What influence did the actual spy incident have on “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”?

PAGES

2018.10.03Atsunobu Ushizu

The double agent incident that completely changed the atmosphere of society at the time.

Another thing to note is that when interpreting this film, we must also touch on the influence of the spies that were discovered one after another in the 1950s and 1960s. The five main characters are Kim Philby, Guy Burgess, Donald MacLean, Anthony Blunt, and John Cairncross. All of them studied at the prestigious University of Cambridge in the 1930s, and are collectively known as the "Cambridge Five."

They witnessed their country's economy suddenly drying up in the wake of the Great Depression, and they began to despair of the capitalism that had been touted up until now, were disappointed in the government, and even grew to hate the upper class in which they were born and raised. There are also people who have said that. In addition, he believed that communism was the only prescription for countering fascism, which was on the rise. The Soviet Union did not miss out on such students and skillfully recruited them while they were still in school. After The Graduate, these elites carried out espionage activities at the heart of the government for several decades from pre-war to post-war.

However, there is no such thing as a perfect lie. Most of them end up having a crack somewhere. In the 1950s, Burgess and MacLean defected to the Soviet Union, where they were suspected and pursued. The fact that they held a press conference there and asserted their legitimacy caused a shock. Furthermore, Philby, the leader who led them to join communism, is said to have been a key person in the intelligence department who was able to handle extremely high-level information. His true identity was revealed by a high-ranking official who defected to the West, and in the 1960s he defected to the Soviet Union. It is said that he was active in various situations in the country, giving interviews, providing comments, and even writing an autobiography.

In fact, in the UK, various dramas and movies sometimes incorporate elements that could be called ``the thorns of the times.'' For example, `` Another Country '' (1984), a monumental work representing the 1980s, is a film adaptation of a play based on Guy Burgess, and depicts his gradual descent into communism. In the movie `` The Imitation The Game'' (2014), John Cairncross, a member of the Cambridge Five, appears at Bletchley Park, a top-secret facility that decodes Nazi codes. Furthermore, in the part of the film set in the 1950s, the period is set just after Burgess and MacLean defected, and the paranoia of ``where in society might a spy be lurking'' creates another tragedy. It turns out.

And then there's the important "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy of Betrayal." Regarding the double agent (who is codenamed ``Gerald'' in the original story), who is revealed at the climax, John le Carré wrote many parts with Kim Philby, the leader of the ``Cambridge Five,'' in mind. It seems like it was. For this reason, the actor who played this role in the movie (I won't name him because it would be a spoiler) said, ``When preparing for the role, I researched Kim Philby and used it as a great reference.''

le Carré's unique gaze on traitors

PAGES