In the book and in the 1979 TV version, Smiley never goes to see Ricki Tarr alone, perhaps because of his erratic reputation. Also witnesses for Tarr's revelations may be needed.
I thought they were both excellent. Hard to compare a film to a miniseries. Apples and oranges. I thought the casting in the film was superior. I thought Control in the film was much better than the miniseries. I thought Jim in the film (Mark Strong) was better. I thought Roy Bland in the miniseries was BADLY cast. The guy looked like a cheap used car salesman as opposed to a spy master. And I thought the actor who played Alleline in the miniseries did a poor job. Nonetheless I enjoyed both versions.
