Original subtitles

- The facts were known, man.

Toby ordered me not to approach anyone

or to try and make my story heard.

The Circus was back in the road.

I could forget Tinker, Taylor, the whole damn game:

moles, everything.

"Drop out," he said.

"You're a lucky man, Jim.

"Forget it, right?

Forget it."

- So Toby actually mentioned Tinker, Tailor to you.

How ever did he get hold of that?

- That's what I've been doing.

Obeying orders and forgetting.

[bell ringing]

[people speaking indistinctly]

[engine turning over]

[glass shattering]

- You told Prideaux to forget about Tinker, Tailor.

Where did that come from?

- I never knew what that meant.

Now, George, that's the truth.

- Poor Toby.

Yes, I do see.

What a dog's life you must have been leading,

running between them all.

- George, if there's anything I can do of a practical nature,

now, you know me, George.

My boys are pretty well trained.

If you want to borrow them,

I'd have to speak to Lacon, of course.

Well, you'd expect that.

All I want is for this thing to be cleared up.

For the good of the Circus, I want nothing for myself.

- Where's this safe house you keep exclusively

for meeting Polyakov?

- 5, Lock Gardens, Camden Town.

- You're going to be staying here for a night or two.

Fawn will look after you.

- Fawn.

- You'll have to make explanations to the Circus

by telephone.

You're having girl trouble,

or whatever sort of trouble you're in these days.

Then there's your wife, of course.

- Yes, George, I can look after that.

- If he's any bother, Fawn, use your own discretion.

- Peter, I want you to watch my back.

Will you do that for me?

Look for one man, but look.

- We'll draw it up at Sussex Gardens.

[intense instrumental music]

II

[suspenseful instrumental music]

II

[siren wailing]

- Same as you, George.

Just a feeling.

Someone, but I couldn't say for certain.

- I covered both of you right to the front door.

If either of you did have company, he's cleverer than me.

That's been done.

Do you have anyone particular in mind?

Shall I go down to pavement level,

take a sniff?

- Well, proceed? - Yes.

- Right.

Now, the minister has one major worry.

In his own words, "How much porcelain gets broken

at the end of the day?"

Scandal he's talking about.

If we unmask the mole, are the Russians

going to cut their loses by telling the press of the world

how they've made fools of us all this time?

- I think not.

If you make your enemy look stupid,

you lose the justification for taking him on.

- Yes, I've told him that, George.

- So isn't his mind at rest?

- He hopes there will be nothing messy, George,

nothing that could provoke Moscow.

- But proceed? - Heavens yes.

- Clean the stables. - Mm-hmm.

- Problem: flush out the mole.

- Method.

- We need to alarm him just sufficiently

to make him call for a crash meeting with Polyakov

at the safe house,

a meeting Gerald the mole needs all to himself,

secret from the rest of the Witchcraft magic circle.

There are two of them and Alleline.

- We have definitely cleared Esterhase?

- Oh, yes.

- Thank you.

- Karla really did bring off the perfect fix...for a while.

It would be beautiful in another context.

- Tinker, Alleline; Tailor, Haydon;

Soldier, Bland.

Spot the mole.

- Quite. Ways and means, George.

- Ricki Tarr will go to Paris.

He'll make use of the appropriate embassy facilities

to send a signal to the head of London Station.

"Something, something, something,"

which we'll now concoct.

[train brakes screeching]

[intense instrumental music]

II

[seagulls cawing]

- Message will be, "Have information

"vital to the safeguarding of the Service.

Request immediate meeting. Personal."

Remember, "Vital to the safeguarding of the Service."

- It's even true.

- Don't forget that.

No mistakes, Ricki.

Your head's on the block.

- I'm not the only one, Peter.

[typewriter clicking]

- Check, Peter.

Toby Esterhase did say, "Two full milk bottles

and all's well and you may enter," yes?

- Yes, George. And that's the second time.

- Is it?

Well, let's not pretend we're not nervous.

- Check, George.

- Ready? Drew a cord?

Shall we try it?

I'll go upstairs.

- What would you like, Monteverdi, Irving Berlin,

Mick Jagger?

- This machinery, installed at great expense

to the British taxpayer, is voice-activated.

When I stop speaking, the tape will stop recording.

See?

♪ Old Man River ♪

♪ That Old Man River ♪

♪ He just keeps rolling ♪

♪ De-de-de-de-de-de-de-de-de ♪

♪ De-de-de-de-de-de-deed le-d um ♪

[intense instrumental music]

II

- Hello, here's something.

Soldiefs just arriving.

That's all three of them in there now.

And to start his orders.

- The important point is, who gets away first?

Just going for a walk. Back with you in a minute.

[siren wailing]

Peter.

All clear?

- As far as I can judge. No promises.

- I think you should come down now.

- Proceed? - Proceed.

[siren wailing]

[gun clicks] - What's that?

- Nothing. Just fiddling.

[sun clicks]

- You there?

- Yes.

- Someone just leaving.

Can't quite make him out.

Called a taxi right to the door.

Cheeky.

- Thank you. Joints.

[intense instrumental music]

II

[engine idling]

[car door slams]

[car door slams]

[car door slams]

[door rattling]

[door thuds]

[metallic clanking]

[cat yowling]

- [speaking Russian]

- [speaking Russian]

- [speaking Russian]

- Scotch. Bloody great big one.

- Have you anything on you that you would prefer I should...

[intense instrumental music]

- Alleline go to Paris?

- He's got to.

He'll delay just long enough to keep his dignity.

He can't jump the moment Ricki Tarr tells him to.

And he knows Tarr would never stick his neck out...

[intense instrumental music]

Something to buy back his good name and then some.

[intense instrumental music]

II

- Know what it is.

Karla's got 24 hours to pull me out.

[intense instrumental music]

II

- You, you, you.

You butchered my agents.

How many since?

How many?

200?

300?

400?

- Stop that! - All right, all right!

- Are you armed, Bill?

- I'm a Soviet diplomat.

This behavior- - Shut up!

- Peter, will you please telephone Percy Alleline

and ask him and Roy Bland to come here immediately

then Lacon, then Toby Esterhase.

I think the first thing to do

is to play them this evening's tapes.

That should save a great deal of time in explanations.

- [speaking Russian]

- Aleks, really.

Oh, they're on.

Do you mind if I finish my drink, George?

- There was no one out there you noticed?

- Quiet as a grave.

" VeTY proper. George.

Don't want anything irrelevant, do we?

Very tidy, George.

- Did Alleline go to Paris?

- He's got to.

He'll delay just long enough to keep his dignity.

He can't jump the moment Ricki Tarr tells him to.

But he knows Tarr would never stick his neck out like this

unless he's got something precious.

Something to buy back his good name and then some.

And you and I know what it is.

Karla's got 24 hours to pull me out.

The time has come, Aleks.

- Well, that's that.

Congratulations, George.

- Next step, gentlemen.

- Would you agree with me, Percy, that our best course

is to make some positive use of Bill Haydon?

We need to salvage whatever's left

of the networks he's betrayed.

- Yes.

- We sell Bill to Moscow Center

for as many of our men in the field as can be saved

for humanitarian reasons.

Professionally, of course, they're finished.

- Quite.

- And the sooner you open negotiations with Karla,

the better.

Well, you're much better placed to talk terms

with our friend downstairs than I am.

Polyakov remains your direct link with Karla.

- The only difference is, this time you'll know it.

It's definitely your job, Percy.

You're still chief, officially...

for the moment.

- Very well, George.

- Excuse me, sir.

Mr. Guillam says, "Is it all right if the inquisitors

take Mr. Haydon away and out?"

[train clattering]

- Shall I go first?

All the best, Percy.

- I want Fawn to stay with it.

[ominous music]

II

- I'm sorry about the assault.

Unprofessional.

It was just that it would have to be Bill Haydon, wouldn't it?

He was always our hero in capital letters.

I mean, for the younger lot.

My kind, anyway-

The antiquated English patriot.

Never mind all the dirt we have to do.

It's for England.

The funny thing about all this.

It's quite an effort now not to think of him with affection.

[match sizzling]

- I suppose Bill would say that means you've grown up, Peter.

- Always good for a laugh, wasn't he, Bill?

- I'd like to thank you, by the way.

You helped enormously.

No, truly, Peter.

[bird cawing]

[foreboding music]

II

[bird cawing]

[horn honking]

- Lacon assures me there's been no coercion.

I hope that's true.

- Oh, yes. No complaints, George.

Bit of a nosebleed. Keep feeling dizzy.

I'm sure it's just the excitement of it all.

- Why have you been weeping?

- Sheer exasperation.

Really, the pettiness of our inquisitors.

They're not only incompetent,

they actually believe I know the names

of Karla's other moles around the world.

Idiots.

I can't talk to people like that.

- But you're prepared to say something to me,

according to Lacon.

- Can't Percy get a move on

doing his horse trading with Karla?

- Oh, I'm sure it will only be a matter of a day or two now.

[phone ringing]

- What do you want to know?

- Oh, why? When?

How?

- [laughs] Why'?

You ask that?

Because it was necessary!

That's why.

Someone had to.

We were bluffed.

You, me, Control, all of us.

The Circus talent spotters all those years ago,

they picked us when we were golden with hope,

told us we were on our way to the Holy Grail,

a lifetime of glory in front of us,

service to the great cause,

freedom's protectors.

[sobbing]

Oh, my God.

What a question.

Why'?

[sighs]

Do you know what's killing Western democracy, George?

Greed and constipation-

moral, political, ascetic.

I hate America very deeply,

the economic repression of the masses,

institutionalized.

Even Lenin couldn't foresee the extent of that.

Britain, oh, dear,

no viability whatever in world affairs.

I suppose that's when it began,

turning my eyes to the east, I mean,

and I saw how trivial we'd become as a nation,

say, mid-'40s.

By 1950, I was slipping Karla

occasional gifts of intelligence,

carefully selected morsels to help the Russian cause

against America.

At that time, I was scrupulous not to give Moscow

anything harmful to ourselves:

our own agents in the field.

I still believe the secret services

are the only real expression of a nation's character.

Until the mid-'50s, I still had hopes,

lingering loyalty to what we represented.

Self-delusion, of course.

We were already America's streetwalkers.

I was granted Soviet citizenship 12 years ago.

They're giving me a couple of medals.

- What medals?

- I didn't ask him. Does it matter?

- Quite a lot to Bill, one supposes.

- Possibly.

- We're going to get a bit more from him, I hope.

I do hope so, George.

- He's right about the state of affairs down there.

Slovenly.

They don't even patrol the perimeter day or night.

I have mentioned it.

- The thinking on Sarratt is that it should be

as inconspicuous as possible.

- I'm concerned for Hayden's safety.

- Aren't you being a little overdramatic?

The only place he can go to is Russia,

and they're sending him there anyway.

The number of people who need to be told about all this,

as we agree, must be kept as small as possible.

I suppose your wife will have to be among them.

I know you told me she and Haydon

were over and done with now, as you said,

but there's always the unknown factor in matters of the heart,

isn't there?

I'm thinking about the future,

any possible further contact,

and if Ann doesn't know...

she does meet so many different sorts of people.

- She gets around.

- I'm sorry, George.

- Not at all.

I quite take your point.

Ann must let us know of any approach

directly or indirectly made by or on behalf of...

- Exactly.

- Or even apparently on behalf of

or merely concerning Bill Haydon.

- Thank you.

- I was going to tell her anyway.

You might call it balancing the books.

- Absolutely.

You know, George, one thing perplexes me

more than anything else about the mole conspiracy.

Karla devised Operation Witchcraft

primarily as a means of putting poor Percy Alleline

on Control's throne.

But why didn't Karla want Haydon to take over the Circus himself?

It surly would have been less difficult to arrange

with all Bill's acknowledged accomplishments.

- No, no.

We had the perfect setup.

Percy made the running. I slipstreamed behind him.

Roy and Toby did the legwork.

Far better for me to remain the freewheeling subordinate,

the laughing cavalier.

Being in charge could have bogged me down.

Too much admin, diary full of meetings, dinners,

chewing the cud in Whitehall.

- Never happened to Control.

- A natural recluse, Control.

I couldn't have behaved like that and got away with it.

No, no, George.

Karla and I agree.

I'd have been wasted as chief.

Could have done it, of course.

- Of course.

- I'd like to go inside now.

[airplane engine roaring]

- Some of that rain will be turning to snow.

So let's put some detail on the weather now for you.

Increasingly, I think you'll see a pretty miserable picture

of the whole country covered in clouds and rain.

- Yes, you're right.

The Czechoslovakian business was a bit of a desperate throw,

but something pretty bold was called for.

I was certain Control was getting very warm indeed.

All that burrowing in the files he was doing.

It was paying off, I knew.

He'd built up an incomputably impressive inventory

of the number of operations

I'd either blown or managed to cripple.

And then, of course, he was narrowing his field of suspects,

a short list of officers of a certain age, experience, rank.

Mm.

He did well, considering he was so ill.

Surprised Karla.

- Was the offer of information from General Stevcek genuine?

- Good Lord, no.

It was a fix from start to finish.

Stevcek existed, of course. Still does.

Very distinguished man.

But he never offered anything to Control or anybody else.

Did you expect Control to send Jim Prideaux?

- Well, obviously, we needed to be certain

Control would rise to the bait.

We had to spell it out that he'd got to send a big gun

to make the story stick.

And we knew he'd only settle for someone outside London Station,

someone he trusted.

- And someone who spoke Czech, of course.

- Naturally.

It had to be a man who was old Circus,

to bring the temple down a bit.

- Yes, I see the logic of that.

- Bloody hell.

[dog barking]

- It was, perhaps, the most famous partnership

the Circus ever had.

You and Jim back in the old days.

The Iron Fist and the Iron Glove.

Who was it who coined that?

- I got him home, didn't I?

- Yes.

That was good of you.

- The thing with Ann was Karla's idea.

- Was it? - Yes.

Did you think it was hers?

[bird cawing]

The point was, Karla always thought if there was a threat,

it would come from you.

He said you were quite good,

but that you had this one weak spot: Ann.

It was a double fix actually.

On the one hand, you weren't likely

to think of me as a Circus spy if you were preoccupied

with what your wife and I got up to in bed.

And on the other, if it was well-known around the place

that I was her lover,

it was bound to look like personal vengeance

if you ever did suggest I might be the mole.

So Karla said not to strain it,

but, if possible,

join the queue.

Point?

- Point.

Presumably, it was on Karla's instructions

you were with Ann on the night of the Prideaux shootout

as insurance.

- Oh, yes. He was adamant on that.

[airplane engine roaring]

[sighs] They tell me I could be away tomorrow

or the day after at the latest.

Can you make sure any mail gets forwarded from my club?

Oh, and the balance of my salary, of course.

- I will.

Anything else?

- Oh, yes. Nearly forgot.

You got a pen somewhere?

Thanks.

Girlfriend.

Give her this.

"I'm away on work of national importance...

maybe for years."

So she can forget me.

And I can't take her with me, can I?

Even if I could, she'd be a bloody millstone.

Oh, and, um...

There's one particular boy.

A cherub but no angel.

I've been seeing a lot of him.

You better give him a couple of hundred.

Can you do that out of the reptile fund?

- I would think so.

- Good.

Oh, God, I'm tired.

" MY Pen. please.

- What?

Oh. [chuckles]

Certainly.

Sorry--

- Thank you.

[laughter]

[ominous music]

♪♪

- Don't look around, Bill.

- Oh, it's you, Jim.

Come to say good-bye?

Nice of you.

I'm glad to see you haven't lost your touch.

Must be in pretty good shape.

- Why did you get me back?

- I couldn't leave you rotting in a Czech prison.

- Russian.

Why didn't Karla finish me off?

Was that out of delicacy to you?

Wasn't that, was it?

You both thought that a corpse might create a lot more fuss

than just another repatriated harmless cripple, didn't you?

- The shooting wasn't part of the plan, Jim.

- No, not the shooting...

but everything else.

" [grunts]

- "And that food shall be for a store to the land

"against the seven years of famine

"which shall be in the land of Egypt

"that the land perish not through the famine.

"And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh

"and in the eyes of all his servants.

"And Pharaoh said unto his servants,

"'Can we find such a one as this,

"a man in whom the spirit of God is?'

"And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,

"'For as much as God hath shewed thee all this...

"'For as much as Goth- God hath shewed...

"'For as much as-

"'For as much as God hath sh-sh-shewed...

- "'For as much as God hath showed thee all this..."'

- "'For as much as God hath showed thee all this,

"'there is none so discreet and wise as thou art.

"'Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word,

"'shall all my people be ruled.

Only in the throne will I be greater than thou."'

- It seems that at half past 10:00,

Haydon told the guards he felt a bit sick,

and he thought a breath of air would help him.

Because his case was now considered closed,

they saw no reason to tear themselves away

from some horror film that had just started on the television.

And they let him wander off.

Half an hour later, they thought

they'd better go and look for him.

He'd received no letters, messages, during the day.

I was the only outsider to see him.

But his suit had come back from the cleaners.

Possibly, a message was concealed in it

inviting him to a rendezvous.

The guards had not inspected the suit before giving it to him.

I'm afraid that doesn't surprise me.

Any comments, anyone?

- What if someone went to the cleaners,

said he'd lost his ticket,

and could he look through the stuff ready for collection?

[clears throat] That's one way.

- Would the Russians kill Haydon?

- It gives Karla all the reason he needs

to cancel the deal on our networks.

- But Moscow Center prides itself

on getting its people back.

- Important point, Roy.

' [sighs]

Well, who then?

- We will all, of course, have to account for our movements

last night.

Necessary formality.

Also, Mendel, Fawn, Ricki Tarr.

Then, as to the future, I've been asked

to look after things for a while.

I'd like everyone to take some leave.

And afterwards, there will be some redeployment...

For those of you who wish to remain with the service.

[intense instrumental music]

II

- George.

Hello.

- Ann.

- Just the same.

- You too. - [chuckles]

- No, um, Julian? Was that his name?

- Jake.

And no Jake. Gone.

Actually, he got a job somewhere.

I'm quite free at the moment.

Enjoying it.

Uncle Guzzleguts is away too. Madrid.

So I've got the house all to myself.

- I brought you this.

It goes, um...

- Oh, George.

Very nice of you.

Well, what's been happening?

How have you all been?

[bell tolling]

Did Bill say anything about me?

I mean, me as a person, what he thought about me?

- Not really.

- Are you glad he's dead?

Please, don't say, "Not really."

- No, I'm not glad.

There was a moment when I knew,

when I heard his voice talking to Polyakov.

Just for a moment, I wanted to shoot him,

but it passed.

- Bill betrayed totally, didn't he, everything, everyone?

Was he taking some kind of revenge?

- He must have talked to you quite a lot.

- Should I have passed all that on to you?

Pillow talk.

Describe Bill.

- Yet another man trying to find a little place in history.

- Ah, but, George, Bill is standing at the center

of some secret stage playing world against world.

He had a wonderful time.

He enjoyed himself.

He loved being a traitor.

I'm glad he's dead. His life was over.

I'm glad for him.

- Did you love him?

Ann, did you?

- No, George.

Poor George.

Life's such a puzzle to you, isn't it?

[Song of Simeon]

- ♪ Lord ♪

♪ Now lettest thou ♪

♪ Thy servant ♪

♪ Depart in peace ♪

II

♪ According to Thy word ♪

II

♪ For mine eyes ♪

♪ Have seen Thy salvation ♪

II

♪ Which Thou hast prepared ♪

♪ Before the face ♪

♪ Of all people ♪

II

♪ To be a light ♪

♪ To lighten ♪

♪ The Gentiles ♪

♪ And to be the glory ♪

♪ Of Thy people ♪

♪ Israel ♪

II

♪ Glory be to the Father ♪

♪ And to the Son ♪

♪ And to the Holy Ghost ♪

♪ As it was in the beginning ♪

♪ ls now and ever shall be ♪

II

♪ World without end ♪

♪ Amen ♪