17 - The Film ‘Enigma’

‘Enigma’ is a 2001 British film directed by Michael Apted, and starred Dougray Scott and Kate Winslet. The screenplay was by Tom Stoppard, based on the novel Enigma by Robert Harris. The film was produced by Mick Jagger’s company Jagged Films.

 
Figure 14 - Dougray Scott with the ‘prop’ Bombes in the film

Figure 14 - Dougray Scott with the ‘prop’ Bombes in the film

 

The producers went to great lengths to ensure that an accurate and authentic background existed in the film and in the case of the Bombes they commissioned six ‘props’ to be made as accurately as possible, for which the Bombe Rebuild Project Team supplied many of the CAD set engineering drawings. Indeed, many of the external parts produced for the ‘props’ are exactly to drawing and could be used on the rebuild proper.

The Bombe mock-ups were made by south London specialists Asylum Models & Effects. Because Bletchley Park is a busy, working site, no filming took place there, but at nearby Chicheley Hall at Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire.

(c) John Jackson