"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (1979) TV series

User Rating:

9.0/10   

Director:

John Irvin

Writers:

John le Carré (novel) and
Arthur Hopcraft (dramatisation)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

29 September 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

George Smiley has been retired for about a year when he finds a friend from the circus, his old outfit...

Plot Keywords:

Spy | British Intelligence | Paris France | Investigation | KGB

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Alec Guinness	...	George Smiley (7 episodes, 1979)
Michael Jayston	...	Peter Guillam (7 episodes, 1979)
Anthony Bate	...	Sir Oliver Lacon / ... (7 episodes, 1979)
George Sewell	...	Mendel (6 episodes, 1979)
Bernard Hepton	...	Toby Esterhase (5 episodes, 1979)
Ian Richardson	...	Bill Haydon (5 episodes, 1979)
Hywel Bennett	...	Ricki Tarr (5 episodes, 1979)
Terence Rigby	...	Roy Bland (4 episodes, 1979)
Ian Bannen	...	Jim Prideaux (4 episodes, 1979)
Michael Aldridge	...	Percy Alleline (4 episodes, 1979)
Alec Sabin	...	Fawn (4 episodes, 1979)
Alexander Knox	...	Control (3 episodes, 1979)
Duncan Jones	...	Roach (3 episodes, 1979)
Daniel Beecher	...	Spikely (3 episodes, 1979)

Runtime:

290 min | UK:350 min (7 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Bywater Street, Chelsea, London, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

John le Carré claims that Alec Guinness "stole my hairstyle" for George Smiley.

Goofs:

Continuity: In episode 6, when Peter Guillam is testing the taping system at the safe house, he says the recorder is voice-activated, but it doesn't stop turning on his first silent pause, which is much longer than his second and third pauses, when it stops instantly.

Quotes:

George Smiley: I never knew Percy as a force, you see. Only as a...
Roddy Martindale: Striver? Right. With his eyes on Control's purple, day and night.

Movie Connections:

Follows The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)

Masterpiece

The book by John Le Carre is intricate and multi layered and to attempt to film it was brave of the BBC. One wishes they had such courage these days, but that is another story. It is a television masterpiece.

The acting is superb. Alec Guinness was made for the part of George Smiley. From his opening scene in a London bookshop to the last shot of his face he is mesmerising. The supporting cast are the cream of British actors at the time. Some of them only have one scene like John Standing, Beryl Reid, Joss Ackland and Nigel Stock but they become real people before your eyes. Ian Bannen as Jim Prideaux is particularly moving and Hewyl Bennett gives the performance of his life.Even the actors who don't say anything look just right.

It is plainly filmed but that adds to the atmosphere. On the face of it life is normal and ordinary but beneath there is betrayal, anguish, danger and pain. The motif of Russian dolls in the opening credits is good. Dolls with faces, then one without and then an emptiness. In the end Smiley solves the mystery but the mystery of life is beyond him.

The music is great,sparse but edgy. I can watch this time and again and still get something out of it.