Gigolo-Aunt Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Read the book by John Le Carre's quite a while back but have watched the late 70's BBC TV series on said book. No special effects, just a fantastic story that is all about dialogue. Alex Guiness giving one of the best performances I have ever seen with the character "George Smillie" If you like stories of the cold war and and spies, the book or the DVD available are a must. "Percy wanted to be head boy" Dont make them like that anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teepee Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Read the book by John Le Carre's quite a while back but have watched the late 70's BBC TV series on said book. No special effects, just a fantastic story that is all about dialogue. Alex Guiness giving one of the best performances I have ever seen with the character "George Smillie" If you like stories of the cold war and and spies, the book or the DVD available are a must. "Percy wanted to be head boy" Dont make them like that anymore. re-read the book about a year ago..quite remarakalbe piece of writing...even though it is overly heavy in parts..in my top 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jambos are go! Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Totally rivetting. Book and programme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sparrieheid Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Read the book by John Le Carre's quite a while back but have watched the late 70's BBC TV series on said book. No special effects, just a fantastic story that is all about dialogue. Alex Guiness giving one of the best performances I have ever seen with the character "George Smillie" If you like stories of the cold war and and spies, the book or the DVD available are a must. "Percy wanted to be head boy" Dont make them like that anymore. What are the opening/closing credits like in the TV series? I ask because the mates and I were discussing 70's TV in the pub the other night and all of us could remember opening scene and title music to a WW2 drama but none of us could remember it's name. It opening was a long moody slow-moving shot of empty railway lines disappearing into the distance, flanked by a winter scene of tress and fields and was accompanied by a really sombre theme tune. Anyone help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigolo-Aunt Posted March 6, 2008 Author Share Posted March 6, 2008 What are the opening/closing credits like in the TV series? I ask because the mates and I were discussing 70's TV in the pub the other night and all of us could remember opening scene and title music to a WW2 drama but none of us could remember it's name. It opening was a long moody slow-moving shot of empty railway lines disappearing into the distance, flanked by a winter scene of tress and fields and was accompanied by a really sombre theme tune. Anyone help? It's not "Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy", mate. The opening credits for that are the Russian Dolls that go inside each other. The end credits are a picture of a cathedral. Are you not thinking of the 70's TV mini series "Auschwitz?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sparrieheid Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 It's not "Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy", mate. The opening credits for that are the Russian Dolls that go inside each other. The end credits are a picture of a cathedral. Are you not thinking of the 70's TV mini series "Auschwitz?" I can't remember a mini series called Auschwitz but the imagery in the opening sequence would fit perfectly now that you mention it. For some reason I've just had the name "Secret War" pop into my head but googling ain't really helping. I can actually remember the sequence for T,T,S,S but now't about the show itself. Auld age disnae come itself etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Freewheelin' Jambo Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 John Le carre actually paid Alec Guiness the ultimate compliment. After Tinker Tailor, Le Carre wrote the third in the Karla trilogy, "Smiley's People". Le Carre said that Guinness had so impressed himself on Le Carre's psyche that he gave Smiley some of Guiness's traits and saw his own creation forever after as that of the Guinness persona. I think there has never been a better piece of acting on the small screen as that performance. Smiley was a man with secrets and as Guinness was a closet gay, it was believed that only someone with his talent and with his own "secrets" could give the role the real depth it required. I think his acting was miraculous. It was so real you could not believe Guiness was NOT Smiley in reality. Actors of today take note. Pure Genius - Alec Guinness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coppercrutch Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 It is a cracker. Another similar quality series from a little later on is 'House of Cards'. Set in the houses of Parliament. Cracking book too. http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/cinema/features/house_of_cards.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamboJay Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Can I apply a little bit of thread creep just to state my appreciation for one of the finest British actors of all time. The incomparable Alec Guinness. It should not be fortgotten that he played the lead in some of the finest post war comedy films from the Ealing studio. Films like the The Ladykillers (1955), The Man in the White Suit (1951), The Laveder Hill Mob (1951) and not forgetting Kind Hearts and Coronets (1948) in which he plays 8 characters ALL of whom are murdered. The was also the main character in Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) Lawrence of Arabia and Dr. Zhivago. About 50 Films from 1946 to 1993 They don't make them like that nowadays, more's the pity. Ohh and nearly forgot The Star Wars Trilogy (Though I don't realy count that as proper acting) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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