Never saw other versions; confused by this one

Rating: 5/10 (12 January 2012)

I saw this movie with three other adults, including two with doctorates. We watch sophisticated movies and understand them. None of us had seen any other versions of "Tinker, Tailor ..." and only one had read the book, a long time ago. After the movie, our discussion centered on "what happened in this film?" Evidently, the story had been whittled down to bare bones. I sensed there was much more to know about the three Circus members being investigated - especially the tall one,who, at least in this version of the story, had very little to do.I realized the heavy-set woman in the big ramshackle country home had more significance than apparent from her one scene substantial scene. How about the young man who went to the Soviet Union and fell in love with the blonde --was he a defector or not? We did understand that Ann was chronically unfaithful; that someone told the Hungarians Prideux was coming; that Peter had to give up his lover; and, most of all, that England in the 1970s was a filthy, depressing place. In summary, I do not think this movie stands on its own. A person should not have to study previous versions of the story to understand what is going on!