The new screen adaptation of John le Carré's 1974 novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is now playing in theaters. George Smiley, once played on television by the superb Alec Guinness, is now played on film by another fine character actor, Gary Oldman. In the intervening three decades, we've truly entered the digital age, and the means of producing much promotional artwork has changed radically.

I really like the quiet intrigue of the 1980 television campaign by Richard Hess, but I suppose Hollywood doesn't think such a thoughtful, staid approach can sell movie tickets today. The current film's posters are attention-grabbers, using the digitally-manipulated photographs to suggest a variety of moods, the principle poster showing a thrilling intensity. Both approaches are valid, but you would be forgiven if you didn't recognize that both productions sprang from the same book.

Richard Hess, Alec Guinness as George Smiley, The New Yorker, September 29, 1980

Gary Oldman as George Smiley, 2011

http://collider.com/colin-firth-tinker-tailor-soldier-spy-interview/133610/

Colin Firth, 2011. I've shown this poster in larger dimensions to give an idea of the detail. Note that there are a few key words scattered among the digits.

http://movies.sky.com/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy-exclusive-character-posters

Tom Hardy, 2011

Gary Oldman, 2011

Benedict Cumberbatch, 2011

Mark Strong, 2011

Svetlana Khodchenkova, 2011

Image added November 24, 2012

http://www.movieposterdb.com/poster/97bc3583

[Spoiler Alert!]

Paul Smith's 2011 limited edition print, one of four created concurrent with the recent theatrical release, reprises Richard Hess's visual chessboard theme from 1980, a theme taken directly from the novel.