As is so common in mathematical fiction, the mathematician (Jericho) is known as a genius and is also certifiably insane. (If you have read my thoughts on this elsewhere then you will know that this is a "pet peeve" of mine, that literature likes to suggest that there is some deep connection between insanity and mathematical ability.) In this case, he has supposedly had a nervous breakdown due to the ending of a brief affair with the beautiful and fun Claire. When he returns from to help his colleagues break the new "Shark" code, Jericho finds that Claire has gone missing. His attempts to find her lead him to unexpected romance and intrigue.

In the novel, Jericho is one of Alan Turing's students working on the Riemann Hypothesis with him before the war and Turing is a recurring -- though minor -- character in the novel. For the film (2001) version, however, Turing has been completely eliminated with Jericho playing both the role he plays in the novel and also being Turing at the same time. It is a little bit strange to see Alan Turing's historical role usurped by this fictional character. However, if you are not bothered by this bit of fake history, the movie is also worth seeing. In exchange for losing Turing, the film adds Tom Stoppard's brand of witty dialogue and a few nice comments about mathematics by this playwright who may be the most eloquent apologist for mathematics. It is interesting to note that the enigma machine used in the film is a real one, that happens to belong to one of the films producers, Mick Jagger! (Jagger also makes a cameo appearance in the film.)

I've read more than a few reviews of the film which praise it for finally acknowledging the role of England in this important part of world history. It is true, as the reviews imply, that most of the previous films on the subject emphasize the American role. There are lots of explanations for this fact. It is, of course, partly due to American nationalism and the fact that America tends to make more films than other countries. It is also partly England's fault for seeking to keep Bletchley secret for so long. (IMHO, England did a great disservice to the world by keeping knowledge of their wartime achievements secret for so long and did something nearly criminal when they had all of Tommy Flowers' "Colossus" computers destroyed for "security purposes".) However, lest the British critics get too self righteous about the fact that this film "finally sets the record straight", let me point out that this film also obscures the true role of some important and brilliant heroes of the story. In particular, upon reading the true history one learns that the first key steps in breaking the Enigma (involving bravery, brilliance and a bit of clever engineering) was done by some Polish mathematicians just before the Nazi invasion of Poland. It was only upon receiving help from them that the British first started making headway. Not only does the movie version Enigma not mention this part of the story, it vilifies the only Polish character in the film!