Into a wilderness of mirrors: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and queer nostalgia

This article examines the role nostalgia plays in three versions of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: John le Carré’s original novel from 1974, John Irvin’s 1979 miniseries, and, especially, Tomas Alfredson’s 2011 film. Within Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’s complex, highly contrived and furtive masculine narrative – where affects are filtered, sublimated and repressed – appear significant forms of nostalgia. Moreover, in all versions of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy nostalgia is queered/queer at vital moments. Without queer forms of nostalgia, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy would be a different film – so too would be the original novel and its multiple adaptations.