How did Smiley capture the mole?

How did Smiley capture the mole? - Two Yellow Emoji on Yellow Case

This question is based on the 2011 film of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" with Gary Oldman (which I just watched). As for the 1979 BBC series with Alec Guinness, or the original novel, I haven't watched or read.

How did Smiley capture Bill Haydon, the mole?

So in the airport Toby Esterhase was scared and revealed to Smiley the address of the London safe house of the Witchcraft operation.

Then Smiley started to lay the trap that eventually unmasks the mole. But how was this done indeed?

Seems Smiley sent Ricki Tarr to Paris, releasing some false information that he knows who the mole is, "to shake the tree".

Then Smiley stand by a phone all the time, someone (who?) informed him that "a full house" is, ie all the suspects gathered at the safehouse.

Then Smiley holds a gun in a room, and Peter outside the building -- where are they? at Alexei Polyakov's place?

So how did Bill Haydon ("Tailor") stepped into the trap? Did he come to Alexei's place to inform him?

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Some says Bill and Alexei met at the safe house: "Fearing that he is about to be exposed, the mole meets Polyakov at the safe house where they are arrested by Smiley, revealing himself to be Haydon." But wouldn't that be risky?



Best Answer

"Fearing that he is about to be exposed, the mole meets Polyakov at the safe house where they are arrested by Smiley, revealing himself to be Haydon." But wouldn't that be risky?

Would it be risky?

As far as anyone knows, Haydon is meeting Polyakov at the safe house as part of his job.

It's only the audience who know that, in fact, Haydon is giving Polyakov valuable information as the mole in return for trivial information in return.

Smiley informs Lacon and the Minister that Alleline, Haydon, Bland and Esterhase have been exchanging low-grade British intelligence with Polyakov, the Witchcraft source. In reality Polyakov is receiving valuable information from the mole, and his intelligence is trivial "glitter", to lure the CIA into sharing intelligence with Britain, which the mole can then leak.

Smiley threatens Esterhase with deportation to obtain the Witchcraft safe house address. Tarr visits the Paris station and informs London that he has vital information. Smiley waits at the safe house for the mole to alert Polyakov that Tarr is about to blow their cover, and arrests Haydon at gunpoint.

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Why did Prideaux shoot Haydon?

Prideaux does not kill Haydon because he was a traitor to his country, he kills him because he was a traitor to him personally, not just by giving him up to the Russians in Budapest, but because he refused to respond to Prideaux's homosexual feelings towards him and forced Prideaux to suppress his authentic self.

Who was the mole in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Book?

Bill Haydon (a.k.a Tailor) is the main antagonist of John le Carr\xe9's 1974 novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Haydon is considered one of the ablest figures in the "Circus" but it is George Smiley who becomes Control's right-hand (Senior civil servant Olivier Lacon's remark to Smiley: "[Control] prefered you to Haydon").

What is the story behind Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy?

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a 1974 spy novel by British-Irish author John le Carr\xe9. It follows the endeavours of taciturn, aging spymaster George Smiley to uncover a Soviet mole in the British Secret Intelligence Service.

Did Prideaux know Haydon was the mole?

Smiley learns that Prideaux informed Haydon of Testify before departing; Prideaux had independently surmised that Haydon was the mole, and wanted to warn him about the potential his cover might be blown.



Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Ending Explained Review + The Chronological Order Of The Film




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