Customer Reviews

Enigma Secret (Sekret Enigmy) [VHS]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Enigma Secret" (Sekret Enigmy) takes us into the history and shows the adventures of a few Polish men whose story is not widely known. The Polish government enlisted its best civilian thinkers to help decode German messages. These mathematicians turn into war heroes as they decode the secret of the enigma.

This is a bit different war film. It lacks scenes of battles but is filled with espionage and a great deal of suspense because of the precarious time period. The story doesn't revolve around professional soldiers but of civilians that turn into cryptologists and help in the war. It stays away from the gritty details of the battlefields but shows us how the families were separated and torn apart, as everyone was affected by the war. "Enigma Secret" brings to life this time period and fills the two and a half hour film with a remarkable story.

The story is a chilling chronicle of World War II - from before it began to its tail end. Some parts of the movie will be unforgettable. I thought there is great build up in the impending doom just before the war breaks out. Their escape to France via Hungry will keep you on edge. Being just a few steps ahead of the Germans isn't an easy task and, unfortunately, their allies don't always help them. Overall, the way the story is presented doesn't show too much violence so it is one you can watch with the whole family.

It is definitively not a Hollywood production. If you like to dig into history you will not waste time. Not good for big-bang movie watchers...

Length:: 1:59 Mins

Actually not bad for what looks to be a pre-Solidarity, made for TVP historical drama. The sub-titles seem a little inadequate at points, so Polish could be a plus. Also several months or years often disappear between scenes, so that folks who were slogging it out in England, reappear on Polish rail platforms after the war. It does help to know a bit of WWII Abwehr, Vichy, Bletchley history so that you can pick out Adm. Canaris or have some idea what Churchill is on about (HMS Rawlpindhi, eg).
The history is pretty accurate, if one isn't too picky about years. The depiction of the machine use is a bit dramatised, but no worse that American TV. Considering this is a Warsaw Pact production, it's nearly devoid of pro-Russian spin. Their Paris restaurant does look like a Soviet era east European French restaurant, say in Warsaw.
My favorite part has to be Hitler orating in Polish, which has a real Mel-Brooksesque humor. (A true victory for Poland, if we can make Hitler speak Polish).