He has done something rarely attempted by stars of yearend oscarbait movies. Blake lively praised as terrific in rhythm section but movie called. The new adaptation of john le carres novel is a brilliant study of the disenchantment, compromise and tension of the 1970s. Sep 05, 2019 sir alec guinness in tinker tailor soldier spy 1979. Tinker tailor soldier spy complete bbc series dvd 1979. Tinker tailor soldier spy was broadcast as three onehour episodes, from sunday 29 november to sunday december 2009 in bbc radio 4s classic serial slot. Aug 14, 2015 ian richardson on his work with alec guinness excerpt from interview on abcs midday 2002 duration. Dec 16, 2016 tinker tailor soldier spy is a sixpart 1979 british television miniseries adaptation of john le carres classic spy novel of the same name. Movies tv shows writingcreator the horses mouth 1958 media. The opening sentence of tinker tailor soldier spy, a 1974 novel by john le carre, runs as follows. John irvin directed and jonathan powell produced this adaptation of john.
In the bleak days of the cold war, espionage veteran george smiley gary oldman is forced from semiretirement to uncover a soviet agent within mi6. Alec guinness turns in a superlative performance as george smiley, a former spy who was forcibly retired after an internal scandal in the british secret intelligence service. Tinker tailor soldier spy is a thoughtful take on complex spy narrative. But id be surprised if anyone were led to the same ruminations by the film.
Oct 23, 2011 with a feature film of john le carres tinker, tailor, soldier, spy to open in december, theres still time to discover or revisit the 1979 tv version, which starred alec guinness as. In the bleak days of the cold war, espionage veteran george smiley is forced out of semi. Ian richardson on his work with alec guinness excerpt from interview on abcs midday 2002 duration. John irvin directed and jonathan powell produced this. Sep 27, 2012 the joy of tinker, tailor, soldier, spy in novel form and in the tv series is that all interpretations are possible. In a world full of lies where only one man could ever say i am the truth, we are lucky to have even those few pieces.
The story begins with a british spy, named jim, meeting control, the aging head of the british secret service, codenamed the circus. But the screenplay, by bridget oconnor and peter straughan, is not a model of clarity. This will not play on most dvd players sold in the u. Terence rigby and alec guinness in tinker tailor soldier spy. Tinker tailor soldier spy full episode watch online. Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy is all sleek, stealthy elegance. George smiley, the aging master spy of the cold war and once heir apparent to control, is brought back out of retirement to flush out a top level mole within the circus. Tinker tailor soldier spy 2011 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Rent tinker, tailor, soldier, spy 1980 on dvd and bluray. The good shepherd is another film that explores the pensive, thoughtful, layered suspense aspect of the spy movie genre with little or no action, but a lot of intrigue and scheming. Tinker tailor soldier spy released on 29 sep 1980 in theater with 290 minutes in length, tinker tailor soldier spy get 8. Many spy movies tend to rely mostly on dialogue and exotic locations to tell their complex stories, but the superb tinker tailer soldier spy gets by on subtlety. It comes close enough to the good shepherd to allow a comparison.
No thrilling car chases and no big action scenes, but rather a series of weary men, smoking and drinking tea or whiskey, in a series of conversations that circle an enigma. Filled with political intrigue if you are willing to follow along. John irvin directed and jonathan powell produced this adaptation of john le carre s novel tinker tailor soldier spy 1974. Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy, the alec guinness version is available on dvd from acorn media, the new excuse me the new movie version starring gary oldman is out on screens, i guess. Synopsis tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggarman, thief. The screenplay was written by bridget oconnor and peter straughan, based on john le carre s 1974 novel of the same name.
The miniseries, which stars alec guinness, alexander knox, ian richardson, michael jayston, anthony bate, ian bannen, george sewell and michael aldridge, was shown in the united kingdom. The truth is, if old major dover hadnt dropped dead at taunton races, jim would. I remember the british television series, tinker tailor, soldier, spy from the 1970s, but not that well. Living a premature and somewhat humbling retirement, elderly british spy george smiley alec guinness is abruptly resurrected by his former boss lacon anthony bate with an ultrasecret mission. Dec 19, 2011 everything you need to know about tinker tailor soldier spy. I cant speak ill of the good shepherd, but tinker, tailor, soldier spy is just better. In its favour over the gary oldman film the various plot threads are fully. Jan 03, 2017 this is my uk four hour edited version with no breaks and english subtitles.
Previously, the book was made into an excellent 1979 tv miniseries starring alec guinness. Before the 2011 film version of john le carres spy novel, british director john irvin. Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy stars alec guinness as george smiley, john le carres. Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy, with its meticulous cold war details and labyrinthine plot, is like a smoky 25yearold single malt scotch whiskey. Based on a novel by spy writer john le carre, tinker, tailor, soldier, spy remains one of the most acclaimed british miniseries of all time.
Tinker tailor soldier spy visit movie tt40800 synopsis. Tinker tailor soldier spy is about the search for a highlevel soviet spy within mi6, the british intelligence service. Yet the author himself once said that sir alec guinness made smiley his own. Alec guinness starred in the 1979 bbc adaptation of john le carres novel tinker, tailor soldier, spy. Since the time of its publication, the novel has received critical acclaim for its complex social commentary and lack of sensationalism, and remains a staple of the spy fiction genre. Tinker tailor soldier spy 1979 star wars 1977 murder by death 1976. Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy is a movie version of master spy novelist john le carres 1974 cold war novel. Everything you need to know about tinker tailor soldier spy. A still of alec guinness in tinker, tailor, soldier, spy 1979. The bbcs tinker, tailor, soldier, spy may not be as flashy as more recent espionage dramas, but it would be difficult to find a role or performance more substantive than alec guinness george smiley. Smiley confronts one of his suspects and gives him the results of his investigations, which could prove a considerable embarrassment to those concerned. This adaptation is nearly a direct reproduction of john le carres novel, only made possible by running well over 300 minutes. With gary oldman, colin firth, tom hardy, mark strong. Tinker tailor soldier spy is a 1979 sevenpart drama spy miniseries made by bbc tv.
I confess i was confused some of the time and lost at other times. Tomas alfredsons film of the book, visually beautiful and often marvellously. And what about the shadow cast by alec guinness, who played george smiley in a sevenhour 1979 bbc miniseries. Also starring ian richardson, michael aldridge, joss ackland, ian bannen, bernard hepton, terence rigby, michael jayston, hywel bennett, and anthony bate. Smiley must travel back through his life and murky workings of the circus to unravel the net spun by his nemesis karla the sandman of the kgb and reveal. Tinker tailor soldier spy is a faithful and languid adaptation of john le carres celebrated novel, anchored by an inimitable masterclass in subtlety by alec guinness. George smiley, the aging master spy of the cold war and once heir apparent to control, is. Produced for british television in 1979, tinker, tailor, soldier, spy ranks high on the shortlist of adaptations that rise fully to the source materials challenges, thanks in no small part to guinness. Tinker tailor soldier spy is a 2011 cold war spy thriller film directed by tomas alfredson.
I thought, you know, we would have to abandon the whole project. Alec guinness brilliantly captures the weary heart and steely soul of john le carre s master spy in an intricate drama hailed as one of the finest ever made for television. The bbc adaptation of john le carres novel mystified a nation but also. The music from composer alberto iglesias wrote the most beautiful and understated score for tinker tailor soldier spy. Rent tinker, tailor, soldier, spy 1980 starring alec guinness and ian richardson on dvd and bluray. Alfredsons film is faithful to the tone set by the novel. Tinker tailor soldier spy full movie new2011 youtube. Alec guinness turns in a superlative performance as george smiley, a former spy who was forcibly retired after an internal. Alec guinness was born in marylebone, london, england, united kingdom. First shown on american television in 1980, and released on bluray in 2012, this tense, taught espionage thriller does an excellent job of preserving the essence of le carres superb book. Synopsis based on a novel by spy writer john le carre, tinker, tailor, soldier, spy remains one of the most acclaimed british miniseries of all time. Any metaphors drawn between chess and the cold war are. The movie is based on the classic novel by john le carre which was also made into a 1979 miniseries starring alec guinness. Tinker tailor soldier spy 1979 is an awesome and breathtaking tv show directed by na with contains a lot of great actors and actresses in his best performance too.
Alexander knox in tinker tailor soldier spy 1979 alec guinness in tinker tailor. With alec guinness, ian bannen, joss ackland, bernard hepton. It follows the endeavors of taciturn, aging spymaster george smiley to uncover a soviet mole in the british secret intelligence service. Dec 09, 2011 tinker, tailor, soldier, spy, with gary oldman as george smiley, skillfully mined from john le carres book, is a mystery about spies spying on spies. Tinker tailor soldier spy where to stream and watch decider. May 27, 20 the 1979 production of tinker tailor soldier spy is a true television classic, most memorable for its labyrinthine plot involving cold war spies and an unforgettable performance by alec guinness. Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy, the alec guinness version is available on dvd from acorn media, the new excuse me the new movie version starring gary oldman is out on screens, i. Sep 10, 2011 tinker tailor soldier spy, le carres masterpiece, is about the hunt for a double agent at the very top of sis.
The joy of tinker, tailor, soldier, spy in novel form and in the tv series is that all interpretations are possible. Tinker tailor soldier spy tv miniseries 1979 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The complete series digitally remastered on three discs. Tinker tailor soldier spy is a dense puzzle of anxiety, paranoia, and espionage that director tomas alfredson pieces together with utmost skill. Dec 14, 2011 yes, we imagine, international espionage is probably pretty much like this. The tv series of tinker tailor, with alec guinness as smiley, allowed itself all the space and time required to let bureaucratic logic swell slowly into unbearable, unmissable suspense. Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy by john irvin alec guinness. The series has just been rereleased on dvd in anticipation of the release of a new film. The reallife spies of tinker tailor soldier spy film the. Jan 11, 2012 tinker, tailor, soldier, spy, an adaptation of john le carres 1974 novel of cold war espionage games, is a puzzle of a highly rarefied order. Tinker tailor soldier spy is a sixpart 1979 british television miniseries adaptation of john le carres classic spy novel of the same name. In the fascinating, if at times droopy spy thriller tinker tailor soldier spy, gary oldman plays a role made famous by the late alec guinness and almost makes you forget guinness. Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy 2011 r 2h 7m dramas this gripping thriller about cold war espionage follows an english spy as he returns to mi6 under suspicion that hes become a soviet operative. Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy stars alec guinness as george smiley, john le carres familiar, aging british intelligence agent, called out of retirement to discover the identity of the highranking russian mole who has burrowed deep into the circuscodename for the british secret service.
Sir alec guinness in tinker tailor soldier spy 1979. Tinker tailor soldier spy looks, sounds and feels exactly right. In the bleak days of the cold war, espionage veteran george smiley is forced out of semiretirement to uncover a soviet agent within mi6s echelons. Find out where tinker tailor soldier spy is streaming, if tinker tailor soldier spy is on netflix, and get news and updates, on decider. John irvin directed and jonathan powell produced this adaptation of john le carres novel tinker tailor. The miniseries, which stars alec guinness, alexander knox, ian richardson, michael jayston, anthony bate, ian bannen, george sewell and. Tinker tailor soldier spy tv miniseries 1979 full cast. With a feature film of john le carres tinker, tailor, soldier, spy to open in. Bbc f orty years ago, the bbc broadcast its adaptation of the john le carre novel tinker tailor soldier spy for the first time. Tinker tailor soldier spy smiley sets a trap tv episode. Ive recently noticed that the sound is a bit offsync so i have resynched it at. I do recall alec guinness contained and imperious performance.
Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggarman, thief. Highranking intelligence officer george smiley gary oldman was forced out of service when a mission in hungary went very wrong, but rumors of a soviet mole hidden within the agency bring him back into play. In the 1979 bbc series, tinker, tailor, soldier, spy, director john irvin. Rent tinker, tailor, soldier, spy 1980 on dvd and blu.