I had these custom made by hand in Russia in replication of ones
used in the opening credits of the original Tinker Tailor series

First off, let's congratulate whomever came up with the Open Call question on releasing one of the all time worst movie spoilers!!!! Are you nuts? Tinker Tailor has many parts, including character and atmosphere, but the plot is as important as any of them. As I said in my first Tinker post, the revelation of the mole had me on my seat in one of the greatest movie climaxes I'd ever experienced.

Un-fricking-believable to reveal that up front.

As for the specious question, the simple answer is "No". It's sort of like asking, "If I hold the hands on the clock still, will time stop?" The two seem related on the surface but the reality is there is no connection.

John le Carré is a faithful and astute student of human psychology. He realizes psychological realities are just as real as any lead bullet - and can be just as deadly. In light of this, one cannot just "suppose anything" and deem it relevant. Assumptions must fit within the bounds of the realities of the character's behavior.

Let's start with "Bloody Bill Haydon". He's a man who has centered the best part of his life around the monuments he's built to his keen intellect. There are many smart sorts in the Service, but Bill is a star among stars. His sharp eyes and even sharper tongue don't miss a thing. But what is Bill's greatest treasure of all - his "gold dust" have you - but the fact he's pulling the wool over the entire British Secret Service!

American traitor Robert Hanssen mentioned his secret thrill in leading the hunt to find the FBI's leak to Russian intelligence when he in fact was that leak! Since le Carré always writes with fidelity to the character’s psychological reality, there's no way Bill Haydon would have jeopardized his most prized possession with careless pillow talk!

George Smiley is quite the wiley soul himself, and as the #2 man in the Circus even a whiff of something out of the ordinary would have blown Bill's cover in a heartbeat. Would Bill risk that by asking George's wife to help him? Not bloody likely! Especially since Bill could read the mercurial nature of George and Ann's marriage and know even if she swore fealty to Bill's secret she might betray that knowledge in a fit of pique.

And lastly, how could Ann help Bill anyway? Is the naturally secretive George Smiley going to casually bring his work home? Is he going to reveal things to her so secret not even one of his closest colleagues could know? Fact is, it would be almost impossible for anyone in the Circus to keep a secret from Bill - as witnessed by his knowledge of Control's sleuthing to find a mole.

Bill had no use for anyone but himself when it came to spying. Being in his own secret world, charading his way through so many perceptive and suspicious minds on a daily basis, being hailed as a hero in the Soviet Union - these were the devils and delights driving him onward in thrilling rot unnoticed. At the end of the day, Bill Haydon stood alone having even betrayed his closest ally, Jim Prideaux.

A better question might be: Just how is a cold war film relevant in a world of shattered superpowers dominated by guerilla tactics and small terrorist bands?

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