Rating: 
Summary: Child' s rhyme? I think not......
Review: The first time I saw TINKER,TAILER, SOLDIER, SPY, it almost frightened me out of my wits. Of course when it aired on PBS the Cold War was on and the thought that spies were hidden in plain sight was terrifying. As a child growing up under the threat of Nuclear disaster in the days when we had `drills' and crawled under our desks, I thought the nightmare would never end. When Kim Philby was exposed as a traitor in the British Secret Spy Service everyone was asking `Who can we trust'. Philby had been recruited as a young student at Cambridge (I think), by a Communist who was his handler until he was exposed as a spy. I believe John Le Carré was inspired by this incident when he wrote his now famous books become tv thrillers.
The beauty of this film series is that the producers gave the plot time to develop, so if you watch it carefully you won't get lost even though the story is complex. Every detail of the context of London is lovingly portrayed and beautifully reflects the period which in the Philby case occurred. If you are an Anglophile, you will want to buy this series if for no other reason than to view it and engage in nostalgic reflection as it was shot before London was `overdeveloped' with towering modern office buildings.
The cast is stellar-Sir Alec Guinness as George Smily, British Secret Agent par excellent; Ian Richardson as Bill Haydon, Smiley's nemesis at the Circus and in bed with his wife Ann (Siàn Phillips); Ian Bannen as Jim Predeaux, betrayed British Agent; Patrick Stewart as Karla, Russian master spy; Bernard Hepton as the colorful Circus member-the unforgettable Hungarian `dandy" Toby Esterhase (MANSEFIELD PARK); and other familiar BBC faces. Sadly, many these actors are now gone.
I did not experience the same fear on rewatching this series as I had before, perhaps because I had seen it, but I also think it has to do with missing a worthy opponent. Le Carré humanized the communists and made the whole Cold War spy business dreadfully sad. Say what you will about the Communists, they never blew up huge office buildings in New York filled with civilians.
Rating:
Summary: A masterful production of a Cold War classic
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Different but equal to the book.
Review: As other reviews have stated this is a tightly scripted, reasonably true to Le Carre's original, cold war, spy thriller. That said, it is also so much more than that. Even if you are not usually one to be impressed by filmic attempts to capture books (as in the book is always better!), attempts to film Le Carre's books authentically, mini-series, attempts to tell spy/cold-war stories w/o lots of booms and blood you should give this set a try. The characters are real, the camera work is of the stuff to be a textbook, the directing is superbe and the editing is of the highest standard. The DVD itself is an improvement over the VHS version but this is broadcast TV and in 4:3. Still there is almost NOTHING to criticise here (unless you've just GOT to have the noise and gore!). Yes it is 324 minutes long but each episode is so well done you can literally watch them out of order and they each make a great evening's viewing. What other mini-series can that be said of? Among the best the the BBC have done and they usually get this type of stuff as well as anyone. An excellent choice for discussion groups, film students, etc, etc. Can I come up with a real criticism? Well the box is dull and there's no directors blather or such but this is among the best you can get for the full price. At a discount it almost makes one feel guilty. What a wonderful study piece for any aspiring actor, director, editor, or just blokes like me who like to pretend we're British every now and then. Buy this one!
Rating:
Summary: Best of the Cold War
Review: Excellent TV series. Production on DVD runs almost 6 hours on 3 DVDs. Every actor in this production can actually act. Worth the purchase price just to see Guinness. If you have not read the book, go ahead and watch the DVD, read the book, then watch the DVD again. They are complimentary, neither the book nor the DVD spoil each other. It was originally a TV series, so don't expect excellent video quality or wide screen, it was shot in the late 70's for tv.
Rating:
Summary: The thinking man's spy movie
Review: I haven't read the book. The film has relatively little action, consisting mostly of conversations. In that sense, it owes something to the Sherlock Holmes tradition of tracking down a mystery.
There is a "mole" in the "circus." The mole is working for the now-defunct USSR, at the height of the cold war. I'm still not sure what the circus is, but it is a division of British intelligence. George Smiley (Alec Guinness) was thrown out of his job at the circus, following the death of his mentor, Control, the head of the circus. Or should I call him the ringleader?
Now Smiley is called back into action to sniff out and expose the mole. He interviews a complex cast of characters, reviews secret files, and eventually sets a trap. As this unfolds over 6 hours, you will be drawn in by the performances, the possible solutions to the mystery, the utter believability and class with which this mini-series was made.
After seeing it once, I immediately wanted to watch it again. There is so much detail in the series, so many characters, you cannot possibly catch it all in the first viewing, unless you already read the book. It would be worth watching twice just for the note-perfect performances of the entire cast.
This was no Hollywood production. It was filmed in 16mm, and that's the only drawback to the DVD. It is grainy, and not especially clear. The DVD probably represents the print fairly well. I would have preferred that the company who mastered this DVD set had invested some effort in digitally cleaning up the video before releasing it. The visual quality is akin to what you might have seen in those old documentary movies in grade school if you're old enough to remember when they used to actually show films instead of videos.
The soundtrack is great for understanding the dialog. There is not much dynamic range, and the music is not impressively reproduced. It is what it is. It is adequate to the task, nothing more.
You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, but the picture could have been cleaned up a little. It does not detract markedly from the immense pleasure of watching these ace actors performing a great script. But I'd have to give a final rating of...
Content 5 stars
Video/sound quality 3 stars
Rating:
Summary: I stand corrected
Review: I re-ordered Tinker, Tailor--fortunately! I was convinced by that one response that I had indeed received a faulty copy. It is a wonderful production, every bit as exciting as the book, and just as I remembered the original broadcase those many years ago. Too bad no one made a film version of Honourable Schoolboy--that's the best written, I think. And a far more important part of the Karla story than many people credit it for being.
Rating: 
Summary: Good adaptation of Le Carre
Review: Le Carre is not Tom Clancy. I happen to like them both, but this is espionage like it probably really is. A slow political chess game.
Rating: 
Summary: Did I miss something?
Review: OK, don't everybody get out their WMD and come after me for not feeling wonderful about this DVD. First, I saw the original production on PBS way back in the Eighties, and absolutely loved it. I have also read and re-read the books; Le Carre is one of my favorites. You know you're dealing with quality whey a spy novel can be considered a work of literature. But back to the DVD: it, or at least my copy, isn't complete. At least 1 hour of the story is missing: the entire Ricky Tarr/Irina plotline is gone. I don't mean the fact that this episode was transplanted from Hong Kong to Portugal; I mean that the episode was not included on my copy of the DVD. Did anyone else have this problem? Check out the episode numbers: my copy skipped one. If I was the only person who had this happen, I will gladly order another one.
Rating:
Summary: Patience is a virtue
Review: Old, owlish, bookish George Smiley, retired spymaster, is approached in dead of night to covertly journey through the archived past to reassemble the threads and events surrounding the capture and torture of a British spy (and the forced retirement of Smiley and his discredited mentor). Smiley's slow, methodical work (through back door interview, through deduction, and through anecdote and flashback presented to the viewer) confirms the existance of a 'mole'. He prepares a plan to flush out the person (hidden among several probable), and puts it in motion.I recorded this film off PBS (6 hours on Beta!) over three nights in the early 80's. Very, very slowly, the story draws the viewer in as George Smiley peels off layers of deception to get to the hidden core. The dialogue tosses around terms like 'mole' and 'safe house', and slang for the intellegence trade, that adds British flavor to an atmosphere of sad menace. The story is well-crafted; the melancholy atmospheres suggest a drawing-room who-done-it mystery. A conscious effort to be patient is necessary to appreciate the author (and the unmatched Alec Guinness) as they untangle the threads of an inside-out puzzle linked to code names like 'Testify' and 'Gerald'. Recommendation: Buy the CD and set aside 2-3 evenings to watch. Then watch it again to see the missed clues, many subplots, and to appreciate the strength of the ensemble. On the other hand, if half hour plot resolutions are your forte', this probably moves too slowly; consider another movie instead.
Rating:
Summary: Genius of Guiness and La Carre
Review: One of the most wildly atmospheric, brilliantly put together spy stories. Alec Guiness, already amongst my favourite actors of all time provides the standard for this very english (as it should be) adaptation. In fact i can't wait for their version of Smileys People comes out on DVD, as i cannot imagine a better Circus and crew to trawl through the dank past of English Espionage. Know this, if you love La Carre you must possess this DVD.
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