Capital Celluloid - Day 318: Wednesday Nov 16

The Spy Who Came In From the Cold (Ritt, 1966) &
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
(Alfredson, 2011)
Riverside Studios, 6.15 & 8.35pm

Another inspired double-bill from Riverside Studios, screening the much-lauded recent John Le Carre adaptation with an earlier one from the 1960s.

Time Out review of The Spy Who Came In From the Cold:

'Without his customary good liberal message to hang on to, Ritt is forced to rely on pure professionalism, and as a result turns out one of his better films. John Le Carré's novel about betrayal and disillusionment in the world of East/West espionage is treated with intelligence and a disarming lack of sentimentality or moralising, while Burton gives one of his best screen performances as the spy out to get even with an East German counterpart. What finally impresses, however, is the sheer seediness of so much of the film, with characters, buildings, and landscapes lent convincingly grubby life by Oswald Morris' excellent monochrome camera-work.' Geoff Andrew

Here is an extract in which Richard Burton explains what spies are.

Time Out review of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: 

'Swedish director Tomas Alfredson (‘Let the Right One In’) blows a fresh air of continental style into Le Carré’s story without harming the 1970s British period feel of his source material. Naturally, some episodes from the book and TV series don’t make it into the film, but it’s remarkable how much remains, often secured by a sly glance here or quick image there. This spy story is all about the journey – the process – and the byways of the route, not the grand finale. This film’s superb cast, script and direction threaten to make that journey equally as thrilling as Le Carré’s book.' Dave Calhoun


Here is the trailer.

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