For whatever reason there’s been surprisingly little hype about an Errol Morris documentary on John le Carré––a crowded fall season? that Steve Bannon thing leaving a bad taste?––it might be time to reorient. As good a reminder as any is this first trailer from Apple TV+, who will debut The Pigeon Tunnel on October 20 alongside the obligatory theatrical release, promising a characteristically twisty and obtuse interview with the legendary author, his final before passing away in December of 2020.
Speaking to Indiewire, Morris summarized his project thusly: “This is a portrait of David Cornwell and how he sees himself. You come right down to it, the whole thing is about lying. Being a novelist, creating this skein of stories, is creating an elaborate cosmology––an elaborate fiction. […] What really did transpire? That’s not a central feature of The Pigeon Tunnel. It’s a set of metaphors.”
Find a preview (featuring Peaky Blinders‘ Douglas Rankine) and poster below:
In “The Pigeon Tunnel,” Morris pulls back the curtain on the storied life and career of former British spy David Cornwell—better known as John le Carré, author of such classic espionage novels as “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and “The Constant Gardener.” Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Cold War leading into present day, the film spans six decades as le Carré delivers his final and most candid interview, punctuated with rare archival footage and dramatized vignettes. “The Pigeon Tunnel” is a deeply human and engaging exploration of le Carré’s extraordinary journey and the paper-thin membrane between fact and fiction.
