Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Brian Hawksley, Eugene Lipinski, Milos Kirek, Nigel Stock, Thorley WaltersBrand: Acorn
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 290 minutes
Published: 2004-03-01
DVD Release Date: 2004-03-23
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Acorn Media
Movie Reviews of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Movie Review: A masterful production of a Cold War classic
Summary: 5 Stars
As far as the spy genre goes, the Cold War was the good ole days. Previous generations of spy thrillers from authors like Eric Ambler focused on the nefarious undertaking of spies from various Balkan countries and other corners of Europe, but with the onset of the nonshooting war between the West and the Soviet Union, the spy genre reached its zenith. Just before the collapse of the Soviet bloc and the ending of the Cold War, John LeCarre managed to perfect the spy novel in a series of great works. Two of these novels were brought together to produce two amazing television masterpieces: TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY and SMILEY'S PEOPLE. Smiley is the polar opposite of James Bond. Physically unattractive, elderly, unathletic, a cuckold many times over, not a master gunman, George Smiley nonetheless emerges as the quintessential master spy, with a razor sharp mind, always keeping his own counsel, and dissecting every situation with impeccable logic.
The success of the television adaptation was assured the second they recruited Alec Guinness to play George Smiley. The Smiley of the novels does not in most ways resemble Alec Guinness. Smiley is reported as resembling a frog, of always wearing expensive but ill fitting clothes, of being extremely fat, none of which is true of Guinness. But there is one way in which Guinness is perfect for the role, and which makes him a huge success in the series: Smiley is described by LeCarre as possessing a beautiful, sonorous, honey-like voice. It is no exaggeration to say that Guinness's voice dominates this series. Even if the series had done nothing else well, Guinness would have made the series a success.
Nonetheless, the production brought a great deal more to the table than Alec Guinness. The script is exceptional, and while it does not function on as high an artistic level as the novel (which is very well written indeed), it does preserve much of the complexity of the novel's plot. LeCarre makes the reader work, and understanding the novel TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY is not the simple exercise that reading Robert Ludlum or other spy novelists is. Frankly, I found it enormously refreshing to have to work hard at understanding a TV miniseries. The hardness is not superfluous, but central to the mood of the story. The complexity mirrors the moral complexity of the situation the characters find themselves in. The makers of the series could have simplified the plot, could have made everything that was happening clear from the outset, but it would have thereby distorted the story. The opening credits begin with a shot of those Russian dolls that open to reveal a still smaller doll inside. The story is one of layers beneath layers, like unpeeling an onion. The complexity of the narrative enhances this.
The cast is large and superb. Although Guinness is clearly the star, a host of superb actors like Ian Carmichael and Joss Acklund fill out one of the most talented casts in television history. A pre-STAR TREK Patrick Stewart has a small but crucial appearance as Smiley's arch nemesis Karla (he returns in SMILEY'S PEOPLE). On one level, not very much happens in TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY. Mainly there is a great deal of talk, but it is glorious talk, made all the better by the superb cast. But the best thing in the series remains the character of George Smiley and the host of contradictions he contains. One thrills at his mastery, especially near the end when he masterfully gathers together all the threads of the mystery and with utter ease overwhelms his opposition, and yet feels pity for him in the closing scenes, where he flutters around his wayward wife, the infamous Ann, as flustered as a schoolboy.
Luckily, the George Smiley saga did not end with this series, but continued in SMILEY'S PEOPLE, in which his struggle against his KGB opponent Karla is brought to a satisfying end.
Summary of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
No doubt remains, a mole has infiltrated the Circus, code name for the British Secret Intelligence Service. It can be only one of four men operating at the very highest level. Sidelined agent George Smiley is covertly tapped to root out the mole, a task that requires a painstaking dig through the double-blind world of Cold War era espionage and his own past. Alec Guinness brilliantly captures the weary heart and steely soul of John lé Carre?s master spy in an intricate drama hailed as one of the finest ever made for television. Also starring Ian Richardson, Michael Aldridge, Joss Ackland, Ian Bannen, Bernard Hepton, Terence Rigby, Michael Jayston, Hywel Bennett and Anthony Bate.DVD Special Features: digitally remastered presentation, exclusive interview with John lé Carre, production notes, cast filmographies and le Carre biography and booklist.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy stars Alec Guinness as George Smiley, John le Carré's familiar, aging British Intelligence agent, called out of retirement to discover the identity of the high-ranking Russian mole who has burrowed deep into "the Circus"--codename for the British secret service. This slow-burning, complicated, and ultimately rewarding BBC adaptation, dramatized by Arthur Hopcroft and directed by John Irvin, perfectly captures Le Carré's own insight into the shady underworld of spies and the political climate during the cold war.
Le Carré's style is the antithesis of his contemporary Ian Fleming's--far from the glamorous lifestyle of James Bond, with his fast cars and faster women, these agents ride around in Skodas, and Beryl Reid is the closest thing to a femme fatale, save for Smiley's elusive wife, Anne. An extraordinary cast (including Ian Bannen, Hywel Bennett, and Ian Richardson), gritty realism, and close attention to detail make Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy an outstanding piece of television drama. --Nicola Perry
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