Colin Firth makes comments at Venice film festival premiere of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – a film which demands concentration
Colin Firth with the cast of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy at the Venice film festival. Photograph: Frederic Nebinger/Getty Images
Filmgoers are being underestimated by the movie industry and not being offered enough intelligent work that might require some concentration, the actor Colin Firth said at a screen version of John le Carré's classic spy novel was shown at the Venice film festival.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy had its world premiere in Venice, one of three British films in competition for the Golden Lion. As if on cue, the hot, muggy Italian weather that the city has had over the last five days was replaced by British rain and grey skies.
Firth spoke to journalists after the film's first screening, joined by the film's lead Gary Oldman – who plays George Smiley – and actors John Hurt, Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Strong.
It is a film which demands concentration and is far from fast-paced – the polar opposite of a Bond or a Bourne spy movie. But Firth said: "I do think there is a tendency to underestimate audiences, I do think there is an appetite to be stretched. I do think people want to hear language at its best on the screen. I'm optimistic about it having an enormous audience."
One reason a film had previously not been made of the novel was the brilliance of the 1979 TV series with Alec Guinness.
Director Tomas Alfredson, best known for Let the Right One In, told the Guardian of his first meeting with producer Tim Bevan: "We agreed that this was probably a totally impossible book to turn into a feature film, that it was almost blasphemous to try to introduce anyone else than Alec Guinness as George Smiley."
Oldman has turned in a particularly strong performance, gathering considerable praise from Le Carré himself.
Alfredson said of Oldman: "He knows he doesn't have to paint with all colours all the time. He has the courage of the experienced actor to give you fragments, bits and pieces for you to put together for yourself. I'm particularly impressed by his minimalistic body language, watch the man acting with his neck towards the camera."
Oldman conceded that the role of the quiet, steely Smiley was something of a departure. "I've played characters in the past that have been quite frenetic and express their emotions in a very physical way so this was a wonderful opportunity to play something very different from that. As an actor you are at the mercy of the industry and the imagination of the people that cast you."
He praised Christopher Nolan for casting him as the commissioner in Batman and now Alfredson for the Smiley casting.
Oldman said the Le Carré's book acted as a roadmap for him. "I really didn't work too much outside the book and the script."
It is a British film, produced by Working Title, but financed by Studio Canal of France – because Universal were not prepared to take the risk – and directed by a Swede.
The film's producer Tim Bevan, of Working Title, said he chose Alfredson to get a different perspective, much as Ang Lee was chosen to direct Sense and Sensibility and Shekhar Kapur directed Elizabeth, "to take a journey through our culture".
He added: "I felt very much that this was a piece that had been made for television in the 70s so wanted to find somebody with a very different sensibility to direct. He said Alfredson's' "absolutely forensic attention to detail" had been the making of the film.
Alfredson said too many filmmakers were influenced by other films and he was more influenced by art and music, but declined to say what they were.
The film was well received in Venice, as was the first British contender, Steve McQueen's contemporary portrayal of a sex addict, Shame, which premiered on Sunday.
Also up on Tuesday is Andrea Arnold's adaptation of Wuthering Heights which stars a black actor James Howson as Heathcliff in his first professional role.
Other films in competition for the awards given out on Saturday include Roman Polanski's Carnage, David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method and George Clooney's The Ides of March.
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
- Production year: 2011
- Country: UK
- Directors: Tomas Alfredson
- Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciaran Hinds, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, Mark Strong, Simon McBurney, Tom Hardy
Firth spoke to journalists after the film's first screening, joined by the film's lead Gary Oldman – who plays George Smiley – and actors John Hurt, Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Strong.
It is a film which demands concentration and is far from fast-paced – the polar opposite of a Bond or a Bourne spy movie. But Firth said: "I do think there is a tendency to underestimate audiences, I do think there is an appetite to be stretched. I do think people want to hear language at its best on the screen. I'm optimistic about it having an enormous audience."
One reason a film had previously not been made of the novel was the brilliance of the 1979 TV series with Alec Guinness.
Director Tomas Alfredson, best known for Let the Right One In, told the Guardian of his first meeting with producer Tim Bevan: "We agreed that this was probably a totally impossible book to turn into a feature film, that it was almost blasphemous to try to introduce anyone else than Alec Guinness as George Smiley."
Oldman has turned in a particularly strong performance, gathering considerable praise from Le Carré himself.
Alfredson said of Oldman: "He knows he doesn't have to paint with all colours all the time. He has the courage of the experienced actor to give you fragments, bits and pieces for you to put together for yourself. I'm particularly impressed by his minimalistic body language, watch the man acting with his neck towards the camera."
Oldman conceded that the role of the quiet, steely Smiley was something of a departure. "I've played characters in the past that have been quite frenetic and express their emotions in a very physical way so this was a wonderful opportunity to play something very different from that. As an actor you are at the mercy of the industry and the imagination of the people that cast you."
He praised Christopher Nolan for casting him as the commissioner in Batman and now Alfredson for the Smiley casting.
Oldman said the Le Carré's book acted as a roadmap for him. "I really didn't work too much outside the book and the script."
It is a British film, produced by Working Title, but financed by Studio Canal of France – because Universal were not prepared to take the risk – and directed by a Swede.
The film's producer Tim Bevan, of Working Title, said he chose Alfredson to get a different perspective, much as Ang Lee was chosen to direct Sense and Sensibility and Shekhar Kapur directed Elizabeth, "to take a journey through our culture".
He added: "I felt very much that this was a piece that had been made for television in the 70s so wanted to find somebody with a very different sensibility to direct. He said Alfredson's' "absolutely forensic attention to detail" had been the making of the film.
Alfredson said too many filmmakers were influenced by other films and he was more influenced by art and music, but declined to say what they were.
The film was well received in Venice, as was the first British contender, Steve McQueen's contemporary portrayal of a sex addict, Shame, which premiered on Sunday.
Also up on Tuesday is Andrea Arnold's adaptation of Wuthering Heights which stars a black actor James Howson as Heathcliff in his first professional role.
Other films in competition for the awards given out on Saturday include Roman Polanski's Carnage, David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method and George Clooney's The Ides of March.
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