John Le Carre's early spy novels were sparse affairs: his later books, rather overblown and clichéd. But in the mid-1970s, he wrote the best novels of his career, and 'Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy' was perhaps the best of them all: at heart, a character study of his long-time enigmatic protagonist George Smiley, wrapped in a detective story itself wrapped in an espionage thriller. It also made one of the best television series ever made. The spirit of Le Carre's material is utterly respected; the screenwriters were unafraid to construct an essentially talkative script, with only moments of "action" in the conventional sense; the music and lighting are both excellent; but above all else, a superb cast was assembled to fill the lead roles. Much is rightly made of Alec Guinness' brilliant performance as the quiet, meticulous Smiley: every gesture or intonation speaks a thousand words. But this was also one of Ian Richardson's best works as well, he literally steals every scene he appears in as Bill Hayden, Smiley's old colleague and adversary. Hayden is a very clever man, but Richardson's portrayal of him is no less clever. Although in some senses the themes of this story: the cold war, and England's post-war loss of confidence, may no longer seem as relevant as they once did, you'll rarely see a more riveting piece of television. And having seen it, when you watch a modern drama, with it's slick dialogues and high-paced editing, you'll have a sense of something lost as well as something gained.
Review of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
