Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Film Noir movie)

For my movie this weekend I watched Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The film opens with a close up shot on a conversation between two men, with one dispatching the other (whom he calls Jim) to Budapest to meet up with a Hungarian general to receive information. This is followed by Jim in Budapest, following the man he is supposed to contact in a series of far away shots that are quickly cut together one after another, making it incredibly difficult to follow. Eventually they sit down in the cafe, and the far away shot gradually gets closer as we hear their conversation. It then cuts to a series of zoom ins on surrounding people, with ominous music playing in the background. Jim gets up to leave, but is stopped and shot by the waiter, who had been sweating profusely. The film then returns to London at MI6, where the man who sent Jim (now referred to by the others as Control) is explaining what happened to the others and trying to defend himself. Ultimately he is forced out, and Smiley, his right hand man, is forced out with him. They then follow this with a series of far away shots cut together rapidly(a common tool in this movie to create confusion) that show a series of activities, none of which are explained by any kind of dialogue. Ultimately though it becomes clear that control killed himself and Smiley is going about his daily routine. Tools like these types of shots, the lack of dialogue in certain scenes throughout the movie, the dumping of almost a dozen unintroduced characters at once and seamless transitions between flashbacks and the present combine to create this feeling of absolute and utter confusion, and it's masterful. This confusion is perfect for a spy thriller because it creates this sense of mystery and intrigue, and recreates the feeling of uncertainty and confusion that are felt by those engaged in real life espionage. Over time, this confusion is lessened little by little until at the very end the mystery of who the mole is is revealed, and the shots progress with the story. The movie begins with lots of far away shots mixed in with a few middle and close up ones, but as the viewer gets more and more clarity on the situation and understands more, the camera shots become closer and closer until a majority at the end are very very close up shots. At the end of these unexplained shots, the viewer is informed in a budget meeting that a year has passed since the death of Jim Prideaux, and the new leaders of the agency are arguing for more funding for a top secret intelligence gathering operation referred to as Witchcraft. Smiley is called in secretly by the under secretary to investigate the possibility of there being a mole in MI6, the theory control was exploring when he sent Prideaux to Budapest. Smiley enlists the help of another agency man named Peter Guillam, who became involved when an agent he used to work with named Ricki Tarr, who had gone off the grid, reappears and calls the agency. Everyone believes that Tarr was turned and had defected to the Soviet Union because his fellow agent had been found murdered, but Smiley and Guillam discover that he was actually set up because he discovered information about the mole in MI6, who was reporting back to a top Russian intelligence agent known by the name Karla. After investigating through stealing files and speaking to old friends, they ultimately uncover the fact that all the other leaders on MI6 under control, were conspiring together to pass information onto Karla under the guise of operation Witchcraft. It is also discovered that Prideaux is alive, and that partner was also a mole who had sold him out to the Soviets. The movie ends with a series of scenes rolling with Beyond the Sea playing in the background, the first happy soundtrack of the film. In scene after scene, it shows the conspirators being rooted out, with Prideaux shooting his former partner, and ends with Smiley walking into the same meeting room from the beginning, with control now dead and all the others arrested, he sits in control's old to chair to signify his new position of leadership, and the film ends. This film is a masterful piece that makes perfect use of suspense and intrigue to captivate the viewer throughout the movie. I would give this film a 9 out 10 and would definitely watch it again.