park — Joan’s Flat and flashbacks
Action: The intelligence contact, Stewart Menzies, reveals that he knows who the Soviet spy is, in fact he placed him in the group on purpose. He enlists Alan to help share just the right information with the Soviets.
Purpose: The complexity and the web of lies increases. Alan’s intellect can solve these issues.

Scene 34) Pages: 102–104 Location: Bletchley Park — behind Hut 8
Action: Alan tries to get Joan to leave and break off the engagement because he is concerned for her safety. She refuses, so Alan pretends he doesn’t care for her. Joan reacts angrily.
Purpose: Alan really cares for Joan — enough to threaten their relationship.

Scene 35) Pages: 104–106 Location: Sherborne School for Boys — Headmaster’s Office — 1927
Action: Alan is told that his only friend, Christopher has died of tuberculosis. He had never told Alan he was sick.
Purpose: Alan’s relationship often end tragically. He is emotionally wounded by this.

Scene 36) Pages: 106–108 Location: Bletchley Park intercut with archival war footage
Action: Voiceover of Alan explaining how breaking the code won the war.
Purpose: Show the rewards of all the hard work and genius of Alan Turing — WW 2 is won!

Scene 37) Pages: 109–110 Location: Bletchley Park — 1945
Action: The war is over. The code breakers are told to burn all their work.
Purpose: The end of the mission. It must be a secret. Another secret in the life of Alan Turing.

Scene 38) Pages: 110–115 Location: Manchester Police Station and Alan Turing’s House — 1951
Action: Alan Turing is found guilty of indecency. Detective Nock is not happy with the outcome.
Joan Clarke visits to support Alan. We find out he is being forced to take hormonal therapy. Alan is working on a new version of his computer, Christopher. It is his only friend.
Purpose: Society cannot accept Alan because he is different. But Joan makes an important statement — “ Someone normal couldn’t have accomplished what you did.”

Scene 39) Pages: 115 Location: Sherborne School for Boys — 1927
Action: Alan sitting alone under a tree crying over the loss of his only friend, Christopher.
Purpose: Alan will be alone his whole life.

Scene 40) Pages: 115–116 Location: Alan Turing’s House — 1954
Action: The police come and find Alan Turing dead. He has committed suicide by poisoning.
Purpose: A sad and tragic end to someone who has contributed so much.

Scene 41) Pages: 116–117 Location: Bletchley Park — 1945
Action: The codebreakers are burning all evidence of their Enigma code breaking project. Titles tell of the legacy of Alan Turing and his impact on computers. The British government in 1967 changes the laws against homosexuality.
Purpose: Alan Turing led a tortured life for being different, but he left a lasting legacy.

Summary: One question we should ask is “Why is this script recognized? What makes it stand out and win the awards it has won?” I believe the main answer to that question is that this script takes a story that is inherently not visual and undramatic and makes it into a compelling movie. The breaking of a code and making a computer are done in the mind. They are not visual acts. They do not lend themselves to a good movie. But Graham Moore has created a screenplay that is compelling, has a strong forward movement and creates a strong emotional picture of the life of Alan Turing.

Script Take-Aways: Here are just a few things I learned while summarizing the scenes.

• The script creates conflict to tell the story. Besides just the conflict of solving the code, Alan Turing is in conflict with his co-workers, his supervisors, and the internal and external conflict over his homosexuality. I think this script has some similarities in structure to The Social That film is structured around the conflict that Mark Zuckerberg creates in founding Facebook.
• The script uses the 3 running story lines — Alan’s childhood friendship, solving the Enigma code and the investigation of him in the 1950’s — to do 2 things: move the story forward and emphasize the internal conflict that Alan is going through. By jumping between the story lines, momentum forward is created.
• Alan must be likeable protagonist. His relationship with Joan Clarke makes him into a whole person — one we can like and root for.
• Lost love is a powerful emotion. The story line of his childhood friendship with Christopher magnifies the emotion and inner torture that Alan lives with.
• The script does a good job of making Alan a very unique person. His difference is emphasized and we can see his genius.

Writing Exercise: Go through the scene-by-scene breakdown of The Imitation Game and identify the major plot points. Post your thoughts in comments and we’ll see if we can come up with a consensus.

Major kudos to Rick Dyke for doing this breakdown. If you’d like a PDF of this version, go here.

If you’d like a PDF of The Imitation Game script scene-by-scene breakdown by Sean Sauber, go here.

For Part 1, to read the Scene-By-Scene Breakdown, go here.

Tomorrow we consider the script’s structure in terms of its sequences.

This series started here and we have volunteers to do 27 scene-by-scene breakdowns of contemporary movie scripts. The scripts we have already analyzed are in italics.

American Hustle: Jon Raymond
Argo: Nora Barry
Barney’s Version: John M
Belle: DaniM
Beginners: Ali Coad
Boyhood: Jacob Jensen
Enough Said: Ali Coad
Flight: 14Shari
Frankenwenie: Will King
Frozen: Christina Sekeris
Gone Girl: NateKohler1
Gravity: Matt Duriez
Hanna: John Arends
Lincoln: Paul Graunke
Looper: erikledrew
Moonrise Kingdom: Daniel Bigler
Mud: Alejandro
Paranorman: OhScotty
Prisoners: Melinda Mahaffey Icden
Short Term 12: Carolina Groppa
The Artist: Traci Nell Peterson
The Grand Budapest Hotel: Rob Hoskins
The Imitation Game: Rick Dyke, Sean Sauber
The Social Network: Nick Dykal
The Way Way Back: Ricky
Wadjda: iamdaniel
Whiplash: Steven Broughton

If you’d like to participate and do a scene-by-scene breakdown yourself, please indicate which script in comments or email me. We are using scripts available on our site here.

For new volunteers and those who have already volunteered, but not sent me a breakdown yet, please do so as soon as possible. Thanks!

Circling back to where we started, reading scripts is hugely important. Analyzing them even more so. If you want to work in Hollywood as a writer, you need to develop your critical analytical skills. This is one way to do that.

So seize this opportunity and join in the conversation!

I hope to see you in comments about this week’s script: The Imitation Game.

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