The Codebreaker

"The Codebreaker" is a documentary from "The American Experience" about a woman who was never heralded in life despite her many contributions to law enforcement and the US war efforts. Elizabeth Smith Friedman was a Quaker woman who managed to go to college during an era when very few women attended. After graduation, she was hired by an eccentric millionaire to work on a project involving cyphers. From that, she went on to work with the government...first as a code-breaker for the US Coast Guard and their war with organized crime and later in deciphering Axis codes during WWII. She was in many ways a remarkable woman but because what she did was so secret, her service wasn't recognize until decades after her death. Overall, a most unusual and inspiring film...one that stands out even among other "American Experience" documentaries. Very well made and interesting.

My only complaint about the film is that it clearly credits Elizabeth for her many accomplishments but it also makes it sound as if she single-handedly cracked all the enemy codes. Other folks managed to do important code-breaking, such as the people who cracked the Japanese code...which led to the US victory at Midway.