 |  | Very disappoiting DVD release |  |
I loved this story after reading the book and when I first saw it on PBS. So I went and bought the BBC cassette version tapes from amazon UK years ago. I worked at an ad agency and was able to get the PAL tapes transferred to US VHS. I watched it many time and was very disappointed to see how this DVD version has been butchered. As I learned from an IMDB review at least 40 minutes have been cut and many scenes simply make little sense without the background material that was cut. Many of the music accents have been cut also (case: when George find the cigarette package in the tree). I have no idea if the original cut is still available, perhaps the BBC DVD version for sale has the original but I'd buy a multi-region player and get that version before buying this one.
October 9, 2008 | | Very entertaining 6 hours! | |
I rented the 3-disc set from my library after I had just finished watching "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and the whole story was very rewarding. It takes approx 12 hours to watch "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and then "Smiley's People". Some of the actors' roles were carried from "Tinker" to "Smiley" as well as the Cold War storyline, so...the continuity was fabulous. The only noticeable lineup change was the character named Peter Quillem, who is George Smiley's protege....Peter is played by a different actor in Smiley's People.
August 4, 2008| | | Unforgettable, even better than TTSS | |
I will buck the trend of amazon's reviewer and some of the other reviews here - I actually think Smiley's People is better than Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (which is phenomenal nonetheless). Although TTSS does have - at least superficially - a more exciting plot, Smiley's People to my mind is richer, darker, and more haunting. We watch as George Smiley becomes increasingly, almost frighteningly, monomaniacal in his quest to capture Karla and, in so doing, sacrificing his moral superiority in the process. Alec Guinness plays this transformation beautifully. This is one of the very greatest adaptations of all time and Acorn Media is to be commended for making it generally available after years of it being impossible to find, even though others have accurately pointed out the DVDs technical flaws. But in short, a must buy!
July 21, 2008I remember watching this series when it first aired and never thought I'd see it again. Great acting, wonderful shots of 60's-era London and, of course, a superb script. I'd forgotten how short the shows were, though, and played two in a row before realising that I'd prefer to stretch the segments over six weeks, just as happened on TV. Next, I'll purchase Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, even though it preceded Smiley's People.
July 3, 2008Love the BBC and Alec Guiness. Almost as compelling as Tinker Tinker Soldier Spy
June 2, 2008More reviews at Amazon.com ...
Daily Birthdays
(37 reviews)