Smiley's People (TV Mini Series)

Smiley's Lighter (1982)

Alec Guinness: George Smiley

Photos 

Quotes 

• George Smiley : [Writing to Karla]  The young woman known as Alexandra Borisovna Ostrakova is your daughter. You arranged for her illegal departure from Russia by pretending she was a secret agent of the Thirteenth Directorate. You stole public money and misused the resources of your service. You caused the murders of two men, the first in England and the second in West Germany. I do not ask what you did to the wretched Oleg Kirov. Any one of these offences would be enough to ensure your death at the hands of your rivals in the Collegium. There is also the open question of what may be done with your daughter, here, now that her true identity is known. It is possible that she is curable, I am told, with the right treatment here in the West. In the East it is different, as you know. But what will happen once she is deprived of money and proper papers? She will become a perpetual and ailing exile, ferried from one public hospital to another. I do not need to imagine her solitude, or yours. I have seen her. When we met in Delhi, I urged you to come to the West. I promised you, within reason, a decent life. If you do that now, if you cooperate in your interrogation, you will be resettled in the usual way, and your daughter's future in the West will be secure. By your actions, you have disowned the system that made you. You have placed love above duty. The ground on which you once stood is cut away. You have become a citizen of no man's land. I send you my greetings.

• [last lines] 

  Peter Guillam : Come on, old friend, it's bedtime. George, you won!

  George Smiley : Did I? Yes, well, I suppose I did.

• [waiting at the Berlin Wall for Karla] 

  Peter Guillam : [pointing to a man]  George...

  George Smiley : If he comes, he'll come on time.

  Peter Guillam : Then why did we get here two hours early?

  George Smiley : We owe it to him. Nobody else is on his side.

• Anton Grigoriev : And what if I refuse?

  George Smiley : The priest will recall you, the Swiss will expel you, Grigorieva will murder you.