Gallery: How Designers Recreated Alan Turing's Code-Breaking Computer for Imitation Game

  • Image may contain Human Person Workshop Plywood Wood Furniture and Shelf
    Jack English/The Weinstein Company
    01

    Christopher-and-Turing

    Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing with the code-breaking machine Turing calls Christopher. (Expand gallery to fullscreen for larger images.)
  • Image may contain Workshop Furniture Table Indoors Housing Building Interior Design and Desk
    courtesy The Weinstein Company
    02

    Christopher-Int-Hut-11-2

    The Christopher prop had to be able to be easily converted from its early stages to its nearly-complete form on the fly.
  • Image may contain Interior Design Indoors Wood Furniture Plywood and Table
    Shaun Armstrong/mubsta.com
    03

    Christopher-Display-at-Bletchley

    This is the Christopher prop currently on display at Bletchley Park.
  • Image may contain Shelf Wristwatch Wheel Machine and Tire
    Shaun Armstrong/mubsta.com
    04

    BombeAtBletchleyPark

    Bletchley Park also has its own replica of Alan Turing's Bombe (shown here).
  • The Christopher prop is remarkably similar to Bletchley's Bombe replica.
    Shaun Armstrong/mubsta.com
    05

    Christopher-at-Bletchley

    The Christopher prop is remarkably similar to Bletchley's Bombe replica.
  • Image may contain Building Factory Drawing and Art
    Maria Djurkovic/The Weinstein Company
    06

    Christopher-Int-Hut-11-sketch

    Christopher in the film is a little larger than the original machine in order to make it an imposing feature in each scene.
  • Image may contain Workshop Drawing Art Sketch Plot Diagram Plan Building Painting and Urban
    Maria Djurkovic/The Weinstein Company
    07

    Int-Hut-11-with-Christopher

    Christopher was located in Bletchley Park's Hut 11.
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    Nick Dent/The Weinstein Company
    08

    COMPLETE-bombe-front-elevation

    Nick Dent designed Christopher using Illustrator with a CAD plug-in. This is his design for the front of the machine.
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    Nick Dent/The Weinstein Company
    09

    COMPLETE-Bombe-rear-

    This is Dent's design for the rear of the machine.
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    Nick Dent/The Weinstein Company
    10

    Complete-Bombe

    Christopher was designed to be opened up so moviegoers could see the complexity inside.
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    Nick Dent/The Weinstein Company
    11

    Complete-LHS-Bombe-2

    The prop was also designed to show various stages of completion.
  • Image may contain Wiring
    Nick Dent/The Weinstein Company
    12

    part-built--FRONT-elevation

    The bright red cords on Christopher give the appearance of veins flowing into the machine.
  • Image may contain Gate Diagram Plan and Plot
    Nick Dent/The Weinstein Company
    13

    Part-Built-bombe-LHS-

    Having a machine that opened up allowed the filmmakers to show Turing working on it.
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