Sharpe's Siege (1996) (TV)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Tom Clegg

Writers:

Bernard Cornwell (novel)
Eoghan Harris (writer)

Release Date:

29 July 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | History | War

Plot:

Sharpe, with his new commanding officer, is sent to capture a castle when news comes of locals who will rise against Bonaparte...

Plot Keywords:

Castle | Napoleonic Wars | Wound | Siege | Sequel

Cast

Sean Bean	...	Major Richard Sharpe
Daragh O'Malley	...	Sgt. Major Patrick Harper
Abigail Cruttenden	...	Jane Gibbons
Hugh Fraser	...	Lord Wellington
James Laurenson	...	Major General Ross
Féodor Atkine	...	Major Pierre Ducos
Christian Brendel	...	Compte de Maquerre
Christopher Villiers	...	Colonel Horace Bampfylde
Amira Casar	...	Catherine
Philip Whitchurch	...	Capt. William Frederickson
James Ryland	...	Capt. Neil Palmer
Olivier Pierre	...	General Calvet
Danny Cunningham	...	Rifleman Robinson
Sylvester Morand	...	Colonel Henri Lassan
John Tams	...	Rifleman Hagman

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

USA:TV-14 | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:M | UK:12 | Finland:K-13

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company:

Carlton UK Productions

Trivia:

Ducos shows up alive and well in this episode, despite having been shot and killed in Sharpe's Honour (1994) (TV) (he survives in the novel). Presumably, this was to bring the series in line with the novels where he plays a major part in both episodes.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After the battle, one of the "dead" French can be seen looking at the camera and opening and closing his eyes.

Quotes:

Sharpe: What happens when you burn oyster shells?
Capt. William Frederickson: You get ash I suppose.
Capt. Neil Palmer: I was born in a fishing village sir. The fishermen used to burn oyster shells all the time.
Sharpe: Why?
Capt. Neil Palmer: To whitewash their houses sir. When you burn oyster shells, you get lime. Get that in the eyes you go blind.

Movie Connections:

Follows Sharpe's Enemy (1994) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Over the Hills and Far Away

One of Television's all time best movie series

If America only knew how good this was,it would be the highest rated Made-For-TV movie series of all time(hard to believe there are more people out there that would rather watch "The Columbo Mysteries" than Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe Chronicles- that just goes to show the power of major network name-brand advertising.

The Richard Sharpe movie series has been television at its finest. I have seen all of the BBC Sharpe series movies,"Sharpe's Waterloo" is my favorite of the films. However I tune in to PBS everytime they air the Sharpe movies. So far all the movies have been based on the Sharpe Chronicles - adventure novels written by Bernard Cornwell(the same author who wrote "Rebel"). Each Movie chronicles the on-going adventures of Richard Sharpe who is a Brittish Lt. in the Brittish military during the late 1790's-to early 1800's during the Napoleonic era in Europe. I sincerly believe that each one of these Films has been good enough to have shown at the movie theaters,if the producers had wanted to. Unlike other Made-For-TV films,The Hornblower films do not have that Made-For-TV feeling to them,like most television movies have. However each of the Sharpe Movies picks up exactly where the last one left off. The only negative thing I can say about this movie series is the use of an electric guitar as the background music- I have to take points off for that, because the sometimes screeching guitar noises can become annoying at times.

A common misconception that people who havent seen these movies have is that all of these films go to gether as a mini-series- that is not true. The Sharpe movies are not a mini-series,all of these films are individual movies about the same charactor, However they are sequels to each other each picking up where the last film left off.- with all the same actors playing the same roles in each film(EXAMPLE:think of the James Bond films-that same principle applies to the Sharpe movies,but unlike Bond, the Sharpe films are sequels)

If you have seen the Sharpe movies and you liked them and you wish to see more similar themed programing, I will suggest A&E's Horatio Hornblower movies(6 movies in all- same basic priciple as the Sharpe movie except Hornblower is in the Brittish Navy to whereas Sharpe is a ground soldier)

I give the entire Sharpe movie series 4 out of 5 stars. Its near Perfect entertainment- but you cant please everyone, so for those of you dont like epic Napoleonic era battles,classic historic style drama,high stakes adventure, and danger on the European battlefields,if you dont like stuff like that-there is always a Columbo re-run for you to watch.