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List Price: $59.99Amazon.com's Price: $32.99 You Save: $27.00 (45%)as of 11/22/2009 16:10 EST details
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Acorn
EAN: 9781569385951
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
ISBN: 1569385955
Label: Acorn Media
Languages: EnglishOriginal LanguageDolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Manufacturer: Acorn Media
MPN: ACRDAMP5955D
Number Of Items: 3
Publisher: Acorn Media
Region Code: 1
Release Date: August 10, 2004
Running Time: 324 minutes
Studio: Acorn Media
Theatrical Release Date: October 25, 1982
Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Studio: Acorn Media Release Date: 08/10/2004 Run time: 324 minutes Rating: Nr
Amazon.com:
The second of the BBC's well-regarded serializations of John Le Carré's espionage bestsellers, Smiley's People is slightly less compulsively watchable 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).
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 center 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. It was originally broadcast in six hourlong episodes, and its intelligent approach works better if you watch episode-length chunks, letting one sink in before going on. --Kim Newman
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
This is a beautiful production. As a fan of the book, this series doesn't disappoint. And, in particular, watching Smiley come to life through Alec Guinness' portrayal is nothing but pure pleasure to experience.
Rating: -
Many of the reviews on this page have covered the video in great detail. What I want to add is simply this: if you like acting at its highest level, if you enjoy intricate plots that require the viewer's rapt attention, if you enjoy superb detail and nuance, and, finally, if you enjoy a master dramatic craftsman--Alec Guiness--at the height of his acting prowess---then Smiley's people is a dvd you will treasure with each viewing. A great, great film...and a more than worthy successor to it's bookend ... Read More
Rating:  -
This DVD version has too much of the original program deleted. Had I never seen the original it wouldn't have mattered but the deleted parts added a lot to the story continuity. Like all John LeCarre stories with the plots and sub plots any deleted information detracts from the story.
Rating:  -
As an avid fan of Le Carre, I know the story front-to-back, book, VHS, and now DVD. Yes, I appreciate the improved video quality afforded by DVD, but I am sick at heart to know that some excellent scenes are gone. If I could be sure of getting my hands onto an "original edit" DVD, I'd return this one in a heartbeat. The editors should know better; with a story like this, it is ALL about the story. Leave it alone, even as you upgrade the technology. Five stars for original story and acting, minus two ... Read More
Rating: -
When I saw Tinker,Tailor,Soldier,Spy I wondered if Guinness and the cast and crew could better themselves with the sequel. That was going to be a tough assignment given how well the first series was done. But boy did they ever !! When Smiley's People aired on TV in 1983 it was met with immense critical acclaim and drew a huge audience as well. I remember watching actor Ray Miland do the intro to each weekly episode. As an actor himself you could see that he was in awe of this series and Guinness's performance. ... Read More
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