User Reviews

which is to paraphrase John Le Carre's own description of George Smiley played by Alec Guinness in this. I'm glad the Creator himself called the craft of spying absurd, there's a lot of people who apparently think it an essential art form and necessary for all our safety. And he also said he thought it was Guinness's performance which held people glued to the end, to which I can only agree too. There's a remarkably seamless continuity between this, the sequel TV series to Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy – seamless in all departments that is and not just in Alec Guinness's performance. And eleven brilliant hours all told. To me it's as good as the first, a splendid and engrossing pair of miniseries from the days when UK BBC often still broadcast for higher common denominators. Alas, since then they've settled firmly into the gutter, producing year after year of cheap unloved tripe and remembered by no one.

Complicated tale of "modern" and old systems of espionage clashing, of smoothing over the many consequences of various past causes, of West & East blurring in the middle, of a spy story expertly related, and basically of staunch Briton Smiley hoping to find his old adversary the master-crafty Russian Karla had an ancient Achilles Heel after all. It's all beautiful to behold, all walking and talking with plenty of thinking required for full enjoyment. The only (slight) downer to me was that the sex club scene went on for an unnecessarily long time. Probably for Smiley too!

As with Tinker I had to especially concentrate during the first episode but again found it more than worthwhile and completely memorable. Everyone who can appreciate this gem is another of Guinness's People.

"Smiley's People" is the sequel miniseries to "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and is also based on a novel by John le Carré. In this series, George Smiley investigates the murder of a Russian general formerly passing information to the Circus which puts him on the trail of his old rival, Soviet spy master "Karla".

As with "Tinker, Tailor", Alec Guinness is perfect in a subtle performance as George Smiley. The returning performers and new performances are solid as well.

"Smiley's People" is at least up to the high standard of "Tinker, Tailor" and perhaps better. Whereas in "Tinker, Tailor" Smiley investigated within a limited circle of people and limited area, in this series the locations and characters are more varied. In this way the plot of "Smiley's People" requires more focus to understand the connections between characters, which I enjoyed.

As with "Tinker, Tailor", the style consisted mostly of Smiley conversing with people for information, so this series is also not appropriate for those looking for a fast-paced James Bond type spy thriller, but enjoyable for those looking for a deliberately paced spy film. It is worth noting the final scene, which is impressively tense and provides an interesting and appropriate conclusion.

As far as I know, neither `Smiley's People', nor its prequel, `Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy', is available in the US in BBC packaging (the current distributor) so you'll have to use your initiative if you want them. I acquired my copies of `Smiley's People' and `Tinker, Tailor' through my video guy, who makes a couple of trips every year to London to shop for Euro-only products. I then had them re-coded to the U.S. playback standard. I would urge collectors to definitely acquire both titles. Having both really gives you something to sink into. Although either title can easily stand alone, they dovetail beautifully. Only the re-casting of a couple of principal supporting roles detracts slightly from the otherwise airtight continuity between the two. If you've read the book, you know the plot. If you have not read it (admittedly, LeCarré is not for everyone), here's an appetizer:

Retired British counter-intelligence operative George Smiley (Sir Alec Guinness in a remarkably nuanced performance) becomes aware, through events linked to the murder of a former colleague, that his seemingly invulnerable arch-rival in Soviet counter-intelligence, known to the western intelligence fraternity as `Karla', may have finally exposed an Achilles heel. (Some years earlier, as recounted in the more episodic yet excellent `Tinker, Tailor', Karla nearly destroyed British counter-intelligence, wrecking Smiley's marriage in the process). Going on an initial hunch and a fragment of evidence, turned up in a beautiful sequence reminiscent of a similar scene in Antonioni's `Blow Up', Smiley methodically begins to put the pieces together, despite the fact that almost everyone he knows is advising him to go home and don his robe and slippers. At the same time Karla, realizing that he has probably jeopardized himself by bending his own rigidly-enforced rules, is ruthlessly trying to cover his own tracks. Karla (introduced in a fascinating, wordless performance by Patrick Stewart in `Tinker, Tailor') is no comic book villain but a brilliant, almost monumental adversary who survived Stalin's purges, rising through the labyrinth of Soviet socio-politics to the pinnacle of power.

`Smiley's People' is a tale of revenge. If, as the saying goes, revenge is a dish best served cold, or at least cool, Smiley's is the coolest possible variety, barely visible through a professionalism honed by years in the Cold War trenches. Moving resolutely around or through all obstacles, he eventually collects the evidence needed to secure the support of Sir Saul Enderby, current chief of the revamped, cynical British counter-intelligence service (termed by LeCarré `The Circus'). Barry Foster, the eerily incandescent serial killer in Alfred Hitchcock's `Frenzy', portrays the suave, power-loving Enderby, an arch-bureaucrat with more clout than credibility, whose vanity will not let him begrudge Smiley any acknowledgement of his brilliant and courageous work. Their scene together, in which Enderby tries and fails to push Smiley's buttons, all of which have been hermetically sealed by decades of experience, is a delight. `Smiley's People' operates largely on this sort of intimate, interpersonal level. Some of its greatest pleasures are found in scenes that center on the unflinching Smiley and his elegant, slightly honest, former master of spy-tradecraft, Toby Esterhaze (Bernard Hepton). Smiley recruited Esterhaze from the Vienna gutters at the end of the World War II and to open a line of fire on Karla, reactivates him to compromise and turn one of the Soviet spymaster's European operatives. (If Toby had been Nixon's Chief of Staff during the Watergate crisis, the Nixster would probably still be president.) The initial meeting between Smiley and Esterhaze, their first since a rather unfriendly encounter in `Tinker, Tailor', is masterful, almost poetic.

Even in its somewhat streamlined, screen version `Smiley's People' is complex and dimensional, requiring full attention at all times. Crucial elements of dialog dart past while you blink (you'll become an adept rewinder). LeCarré's novel is screened as a series of beautifully-wrought set pieces; for the most part quiet interactions between detailed, believable characters who are driven by equally believable motivations, from the petty through the desperate. The settings jump from London to Paris to Hamburg to Berne and back as Smiley whittles each lead to heartwood. Not a shot is fired during the entire film, but the background menace against which Smiley operates is unmistakable. The very lethal Karla has known, almost from the start, that he has acquired a bogey. But he does not know that it is Smiley, whom Karla thought retired and out of the game, who is now on his tail. Smiley must work quickly and precisely while staying hidden, knowing that if he is discovered, he and anyone with whom he is currently associated, will almost certainly be eliminated. Karla's nickname in the west is `The Sandman'. Anyone, anywhere, who has ever threatened him has been permanently put to sleep. Karla will be especially responsive to Smiley, for it was he who unmasked Karla's highly-placed and destructive double-agent in `Tinker, Tailor', through whom Karla had been manipulating the entire western intelligence community for decades.

As events proceed in their intimate, quiet way, the suspense builds like layers of paint, one thin coat at a time. It's hard to resist, even after numerous screenings. Although `Smiley's People' is a serious thriller, in some places exhibiting an almost documentary realism, it is also poignant. Many of its characters, some decent, some less so, their lives all but car-baled by Stalinism, are now living out tenuous gray-scale existences, still under the cornice of Soviet power, despite the fact that they now reside in the west. The restrained, mournful score further accentuates the film's underlying emotionality. The acting is superb down through the smallest role. Even the editing, skillfully introducing and interweaving the corollary plot lines is first-rate. I screen `Smiley's People' every few months and never tire of it. If you appreciate LeCarré, espionage-based drama, or are simply looking for a temporary antidote to rampant ageism, you should see or collect this masterpiece. It's a gourmet meal for the mind.

Judging by the other comments on this site, this episode of the 2 Smiley-BBC productions seems to disappoint some of it's fans. In my opinion, this is only slightly less praiseworthy than Tinker, Tailor and that is due to the previous high standard of its predecessor.

SP has excellent character parts, particularly Bernard Hepton as Tobe Esterhazy, Beryl Reid, and even the maligned Barry Foster as Saul Enderby. (His outstanding scene with Guinness on the roof after the consideration of Smiley's evidence about Karla is outrageously deleted in the Acorn DVD version. It's one one of my favorite moments.) Everyone in this production is outstanding and equal to their forbears in TTSS - almost all of whom are them! The fact that virtually every key person is back reprising their roles says a lot about the quality of this production. Mario Adorf plays another vivid character, Claus Kretschmar. Dammit, every actor is interesting, alive and vivid in this story.

I guess the discrepancy is due to the fact that this is an entirely different sort of thing than TTSS. This also is a detective story but with a different dynamic. Nonetheless the same qualities make this must viewing for every Smiley fan. SP has excellent character parts all of whom add texture to the slow unfolding of this tale. And that is what is good about it - the story unfolds with pieces coming to light after each of Smiley's interviews. (To anyone who has never seen the Smiley stories this might sound like a recipe for boredom, but in fact it is just the opposite. So yeah, you have to pay attention.) Now for the bad news.

The Acorn DVD is a travesty.

With about forty minutes cut and scenes shortened and juxtaposed, this is NOT the Smiley's People that appeared on PBS and the BBC videotape. While the story can be followed and enjoyed to a point, there are moments when the cutting is abrupt and the story jumps with the viewer wondering why some things are happening and 'did I miss something?'. The answer is yes. For example, Villem's part is cut and his reason for going to Hamburg are not explained. The previously mentioned Enderby-Smiley scene is nowhere to be found.

I don't know where or why this particular 'version' of Smiley's People was found or used but it as an extreme disappointment to me and to viewers who are coming new to this film. No wonder it gets such mixed reviews.

With the story stretched to 3 DVDs surely someone should have noticed.

A great film, a very disappointing DVD.

I won't choose between TINKER TAILOR and SMILEY'S PEOPLE. They're both first-rate. PEOPLE isn't as dark (even though bodies litter the landscape), but it builds to great tension even on repeat viewings.

Master-class performances by Michael Lonsdale (Grigoriev), Michael Gough (Mikhel), Eileen Atkins (Ostrakova), and even the unknown Stephen Riddle (Mostyn). Paul Herzberg's good simple Villem is a treat, and Beryl Reid as Connie Sachs does an even better job than in TINKER, showing Connie's mind a little further gone. Even the bit parts knock it out of the park with authenticity.

I was really glad that the Toby Esterhase character was finally given his linguistic head in this series. His Hungarian-English popcorn speech ("Fantastic! George! All your life!") is brought to life by Bernard Hepton, reprising his role from TINKER and showing himself equal to the novels' original dialog.

The SMILEY'S PEOPLE Special Features DVD has a different interview with John le Carré than the TINKER one does. Be sure to watch them both.

I have read the books and seen the films countless times, and I am always held captive by the tales themselves. Guiness is incredibly subtle, showing pain, disgust, sadness, and finally determination with a mere eyebrow raised, a pinch of his lips, and a furrowed brow.

All the actors play their roles extremely well. I am particularly impressed by Eileen Atkins and Bernard Hepton. Even though, I assume due to time constraints, certain scenes from the book have been abbreviated, the general feel of the book - the increasing pressure and passion as we creep to the conclusion - is heart stopping.

I believe this is one of the great classic films of the 20th century.

Spy movies are usually exciting, but everything about this production is solid pleasure. Acting, direction, photography, script -- all add up to hours of thrilling action. There are characterizations that stick in the mind for years. Bernard Hepton as "Toby Esterhase" is as good as it gets anywhere. His scenes with Guinness couldn't be better -- Hepton has subtlety, charm, and is often very funny. He moves like a dancer, speaks with a "Hungarian" accent that makes his scenes fly in the most transcendental sense. Everyone is terrific, but as you may have guessed, Toby is my favorite character.

Occasionally a jump cut may cause a little confusion, but not for long. All the elements of the story are orchestrated like a ballet. I can't imagine anyone not loving this movie.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is still to this day one of the best mini-series I've seen. Hearing nothing but good things about Smiley's People I was strongly anticipating it. And I found it every bit as good. It is visually beautiful while staying true to the period, and the atmosphere that is evoked is both tense and melancholic. Smiley's People's music is haunting and doesn't fall into the trap of being too low-key or overbearing, the story is just as complex with a strong (poignant) moral ambiguity and the writing is very clever and intelligent. The camera work is stylishly done too, a number of times I would never have thought it was made for TV, likewise with the direction. With a series of this length, I was impressed by how much effort was made into making the audience care about the characters and how great the acting was. I love Eileen Atkins and she was in my view excellent. Alec Guiness is mesmerising in one of his best and most iconic roles. All in all, I loved it, it was every bit as good as Tinker, Tailor... and considering how justifiably magnificent that is, that's quite a feat. 10/10 Bethany Cox

While still a watchable and intelligent story, Smiley's People is a distinctly different animal from its companion Tinker Tailor. Each time I've watched Smiley's People I've found myself yearning for the kinds of complexities and subtleties movies based on LeCarre''s other stories are usually rich with - alas, the yearning goes unrequited. Whereas I can watch Tinker Tailor yet again and discover an uncaught double entendre or an unnoticed directorial adumbration, I find little new after repeated viewings of Smiley's People. What makes Smiley's People so disappointing?

First, the complexity of supporting characters in SP is woeful. Sometimes there are explicit claims that this or that person is a bit checkered, other times there is a hint that a person is running under false colors, but in every case what we are presented with are affable, earnest, innocuous people, and any potentially complicating factors are forgotten.

Another disappointment is the generally threadbare plot. I haven't read the book so I have no idea if there is more to it than is captured in the movie, but the story strikes me as pretty under-inflated for its momentous outcome. Perhaps, in addition to an intricate plot, it is the play of dark and light across the landscape that fascinates us. But this kind of interference pattern is largely lacking in Smiley's People.

Perhaps most disappointing is that Smiley's People is really not a spy movie at all. Sadly, George Smiley has been reduced to little more than another bbc shire detective. One intriguing characteristic of the spy genre is that of the minions, which each side keeps, and the perverse way these underlings are manipulated by their controllers who are always ready to gambit. In The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, for example, the spy Leamus is passed up the chain of eastern bloc dog's bodys, and each in turn is treated with contempt by his better. In Smiley's People, rather ironically, it is not his people, but Smiley who does most of the trotting around searching for clues.

There is one scene, late in the movie, that reminds me of the 'old' circus and its culture. When we meet Saul Enderby and are treated to his brand of pompous asininity - a sure sign of some serious deception - I finally feel a waking interest. But alas it is too little and too late.

Sorry. I've watched TTSS at least a dozen times and it never stops impressing me. Smiley's People on the other hand is a bit of a confusing hodgepodge. I was longing for a sequel that could be even half as entertaining and engaging but I find it falls far short of even that mark.

The recent death of Sir Alec Guinness prompted me to wonder which role in his very long career he should be remembered for, and I believe it should be his portrayal of John Le Carre's master spy and inadequate man, George Smiley.

"Smiley's People", like the earlier "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy", derives much of its fascination from its mundane realism. Le Carre, unlike many espionage authors, really knew the setting, the techniques and many of the people. The TV series follows every detail of the novel and cannot be faulted on any grounds of atmosphere.

The cast list has a plethora of famous names, some so heavily made up and convincingly acted as to be unrecognisable as themselves. Guinness's gelid tones and painstakingly slow gestures manage to put them all, even the bubbly Bernard Hepton and Beryl Reid, in the shade. Especially in the final scene, where all Smiley's friends and supporters are practically dancing with joy, Guinness's studied absence of emotion dominates.

Few corporations other than the BBC would dare drag a 200-page novel out to over 4 hours of TV time, and very few actors other than Sir Alec Guinness could have held the viewer fascinated throughout such a marathon.

The bridge that Karla crosses from East to West Berlin is in fact the Lady Bay Bridge in West Bridgford Nottingham. It was a railway bridge converted to a road bridge. I was living one side of the Trent at the time and working the other near the bridge so crossed it every day. This meant leaving the "American Sector" and entering the "Russian Sector" each morning and vice versa in the evening.

The café used by Smiley etc when waiting for Karla appears in the film to be opposite the bridge, it is in fact about a mile and a half away at the bottom of the Musters Road. I was puzzled by the sets and was pleased to see West Bridgford on the film even though it was not recognisable as such.

Those whose idea of a spy thriller is James Bond will be disappointed in "Smiley's People". George Smiley is definitely NOT James Bond. George Smiley uses no high-tech gadgets, gets into no spectacular car chases, doesn't go to bed with a single sexy woman, and there is not one single explosion in the entire six-part miniseries. "Smiley's People" is a spy thriller intended for grownups, not adolescents.

Those points being granted, however, "Smiley's People" is a brilliant, intricate, thinking-man's spy thriller, worthy of the author of "Tinker, Tailor, Solder, Spy" and "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold".

An aging Russian émigré suddenly contacts British Intelligence with information about the activities of a Soviet spy-master and demands a meeting, which goes tragically wrong. Restricted by bureaucracy from getting involved in any sort of skullduggery, British Intelligence summons retired spy-master George Smiley out of retirement as an independent contractor to sort the mess out.

Alec Guinness, who probably played more different sorts of characters than any other actor, considered George Smiley to be his favorite role. Unlike most of Guinness' other roles, there is nothing flashy about George Smiley. Smiley is quiet and thoughtful. He stays within himself, asking questions but giving little away. His face remains impassive and rarely betrays what he is thinking. His manner is quiet and conservative, the sort of man who would attract little attention. However, he is extremely astute and one of the most brilliant counter-espionage agents around. The fact that he is so bland meant that the part of George Smiley was probably a whole lot more difficult to play than most of the flashy character roles for which Guinness was known.

Give this one an 8 for it's intricate, thoughtful plot and the superb performance by Alec Guinness.

If someone asked me to show them an example of brilliant acting, I would probably choose this or Tinker Tailor. Alec Guinness is in most scenes, and aided with a brilliant screenplay, by the author himself, he is always so watchable.

This is one of those rare things, that movies simply can't be because of time restrictions. Every little detail is there. The car, the house, the dialogue. The time. The time for Guinness to do what the best actors do: a guesture, a shrug, a stare. The supporting cast is generally excellent.

I can't watch many things a second or third time. Not many things are worth watching again. But this is. It is the exact antithesis of modern television and movies - slow, deliberate, relentless. It will never age.

I watched the dvd of this mini series over the last few days. I recently rewatched the BBC Tinker Taylor and remembered it well. Strangely watching Smiley's People is less interesting and less memorable.

I watched them both when they were first shown and a a big Le Carre fan but if Tinker was Rumours this is Tusk.

Don't get me wrong this is well made and well acted but the I find the story harder to get involved in.

If you love Tinker Taylor or any of Le Carre's work you would want to seek this out but I expect you will find it a lesser creature than Tinker Taylor.

So much as been already said about either Tinker Tailor or Simleys People that my addition is small, however in a film world driven by special affects or minimal story content, these two film series represents some of the foremost screenplay, editing, acting and cinematography to date. This film does NOT cater to the viewer, it demands you pay attention, even small details have far reaching ramifications later in the film. This is dense story that for some may require seeing the film two or three times to understand and appreciate. The star of this story is Alec Guiness giving one of the most powerful and interesting performances of his wonderful acting career. It is a film whose only poor quality is that it does not go on longer to enjoy.

This should have been as good as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy but, having watched episode one, it's obvious that the change in director and the start of the 1980s has partially ruined the show.

Alec Guinness is trying too hard to be a certain type of, let's say, experienced older generation spymaster and not making a very good job of it. It's like watching the spying version of One Foot in the Grave with Smiley another Mrs Bucket.

Barry Foster is hopelessly camp in his role of a sort of upper-class, posh spymaster himself; using words like 'ergo' and delivering them in a ridiculous, hyped-up posh accent is stupid and totally unnecessary. The detail is tedious - mind games over whether or not someone drinks whiskey - it's a bit like watching a bunch of camp actors in Crossroads, but in this case just trying too hard to create a certain kind of old-fashioned Britishness.

The director wants to re-create a certain, old-fashioned kind of Britishness yet goes completely over-the-top with the language, voices, social relationships and almost everything. Also, why throw in the stupid 'lets explain what's going on' lines that also happen, like when the fire brigade is called in Paris and then someone has to explain to Smiley why they were called despite there being no accident or fire.

That's the London scenes. However, the rest of it shot on location is inrigueing.

The merits of Alec Guinness's Smiley are familiar to anyone who has seen this wonderful BBC adaptation of LeCarré's great 'Karla' trilogy of books..well, two of the books anyway. Sadly they skipped over 'The Honourable Schoolboy' arguably the most exciting of the three.

Both 'Tinker Tailor' and 'Smiley's People' have their casting mishaps but nothing that detracts in any important way. I found Eileen Atkins' Ostrakova to be wildly miscast, physically, but masterfully acted, so she gets a pass. Michael Byrne's Guillam is an improvement over his predecessor in 'Tinker Tailor' but his part is so small that it hardly registers. Beryl Reid's scene as Connie Sachs is longer than her scene in 'Tinker Tailor' but still woefully short of the involved and fascinating scene in the book. It is in regards to Sachs and Jerry Westerby that I deeply regret the BBC not making 'The Honourable Schoolboy.' Reid would have been fabulous in that role, though still not nearly fat or tall enough to wear the original Connie's shoes.

Generally the actors are superb. There is an especially moving and unforgettable performance from Tulle Silberg as Alexandra Ostrakova. Her scene with Smiley is deeply touching and it is easy to understand why Smiley does what he does in the end. I won't say any more to avoid a spoiler.

'Smiley's People' is not as riveting as 'Tinker Tailor' I think because I found the first mini- series, focusing on the inner workings of the Circus, to be far more interesting than the foreign "outside" locations in 'Smiley's People.' But that's just me. I still love this film and watch it often.

Don't miss the Smiley series! The BBC will never make anything like it again, on the evidence of the mediocre bilge they've been catting up in recent years.