Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

John Hurt: Control

Photos 

Quotes 

• Control : I know that Moscow has planted a mole, and I know it is one of five men.

  [starts placing out chess pieces with photos on them] 

  Control : Alleline: Tinker. Haydon: Tailor. Bland: Soldier. We leave out "Sailor", too much like "Tailor". Esterhase: Poorman.

  Jim Prideaux : And the fifth?

  Control : Smiley.

• [from trailer] 

  Control : All I want from you is one codename: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier...

  George Smiley : ...Spy.

• Control : [pouring vodka generously into a punchbowl]  It'll take us five hours to get drunk on this monkey's piss!

• Control : [signs his resignation]  A man should know when to leave the party...

• George Smiley : [discussing the veracity of a new report]  Where did you get this?

  Control : I didn't. Percy and his little cabal walked in with it.

  Easterhase : Look, Control...

  Control : Shut up!

  Bill Haydon : Style, appalling. Blatantly a fabrication from beginning to end. Just could be the real thing.

  Control : Smiley is suspicious, Percy.

  George Smiley : Where did it come from? What's the access?

  Percy Alleline : A new secret source of mine.

  George Smiley : But how could he possibly have access?

  Percy Alleline : He has access to the most sensitive levels of policy making. We named the Operation Witchcraft.

  Control : Well, Percy and his pals bypassed us Smiley. Gone straight to the minister. Percy has been allowed to keep the identity of his new friend top secret.

• Control : Trust no one, Jim. Especially not in the mainstream. Sit down. I understand you still have one Hungarian identity running.

  Jim Prideaux : I do.

  Control : I want you to go to Budapest. This is not above board. Nobody else knows. They're after my head, Jim-boy. You understand? I have had an offer of service. A Hungarian general wants to come over. I would like you to meet him. He has some information that I need, Jim.

  Jim Prideaux : What information?

  Control : Treasure. He has the name of the mole the Russians have planted in the British intelligence service, right at the top of the Circus. There's a rotten apple, Jim. We have to find it.

• Percy Alleline : The Minister agrees with me that too many secrets are blowin' around here. Too much failure, too many scandals, too little solid intelligence.

  Roy Bland : Percy does have a point, Control. We should be fighting communism, not each other.

  Percy Alleline : Well, we're losing our reputation. Our partners.

  Control : [scoffs]  Your bloody Yanks!

  Percy Alleline : And we've had enough! There's going to be changes.

  Easterhase : We need to decide if we want to be part of the past or part of the future.

  Control : I should have left you where I found you.

  Easterhase : Look!

  Roy Bland : Control-...

  Control : Out! All of you!

• [first lines] 

  Control : [opening door]  You weren't followed?

  Jim Prideaux : No.

  Control : Better come in.