The recent release of Smiley's People on Acorn Video DVD contains the sex club scene in Germany deleted in the U.S. broadcast but sadly deletes or cuts too many of the scenes that build suspense in this complex thriller.
After Smiley retrieves the negative in Hampstead Heath he is shown purchasing the chemicals to develop the negative and subsequently developing it in his flat. Deleting this progression during this tense period when Smiley is fearing for his life, takes away from seeing Smiley at his best -- still capable of slow methodical work, even under life threatening pressure.
In Switzerland, the scenes establishing Gregorev's wife as a witch are truncated. In particular, the scene where she is seen hitting two cars in order to park is reduced to one frame at the end of the scene. This missing scene explains the applause when gregorev finally tells off his wife during the interrogation and Smiley offers him refuge in the West "with or without his wife".
The scene where Smiley goes to meet Lady Anne at her uncle's estate deletes Smiley meeting the aged uncle whom he was always fond of. Thus, we are denied the realization that Smiley, in totally ending it with Anne is suffering some loss too.
Acorn Video in cutting these and other scenes in their DVD release of Smiley's People has in effect taken away from the brilliance of this complex masterpiece, as the Acorn DVD will probably be established as the definitive work. A pity.
After Smiley retrieves the negative in Hampstead Heath he is shown purchasing the chemicals to develop the negative and subsequently developing it in his flat. Deleting this progression during this tense period when Smiley is fearing for his life, takes away from seeing Smiley at his best -- still capable of slow methodical work, even under life threatening pressure.
In Switzerland, the scenes establishing Gregorev's wife as a witch are truncated. In particular, the scene where she is seen hitting two cars in order to park is reduced to one frame at the end of the scene. This missing scene explains the applause when gregorev finally tells off his wife during the interrogation and Smiley offers him refuge in the West "with or without his wife".
The scene where Smiley goes to meet Lady Anne at her uncle's estate deletes Smiley meeting the aged uncle whom he was always fond of. Thus, we are denied the realization that Smiley, in totally ending it with Anne is suffering some loss too.
Acorn Video in cutting these and other scenes in their DVD release of Smiley's People has in effect taken away from the brilliance of this complex masterpiece, as the Acorn DVD will probably be established as the definitive work. A pity.