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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy script analysis

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy follows George Smiley’s painstaking hunt for a Soviet mole at the highest levels of British intelligence. After Control’s fall, Smiley assembles a small team to sift through old cases, leading him across Europe to a fateful ambush in Budapest. Betrayals mount as Smiley pieces together clues from Prideaux’s mission, Tarr’s defection, and Esterhase’s doubts. The climax at a deserted airfield and the final reunion at Sarratt deliver a quiet but devastating confrontation.

45 Save the Cat fit score 12% analysis confidence / 189 parsed scenes

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1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

10%

A somber goodbye at the Circus sets the tone of loss and betrayal.

2

Theme Stated

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 5% target

10%

Control’s resignation hints at the cost of loyalty and the danger of internal betrayal.

3

Set-Up

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 10% target

10%

Smiley returns home, discovers his personal world in disarray, and begins hearing of a mole.

4

Catalyst

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 12% target

10%

Ricki Tarr’s message about a defecting Soviet agent forces Smiley back into service.

5

Debate

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 20% target

10%

Smiley questions his own relevance and hesitates before mounting an official inquiry.

6

Break into Two

Scene 2 / Page 2 / 25% target

10%

Smiley formally begins the operation, sending Prideaux back to Budapest.

7

B Story

Scene 2 / Page 2 / 30% target

10%

The B-story with Tarr and Irina illustrates personal stakes and the human cost of espionage.

8

Fun and Games

Scenes 2-3 / Pages 2-3 / 40% target

10%

Smiley’s team runs surveillance, file swaps, and covert operations within the Circus.

9

Midpoint

Scene 3 / Page 3 / 50% target

10%

Prideaux is ambushed in the Galeria, shifting the investigation from theory to tragic reality.

10

Bad Guys Close In

Scenes 3-4 / Pages 3-4 / 65% target

10%

Haydon consolidates power and obstructs Smiley’s progress, tightening the noose.

11

All Is Lost

Scene 4 / Page 4 / 75% target

10%

Smiley confronts his superiors and the Witchcraft operation appears a dead end.

12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scene 5 / Page 5 / 80% target

10%

Prideaux languishes in Soviet captivity, reflecting on betrayal and failure.

13

Break into Three

Scene 8 / Page 8 / 85% target

10%

Cracks in Esterhase’s loyalty lead to the discovery of the mole’s true identity.

14

Finale

Scene 10 / Page 10 / 95% target

10%

The staged meeting and the face-off at Sarratt resolve the mole hunt in a personal confrontation.

15

Final Image

Scene 10 / Page 10 / 99% target

10%

Smiley’s quiet return to the Circus lobby underscores the hollow victory and ongoing paranoia.