Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Tomas Alfredson, 2011) / The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2006)

Given the overwhelming plaudits aimed at Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy it seems pointless just to rehash what seems like common consensus; this is not only a strongly acted and expertly scripted adaptation of Le Carre’s classic novel but is also filmic in the purest sense with each shot, each visual detail and look being integral to the whole.  Similarly, The Lives of Others, another recent Cold War tale, was released to a flurry of acclaim.  Alfredson’s film seems destined for awards recognition just as surely as the earlier film.

Although the two films deal with similar ideas, I think there is a crucial difference as The Lives of Others, well intentioned as it is with it’s ‘if only they were exposed to the right piece of art’ philosophy, is ultimately a film made empty by it’s ‘quality’ credentials.  It is ‘quality’ drama for exactly the same reason that Downton Abbey is; easy on the eye and deep because of the subject matter rather than what it has to say.  As well acted as it is, we start off in agreement that the East German state was not a terribly great thing and, lo and behold, end up having learnt nothing more.  It is cosy and nice to look at with a nice historical remove and, like Schindler’s List (1993), we can shake our heads and say ‘never again’ whilst identifying with person who did the right thing.

Where Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy succeeds is in the blurring of these lines.  It presents the Cold War as a cancer of paranoia infecting society from top to bottom and the sickness is visible in the smoke filled rooms.  This is a film where politics are personal and visa-versa and even the brief glimpses we get into two character’s homes show the taint of disease; in short, everyone is compromised and that, in-turn, compromises us.  Tales about good people and bad people are fun but they don’t do that, they let us off the hook.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is in cinemas now and The Lives of Others is available on DVD.

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