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| As part four of Smiley's
People opens things move at a cracking
pace, which does nothing to ease the complexity of the
narrative for the casual viewer. Smiley has travelled to
Hamburg in pursuit of Leipzig whose car they have wrecked
and are now making short work of the boot of Smiley's
car. In Paris Maria Ostrakova, now a cowering bag of
nerves aims a gun as somebody knocks on her door. Smiley again visits Claus Kretchzmar's house where a party is in progress. Kretchzmar is shocked to hear of Leipzig's death and gives Smiley a videocassette and a sheaf of papers, which he puts in a briefcase. Smiley asks Kretchzmar to make an urgent reservation for him on the next flight to London under the name of G Standfast. Smiley next visits Maria Ostravoka. Initially she aims the gun at the door again as her landlady tells her that Smiley is a doctor. Smiley denies this and says that he is a friend of the General. As Peter Guilliam (tediously portrayed in a dreadful piece of miscasting by the wooden Michael Bryant) arrives at the embassy in Paris. Smiley tells Ostrakova that she is going on a short holiday and to be prepared to leave in an hour. Smiley phones Guilliam using the name Barraclough. And asks for a repeat of the 'removal job', which they did in Helsinki. As Smiley and Guilliam whisk Ostrakova away in Guilliam's car, all hell breaks loose as every emergency service in Paris arrives outside Ostrakova's house. They avoid them, taking Ostrakova to Guilliam's house where they meet his wife Marie-Claire (Caroline Sihol). Smiley tells Ostrakova that her hosts are British diplomats but their hospitality is discreet. Smiley tells Ostravkova of the General's death. Smiley's plan is to send Ostrakova to a farmhouse in Paris owned by British agents the Delbarres. He writes a letter to the Head of the Circus, Sir Saul Enderby requesting a meeting at the earliest opportunity. Smiley asks Guilliam to find out the latest movements of Oleg Kirov. Meanwhile Enderby agrees to phone Smiley but he must wait for a meeting. At the Delbarres Farm. Ostrakova tells Smiley that all she has ever wanted is to see her child, but does not seem overly distressed when Smiley informs her that such a meeting will never happen. Considering that all Madame Ostravokova has been through this does seem an odd reaction. One might well have expected her to breakdown, but such dramatic scenes may well have been beyond Simon Langton's limited capabilities. She calmly replies “I had to be certain.” At this point Guilliam receives a phonecall telling him that Enderby has agreed to meet with Smiley, and that he has also cleared George (but not Guilliam) for the latest word on Kirov. Sir Saul Enderby is an odd character. A little patronising, slightly sexist but somehow likeable. He is not interested in private vendettas like Control or anxious for promotion like Percy Alleline (after all, he has achieved his ultimate goal) and whilst there is a certain 'something' about Enderby, Barry Foster plays him with a cheerful avuncular charm which makes him extremely likeable. Enderby is assisted by the Circus's new Head of Research, Molly Meakin (Lucy Fleming) who was one of Smiley's old proteges and played a part in Operation Dolphin aka The Honourable Schoolboy. As the episode closes, we learn that Kirov was recalled to the Soviet Embassy two weeks previously. The beginning of episode five finally answers some of the questions, which have puzzled and baffled viewers for the past month. Enderby shows the assembled circus members, Smiley, Guilliam, Lauder Strickland and Molly Meakin the tape which Kretchzmar gave Smiley in Hamburg. It shows Kirov and Kretzchmar having sex with two hookers. Enderby forwards the tape and forty-one minutes later Kirov and Kretzchmar are fighting. Molly suggests that this could have been a set up by Esterhase, but this is debunked as Kirov's 'deathbed' confession is read by Enderby and reveals that he was looking for a 'legend for a girl'. Here we finally learn that a 'legend' is Moscow Centre jargon for a spy's biography. Shortly after arriving in Moscow Kirov is advised that a 'legend' is needed for a female agent of about 26 years of age. Karla wanted Kirov to persuade an émigré family to adopt such an agent as their own child, but Kirov can't find such a family, which probably explains how Tatiana came to be in the Berne Clinic. The next revelation is perhaps the most interesting of the episode. We learn that $10,000 dollars per month is paid into a Swiss bank in the name of a 'Dr Adolf Glasser' for Alexandra's (as Tatiana is now known) upkeep. Glasser is the workname of a commercial councillor at the Soviet Embassy in Berne whose real name is Grigoriev. Kirov revealed all this to Karla because he feared being killed which eventually he was. It is here that we see a less appealing side to Enderby's mostly affable personality as he tells Smiley that he wants Grigoriev watched night and day and if the whole enterprise blows up in his face he will place the blame on Smiley's shoulders. In response, Smiley tells Enderby that he wants a safehouse set up near Heathrow airport with Millie McCraig, the Circus' longest serving and best housekeeper to run it and he wants Esterhase as well as all papers relating to Grigoriev and Karla. Smiley, Esterhase and Guilliam convene at the safehouse. It is another annoying aspect of the confused screenplay that the reason for the safehouse is never fully explained or indeed exploited and it is soon disposed of and forgotten about and serves no useful purpose as did the one at Lock Gardens used to trap the mole 'Gerald' in Tinker, Tailor... As Esterhase re-enters the story, it would appear that the unremarkable Simon Langton has taken the trouble to actually watch Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy in the meantime as the annoying mid-European accent which hindered Bernard Hepton's otherwise splendid portrayal a few episodes earlier has been toned down and he looks less pasty. The next scene seems to have absolutely no reference to the story whatsoever. Smiley travels to visit his errant wife Ann (Sian Phillips). He tells her that he is going away, he may be away weeks or longer, that she is not to visit their house in Chelsea and that he is sending two men down to guard her (Ann is currently staying on her Uncle Harry's estate). He indicates that both she and he are in danger. There is no reason for this as only such as Guilliam and Enderby have asked about Ann throughout the story. This scene could have been edited out with no great loss to the narrative. Driving through Berne with a woman and child in the back of the car (We never learn who they are!) Esterhase shows Smiley Grigoriev's apartment and tells Smiley to look for his Mercedes, which he bought three months ago. Smiley and Esterhase switch cars (again this is not explained) Esterhase informs Smiley that Thursdays are always the same. Grigoriev fills his car with oil and petrol. At 6pm Grigoriev is visited by a courier from Moscow, always whilst Grigoriev's harridan wife is present. The courier always stays about half an hour. We also learn that he gives a girl called Natasha who works at the embassy on Saturday, a lift home. Smiley enters a bistro and orders a café crème, informing the waiter that he is waiting for 'Mr Jacobi' (Esterhase). Toby arrives and tells Smiley that Grigoriev goes to the bank at lunchtime because it is quiet. The two Circus agents see Grigoriev (Michael Lonsdale, previously best known as Hugo Drax from the James Bond film Moonraker) arrive. Esterhase follows him whilst Smiley waits in the café. Returning to the bistro, Esterhase tells Smiley that Grigoriev and his wife have lunch in a first class restaurant after which Grigoriev removes the bicycle from the roof rack on his car and cycles to visit the sanatorium where 'Alexandra' is a patient. She refers to him as 'Uncle Anton'. One wonders at this point if Alexandra's mental illness is a façade. She refuses to answer any of Grigoriev's questions until he tells her who he is and where he comes from. He is obviously used to her as he doesn't bat an eyelid when she asks him why he never makes love to her. Lonsdale's performance throughout is one of the few in the tale that is superb; those used to him as the super-confident Bond villain will be amazed to see him as the rotund and rather nervous hen-pecked Moscow Centre lackey. Alexandra next tells Mother Felicity (Rosalie Crutchley) that she and Grigoriev are engaged to be married. As Alexandra, Tusse Silberg is competent, but nothing special. As Grigoriev leaves the sanatorium, Alexandra screams hysterically. Esterhase asks Smiley to meet him at 'the office' (i.e. their usual rendezvous point outdoors) and as the episode ends Esterhase informs Smiley that Grigoriev left the Embassy five minutes ago. The one fault here is that we have no idea how long this is after he left the sanatorium, but the situation as it stands does afford them “... the green light”. After five mostly baffling and rather tedious episodes we finally reach the final episode, but we don't get away entirely scot-free. Grigoriev is watching an outdoor chess game watched by Esterhase who tells him that he is an investigator from the bank in Berne and threatens to hand the dossier on Grigoriev to the Swiss police. In protest, Grigoriev screams diplomatic immunity which Esterhase responds by saying that the revelations could ruin his marriage. Grigoriev is led away to be questioned by Smiley. As the two men arrive Smiley is arranging a series of blown up photos. Smiley asks Grigoriev to study the photos from left to right. They show him in compromising positions with a number of women. Smiley assures him that once they have finished he may leave a free man; his wife or Moscow Centre will be none the wiser. The next questions concern Grigoriev's relationship with Alexandra. Here Grigoriev breaks down. Smiley asks him to phone his wife and tell her that he has been unavoidably detained. This scene is amusing as most of those present applaud the nervous economics don for standing up to his battleaxe of a wife. Grigoriev tells of meeting a man who smokes a lot of cigarettes - a reference to a habit of Karla's - who tells him “You have no secrets from me.” He tells him to open a Swiss bank account, into which money will be paid each month in order to look after the fees incurred at a Swiss sanatorium of a young Russian girl. Grigoriev misunderstands; he thinks she is Karla's daughter, but is told she is a heroine who has given her body in the service of Russia but it affected her mind. We learn that Karla went quiet when asked about the girl's parents and had tears in his eyes. This gives Esterhase the opportunity to blackmail Grigoriev, He asks where the letter Krasky about the meeting with Alexandra is. Esterhase threatens to send the photographs on display in the interrogation room to every newspaper in Switzerland. Fearing for his job and marriage, Grigoriev hands the letter to Esterhase. Smiley gets Esterhase to ask Grigoriev to arrange a meeting with Krasky before he leaves Moscow and is to tell Krasky that he has an urgent message for him and an important letter for Moscow. Smiley visits Alexandra in the guise of Professor Lachmann whom Mother Felicity believes to be her real father, Mr Ostrakova. Alexandra tells Smiley that her father controls the whole of Russia and everyone is afraid of him even though he doesn't exist; she doesn't exist either, thinking of herself as Tatiana. She tells Smiley that she loves him and grabs his arm as he leaves. She tries to hang on to Smiley's car as he drives off but is restrained by the nuns. This scene should be powerful and moving, as should many featuring Alexandra/Tatiana, but Langton's direction removes every ounce of emotion from them. Returning to his hotel room Smiley writes to Karla watched by Esterhase and informs him that he knows that Karla killed both Vladimir and Leipzig as well as what the Circus know about Tatiana/Alexandra. Smiley assures Karla of a safe future and the same for Tatiana if he defects. A few days later a bedtime phonecall tells Smiley “It's on Thursday night at 8.30.” Karla (Patrick Stewart) arrives carrying a knapsack and flanked by men whom we can assume to be Circus agents. He and Smiley stare at each other as Esterhase looks on jubulently. As Karla defects Guilliam tells Smiley “Come on George, bedtime. You won…” Smiley looks unsure and says “Did I? Yes, perhaps I did…” Smiley's People is not a book that lends itself easily to adaptation lacking as it does, the fascinating characters and simple narrative to Tinker, Tailor... Le Carre's narrative assumes that the reader (and viewer) is familiar with the previous two books. It is ignored that some may not be. Matters are made worse by Simon Langton's mediocre direction, which is often laboured and stifles what could have been excellent performances. Alec Guinness, Curt Jurgens, Maureen Lipman and Beryl Reid are stifled whilst performances are well below par, notably Bill Patterson as Lauder Strickland. Indeed only Barry Foster as Enderby, Mario Adorf as Kretchzmar and Michael Lonsdale (albeit to a lesser extent) as Grigoriev emerge with any credit at all. Why producer Jonathan Powell, in what is surely his worst ever effort as a producer, didn't try to re-employ the superb John Irvin we shall never know . Matters are not helped by the fact that Le Carrre's and Hopkins screenplay is dull and stilted and does nothing to smooth out the complexities of the novel. Smiley's People tries hard to be a classic example of British drama at its best and for 1982 it isn't all that bad an effort, but falls far short of the dramatic and technical accomplishments of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. One is left feeling rather cheated as the production could have been so much better. |
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