Product Description British masterspy George Smiley (Alec Guinness) returns to his old department following the murder of his friend, General Vladimir, a Russian who once worked for British Intelligence. When it transpires that Vladimir was in fact a double agent, Smiley becomes engaged in a battle of wills with his old nemesis, Karla of Moscow Centre. .co.uk Review The second of the BBC's well-remembered serialisations of John Le Carré's espionage bestsellers, Smiley's People is marginally less compulsive than Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy if only because Tinker, Tailor had a much stronger plot premise (who is the mole in British Intelligence?) than Smiley's People, which takes a very long time to come into focus. Retired spymaster George Smiley (Alec Guinness) wanders around Europe and visits a succession of desperate or eccentric characters as he plays a game which finally leads to another confrontation with and a possible victory over his Moriarty-like Soviet arch-nemesis Karla (an expressive but silent Patrick Stewart cameo). Directed by Simon Langton and coscripted by John Hopkins and Le Carré himself, this is a leisurely mystery. It offers a cannily generous central performance from Guinness, who never takes off his scarf and does his best to fade into the background while a succession of striking character players hold centre screen; but slowly and by sheer presence he begins to dominate the panoramic view of European treachery, deception and disappointment. Among the terrific supporting cast are Michel Lonsdale, Mario Adorf, Vladek Sheybal, Michael Gough, Alan Rickman (a tiny, early role as a hotel clerk), Beryl Reid, Ingrid Pitt, Bernard Hepton, Michael Elphick, Rosalie Crutchley, Michael Byrne, Bill Paterson and Maureen Lipman. Smiley's People is more interested in character than thrills, with each cameo contributing another view of the human cost of the Cold War: most of the old friends Smiley seeks out react to his reappearance by saying they never wanted to see him again, and victory is only possible because Smiley discovers that his opposite number has a weakness that makes him almost sympathetic. Originally broadcast in six hour-long episodes, its intelligent approach works better if you watch episode-length chunks, letting one sink in before going on. --Kim Newman
M**E
Arguably the best drama series the BBC have ever made
Originally shot on 16mm film and arguably the best drama miniseries the BBC have yet made, Smiley's People has long been overdue a blu-ray release to upgrade the rather bogstandard DVD that's been available for many years. Unfortunately the job of restoring this leading drama was not given to the leading experts in film restoration, but to an outfit who were rather too fond of digital noise reduction. So, whilst they have gone back to the surviving film elements (which, mercifully, still existed in the BBC vaults), in many scenes they've applied such overzealous noise reduction that the picture takes on a wierd waxy, crayon-like appearance. Having said that, the quality is still an order of magnitude better than the old DVD (the latter simply using the show's transmission videotape as its source) and the quality of the actual programme is so superb that I'm still going to give this release 5 stars.If you've never seen Smiley's People before then you're in for a treat—it's a very faithful adaption of John Le Carré's novel, a sequel to the superb Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Nearly all the cast reprise their roles (including of course Alec Guinness—Le Carré had said that by now he was writing the books with Guinness in mind) with the notable exception of Michael Jayston as Peter Guillam, but you can't have everything. And it's made up for by appearences by from everyone to Mauren Lipman to Vladek Sheybal, with the actors playing Madame Ostrakava, Karla's daughter Tatiana and the hapless Grigoriev turning in particularly excellent performances. The soundtrack music is also particularly effective (and I see has also been given a digital and vinyl re-release to accompany this Blu-ray).
G**E
UK Version Worth It's Weight In Gold
Updating my review based on the UK version of this - the US version is dreadful by the way and this product page reviews do not distinguish between the two versions, so watch out!This UK release stands up nicely alongside the UK bluray of Tinker Tailor. It's fantastic to finally have both in amazing bluray quality, absolutely stunning transfer from the original film stock. If you've enjoyed Smiley's People before, buy this and love it all the more, again.
P**R
Excellent Blu-ray release of a tv classic
Worth waiting for. Blu-ray transfer is a clear improvement over the dvd release, which I purchased many years ago. Sharp images, good sound. Also happy to report that it is the original BBC tv broadcast without any cuts, unlike the USA- region one Blu ray which I understand had several scenes cut, such as the Hare Krishna devotee offering to help Smiley on Hampstead Heath. A worthy companion to the UK Blu ray release of Tinker Tailor.
M**D
Back to the circus
This review is for the Blu-ray release.Smileys people is not quite as compelling as Tinker Tailor, but is still a brilliant follow up to the classic TV series.Unlike "Tinker Tailor" which had a very tight narrative and was mainly based in smoky rooms; Smileys People is a much more rambling story (not a bad thing, but less immersive). As a result, a lot of the scenes involve traveling from place to place and you don't require the level concentration that Tinker Tailor demanded.You do need to keep track of dialogue, as the events take place some time after Tinker Tailor, and the script makes references to events from the second novel of the Karla Trilogy (The honourable schoolboy) which was unfortunately never filmed due to budget constraints.As per the tinker tailor adaptation, an epic cast have been assembled, and performances range from great to exceptional including Beryl Reid and Alec Guinness who both won BAFTAs for their performances. You get 3 bond villains in the cast (Sheybal, Jurgens, Lonsdale) and a very young Alan Rickman.Le Carre is said to have updated the character in the books based on Guinness's performance in Tinker Tailor, and the roll is portrayed in 2 different very different ways in this adaptation.In the first part of the series, Smiley is very much the "on point" spymaster, running round Europe with a determination to find out what is going on.In the second half, he is world weary and age appears to be catching up. This is very apparent in the scene where he forgets the name of one of Anne's security guards (something Smiley would never do at the top of his game).There are some character choices that may jar.Bernard Hepton returns as Toby Esterhase and this time is sporting an Eastern European accent (unlike the upper class English one in Tinker). Although in-line with the character, it is a little jarring at first, but Hepton plays the role with gusto and is fun to watch especially in the scenes in Switzerland.Michael Jayston was unavailable to play the role of Peter Guillam and was replaced by Michael Byrne. Byrne does an excellent job.The Smileys People Blu-Ray is a a lot better than the DVD, however its inconsistent and the differences are not as great as with Tinker Tailor (possibly because picture on the DVD wasn't that bad in the first place).Sound quality is good (on my system) and there are 2 good documentaries (a restoration feature and interviews with Le Carre & John Irvin).So in summary:Although not quite as good as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Smileys people is still a very good and highly regarded miniseries with major re-watch value. The cast, soundtrack and production levels are superb and the final scenes are some of the greatest on TV.The Blu-Ray picture quality is generally good but doesn't have the "wow" factor compared to the Tinker Tailor release. For all its faults, it is significantly better than the DVD and is strongly recommended.
A**R
Outstanding upgrade to Blu Ray
This refers to the 2020 Blu Ray release, with 'BBC' on the front cover, with a white background and Guinness, Atkins, Reid and Hepton's faces.Only watched the first episode so far, but what a stunning restoration! Looks brand new and Blu Ray quality - must have used some good-quality film on the original serial, not to mention a clearly brilliant cinematographer. I don't have 100% hearing, so can't speak for the audio, but it sounds pretty good, too. I think this may be the best BBC TV Blu Ray upgrade I've seen.I always saw this as Tinker, Tailor's poorer cousin, but the first episode is so much better than I remember it - possibly because of the picture quality! And so many well-known faces, even in tiny roles (e.g. Trevor Cooper as a police sergeant).Recommended.
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