TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

UK, 2011, 127 minutes, Colour.
Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, Toby Jones, Colin Firth, David Dencik, Ciaran Hinds, Kathy Burke, Stephen Graham, Simon Mc Burney, Roger Lloyd Pack.
Directed by Tomas Alfredson.

John le Carre has been around for a long time. Older filmgoers may remember his popularity in the 1960s with the almost archetypal, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, as well as The Deadly Affair and The Looking Glass War. He was the author of grim cold war stories which had been part of his own life and work. In the late 70s and early 80s, he was on television in the celebrated series, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy as well as Smiley’s People. Fred Schepisi made The Russia House in 1990. More recently there have been films of The Tailor of Panama and The Constant Gardener.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy now gets a cinema treatment, honed down to a two hour running time that Le Carre has given his approval to. We are back in the Cold War, in the tensions between East and West, in the infiltration of intelligence offices, in the memories of Philby, Burgess and Maclean and their socialist loyalties which led to betrayal of the nation. There is a traitor in this film which makes it a mystery as well as an espionage thriller.

The film has been directed by Swede, Tomas Alfredson, who impressed critics with his vampire film, Let the Right One In. One might suppose that spies are akin to vampires, creatures of deception and the dark, draining the life blood of the country. Alfredson certainly takes us into the literal dark and the dark concealing the moles in high places.

Television viewers have remembered Alec Guinness as George Smiley. Gary Oldman now does an effective impersonation of a man who has been around a long time, still grieves over the loss of his wife and of his private life, a serious loner who is set the task by the powers that be (where the mole must be) to ferret out the traitor. Oldman is surrounded by a top cast, the powers that be: Toby Jones, Colin Firth, Ciaran Hinds and David Dencik; his young assistant, Benedict Cumberbatch; the young scapegoat, Tom Hardy; Control, John Hurt.

With the reduced running time, there are various layers of action and meaning to attend to, a film about Intelligence that requires intelligence. The setting is 1973, almost forty years ago, so the settings and the atmosphere are not familiar to audiences who may now be nearing fifty. And it is over two decades since the collapse of Communism. The film is inviting us to go back to a less well-known past.

The screenplay is written as a dramatic jigsaw. An assassination in Budapest, high level meetings, the lead up to Budapest, the discovery of the scapegoat in Istanbul, back to the times when Control was alive and definitely in charge, the setting up the trap for the mole – and some twists along the way.

This is the kind of film that older audiences will be interested in seeing, admiring the writing and the performances, wondering just how much spying and infiltration still goes on and who are the personalities attracted to this kind of life.
1. Acclaim for the film? For the performances? John le Carré’s book and career? The television series of the 1970s? Continued interest in espionage, the UK and Russia?

2. John le Carré, his experiences, his books of the 1960s and 70s, encapturing the Cold War? The changes in the 1980s, the fall of communism? The interest in the 21st century in relationships between East and West, Russia and the US, the role of the United Kingdom? Continued espionage suspicions?

3. The Swedish director, his insights into the story, the dark presentation of a spy story? Echoes of the history of Burgess and Maclean and Philby?

4. The title, the rhyme, the chess pieces with the names? The British tone? The puzzle?

5. The visuals of the film, the muted colours, dreariness and dinginess, London 1973, Budapest, Istanbul, the British countryside? The musical score?

6. The introduction and themes, the mood? The information about MI6, the Circus? Prideaux and Control, the journey to Budapest, the mission, the streets, the restaurant, the connection, the assassins, the mayhem, Prideaux being shot? British reactions? Later information about Prideaux, his being saved, the link with Bill Haydon?

7. Control, his role in MI6, his personality, age, his bringing in the heads of departments, the discussions, his relationship with George Smiley, dependence on him? The discussion, the mission? Smiley semi-resigned? Control and his resignation, illness and death? Smiley calling in Peter Guillam? The setting of the tone, the mystery concerning the mole?

8. The meeting with Oliver Lacon, representing the government, his wanting solutions? The lining up of the suspects: Percy Alleline, his role in government, his concern about the United States and intelligence? Roy Bland and his experiences? The bluff type? Bill Haydon, smooth, Establishment? Toby Esterhase, the previous communist, Hungarian, his coming over to England? The backgrounds, their personalities, their meetings and discussions, their work, their authority? Their concern about Operation Witchcraft? Information coming from the Soviet Union, going to the Soviet Union? Accountability? Audience interest, suspicions of each character?

9. George Smiley and Gary Oldman’s performance, as a person, appearance, clothes, quiet speech, deliberate, observing? His career and the irony of his semi-retirement, the relationship with Control, the behest of Control? The past, his discussions with Connie Sachs, the memories of the war – and the seeming integrity of espionage at the time? His being with each of the four, discussions, their friendship? Observing them? Using Peter Guillam to further investigations?

10. Peter, young, his capacity for information, working well with Smiley, the difficulties of the job, confidentiality, using his wits, the setup with the garage and the car and its collection, his discussion with the man at the desk, put his bag in the cloakroom? Infiltrating, getting the documents? The ways of espionage? His private life, his partner, his being sworn to secrecy, breaking up with his partner, the hardships of the separation?

11. The structure of the film, the interweaving of past and present, jigsaw puzzle, mosaic? The glimpse of each of the characters in the different periods? Establishing and deepening the observation of their characters? Smiley and his wife, Bill Haydon and the relationship, the friendship?

12. Control being seen at the parties, the importance of the Christmas party, the subtexts of the conversation? The observation of others?

13. The introduction of the character of Rikki Tarr? His work in Istanbul, trade missions? The setup, his character, the visit to him and the connections with the espionage story? The trade mission and his initiative in making the contacts, falling in love with the contact, on the run, her being taken? His hiding, the explanation, going to Paris, returning to London, the contact with Peter? His not knowing the full story – need-to-know? The girl, the arch spy and his being on the mission, the irony of his cruelty? His observations on Control and on Smiley? The woman, her torture, her death?

14. Prideaux and his work in the school, living in the caravan, hiding out? The fat boy and his confidentiality? His dealing with the students? Living alone, the contacts? His relationship with Bill Haydon? Setting him up in Budapest, rescuing him? Haydon and his internment – Prideaux coming, the gun, shooting him?

15. The intrigues in London, the Russian contact, feeding the information to Russia? It appearing to be the opposite flow of information? Esterhase and his contact? Roy Bland and Percy Alleline? Their reactions? The revelation of Haydon being the mole, his motivation, gentlemanly, the idealising of communism? His personal life, Smiley’s wife, with Prideaux? His being interned, the prospects of going to Moscow, his death?

16. Smiley, his bringing his mission to completion, his becoming Control?

17. The themes of espionage, spies and their lifestyle, identity questions, dangers and death, the political background, adept at lying, double agents, double lives, the effect?