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The Pigeon Tunnel

The Pigeon Tunnel

Documentary · 2023

Academy Award winner Errol Morris pulls back the curtain on the storied life and career of David Cornwell, the former spy known to the literary world as John le Carré.

Movie details

The Pigeon Tunnel

“Stories from the life of John le Carré.”

2023 Documentary 1h 32m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

Academy Award winner Errol Morris pulls back the curtain on the storied life and career of David Cornwell, the former spy known to the literary world as John le Carré.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Pigeon Tunnel?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Errol Morris

Written by

Errol Morris

John le Carré

John le Carré

Self

J

Jake Dove

Teenage David Cornwell

Charlotte Hamblin

Charlotte Hamblin

Olive Cornwell

Garry Cooper

Garry Cooper

Ronnie Cornwell

Simon Harrison

Simon Harrison

Kim Philby

Douglas Rankine

Douglas Rankine

Rudolf Hess

D

Dominik Dervaics

Tony Cornwell

Court is in session

Put The Pigeon Tunnel on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.