Sharpe (1993 - 2008) Review

Sharpe, based on a series of historical fiction books by Bernard Cornwall(who reportedly read Horatio Hornblower novels and was aghast at the lack of similar stories set around Lord Wellington's ground conquests) is today a somewhat obscure, but still remarkable aspect of Sean Bean's career. It's a TV series in name, but in truth it's a series of 16 full-length films. That's a franchise-lover's dream come true!

Sharpe's Rifles introduces us to fish-out-of-water soldier Richard Sharpe, who after saving Sir Arthur Wellesley's(future Lord Wellington) life is given a field promotion and made an officer. Poor Sharpe is a grounded man who wants nothing more than to fight and die for his country, but now his peers despise him for not being of an aristocratic background, and his underlings distrust him for not being a 'proper' officer, "touched by grace" as he says. Aside from Wellesley himself and the mischievous spymaster Major Hogan, Sharpe has no allies anywhere.

As a low-budgeted TV film, you can't really expect cinematic spectacle, but somehow, that makes it work even better. There's a grounded feel to the proceedings, as if you're in it with Sharpe and his eccentric comrades. Every swordfight and bullet feels personal and the adventure is involving. Really, the main draw of Sharpe is in its characters - Sean Bean is easy to like, and you root for Sharpe to prove himself whilst also being painfully aware of his shortcomings. It's interesting to watch him interact with a wide variety of classes - the British nobles and lower class soldiers, the Spanish, the monks, the French - and have him slowly figure out who to trust and why. It's a good viewpoint into the era and quite educational, being historically accurate in the details, if not in the overall story.

Sharpe's Eagle is a quintessential entry in the series, as it sets Sharpe up against the worst caricature of an aristocrat, Michael Cochrane's brilliant Sir Henry Simmerson. The man is such a joyously evil buffoon that he brightens up the screen whenever he's around. Notably, one of Simmerson's lackeys is young Daniel Craig, with a psychotic glare in his shiny blue eyes.

The joy of Eagle is just watching the characters bounce off of one another. I love Brian Cox's invariably chilled out Major Hogan, who winds everybody up. David Troughton is downright imperious as Wellesley, delivering a magnificient rant after Simmerson makes a terrible tactical error. Sharpe, stuck cleaning up one mess after another, really comes into his own as a character now that his Chosen Men are behind him and he's become a figure of his own brand of brutish authority, with an ambition to match any aristocrat's. The way Sharpe commands and trains the South Essex regiment would earn anyone's respect. "All you have to do is stand and fire three rounds a minute. Now you and I know you can fire three rounds a minute. But can you stand?"

All of it culminates in a terrific climactic battle sequence that holds just the right amount of emotional payoff. Expertly scripted and acted. It's a very entertaining film.

Sharpe's Company takes the series in a darker direction, focusing on the costly siege of Badajoz whilst Sharpe confronts a psychotic figure from his past.

There's been some casting changes - gone is the endearing Brian Cox, replaced by a new spymaster. Wellington himself is recast with Hugh Fraser. Now, I'm a big Hugh Fraser fan, but in a role that demands absolute authority and fire, I'm not quite sure he 100% fits, at least not as well as Troughton, who truly commanded every scene he was in. None of this was planned, of course, but it adds to the feeling of Sharpe's reliable support structure being taken away, that he can no longer rely on his superiors to back him up.
Company memorably features Pete Postlethwaite as Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill. And as Sharpe says, "he is evil, is Obadiah". In some ways, he's as much of a caricature as Simmerson was, but a completely different kind. Hakeswill is no goofball, but a mad, bad monster willing to do any sin to get his way. And I love the amount of bizarre tics he has - such as a reoccurring facial twitch from being hanged or the habit of referring to his hat as his mother(we only later learn why).

Unlike the victorious and daylit Battle of Talavera in Eagle, the siege of Badajoz is brutal, forcing soldiers to climb on the corpses of their fallen brothers and resulting in the deaths of many a likable guest star. It also takes place during the night. The sense of war really comes through in this one. It's not fun to win.

Sharpe's Enemy feels like something of a bridge between the past and the future. Two notable characters from the series make an exit at the same time and a new villain is introduced, the French spymaster Major Ducos.

Unlike the more standalone features that came before, Enemy demands pre-existing emotional investment in the series to make its full impact. However, it continues the trend of excellent writing and memorable casting. I love that Wellington's army never becomes a bunch of faceless nobodies, but that we always see different, creative kinds of soldiers whom Sharpe manages to employ for his own means. The naive rocketeer group elicited several good laughs, as did Captain Frederickson's grubby backup troops("Men are dirty, sir... rifles are clean.").

Notably, the 'Sharpe Girl' in this is played by the extraordinarily attractive Elizabeth Hurley, who would later bedazzle Austin Powers fans as well. Honestly, she and the err, humiliations she goes through, are probably what I'll remember this one for.

Here's where things become a bit meh. Sharpe's Honour is by no means a bad flick, but compared to how good the rest have been, I just can't help feeling that this is somewhat run-of-the-mill by comparison.

The villain in this piece continues to be Major Ducos. Like the film overall, Ducos isn't a bad villain - it's a fine performance, really good in fact - but compared to the campy Simmerson or the maniacal Hakeswill, he just isn't that special. The standards are too high. And that's how I feel about the rest of it. It's a good runaround with characters we've grown to like, and another impeccably cast Sharpe Girl in the wonderfully subtle and cunning Alice Krige(known to me for portraying the Lady Jessica in Dune as well as the Borg Queen in Star Trek), with plenty of shenanigans on the way, but the series has shown enough emotional depth and directorial flair to be above that sort of thing.

I did enjoy seeing Sharpe put to trial, and Sean Bean does a commendable job portraying his fury over being unfairly framed, but overall, it's a bit too uninspired for my liking.

Sharpe's Gold is an odd beast, having been developed by iconic sci-fi writer Nigel Kneale. He largely abandons the book in favor of going on his own tangent involving a vicious Aztec cult.

I'll give Gold this - it's a breath of fresh air in a series that seemed to be going a bit stale, but I'm not convinced this eccentric decision is really where we're meant to go. At best, it's variation and at worst, it's a black sheep kind of story written by someone who's clearly not exactly in tune with Bernard Cornwall's books. The characterisation is all over the place - Sharpe's romance with Wellington's cousin Ellie is downright James Bondian and quite cringeworthy at places, and his rivalry with provost officer Ayres just doesn't seem to go anywhere.

The idea of a confrontation between overdisciplinarian officers and salt-of-the-earth soldiers fits the series MO, but it seems to exist here just for the sake of it(unsurprisingly, it's the only inclusion from the book), without giving us a defining victory on either side. Ayres dies bravely, sure, but that just proves his loyalty. The actual source of the conflict(needlessly harsh treatment of deserters) was completely unresolved.

I'm also disappointed how quick and easy the climax is. After a considerable amount of build-up, it just resorts to a minor battle in some dull caves(I was expecting a whole underground hall filled with gold, but I guess that didn't fit the budget), with the main villain unceremoniously gunned down by Harper just as the battle was really getting going.
So, yeah. Memorable, but lame.

Sharpe's Battle is made out of the same mold as Sharpe's Eagle - Sharpe is once again put in charge of a less than reputable regiment that Wellington wants to be rid of, lock horns with the pompous nobleman in charge whilst bringing out the best in the innocent greenhorns under his care. I don't mind, though. Eagle was a fantastic film, and Battle hardly imitates it to the letter. There's plenty of new dynamics to keep the viewer interested, the casting is spot-on(I particularly adore Ian McNeice's gluttonous "General" Colonel Runciman) and there's a fun new villain.

I also liked seeing Sharpe's men defend their own fort instead of being the attackers as in previous films. There's a variety of good action scenes and intrigue regarding potential deserters due to the nature of Sharpe's Irish regiment. This also gives Daragh O'Malley more to do than in several previous films.

With Perkins's death, I am noticing that the Chosen Men are thinning out(Tongue and Cooper disappeared after Eagle and Gold respectively). Shouldn't they get some new blood in?

Sharpe's Sword is an interesting change of pace, focusing very much on intimate character drama and atmosphere with only a select few battle scenes peppered here and there. There was also noticeably more overt comedy than the series is used to. It took me a while to adjust, but ultimately won me over with its earnestness.

Michael Cochrane reprises Sir Henry Simmerson from Sharpe's Eagle, but he may as well not have. The actual villain of the piece, Patrick Fierry's cunning and dangerous Colonel Leroux steals the film with a mischievous performance. He is a joy to watch in every scene and his comeuppance in a duel is the perfect endpoint to the character.
Simmerson, in contrast, is reduced to a simpering traitor. I mean, he was always a buffoon, but Eagle played to Cochrane's strengths as an actor by allowing Simmerson to constantly irritate us with his overblown confidence in his own poor military command. Without that command, Simmerson's just a jackass, which isn't half as a fun.

Sharpe's Sword marks what I consider to be the best use of the Chosen Men so far. These actors often have nothing to do except shooting, but here we get to see them at their very best - Harper's conflict with Ramona and his Irish heritage, Harris's book smarts being vital(as well as a source of good laughs) and Hagman's down-to-earth personality shining through in his interactions with children.

Sharpe himself manages to make a great impression too - his human greed manifesting in his desire for Leroux's sword, and his compassion and sense of honor in looking after the traumatised novice, plus his brilliant scene with Jack towards the end. Not to mention, Sharpe's absence in the middle of the story is quite telling too, of the impact he's had on the people around him. Great writing. Great stuff.

Sharpe's Regiment gives us some wonderful insight into military training of that era, as well as a good bit of intrigue. Seeing Sharpe and Harper effectively re-experience the very beginning of a soldier's life and guide their fellow privates was quite exciting and I honestly wanted much more of that, but I suppose the plot had to take over eventually. 

In some ways, Regiment could be counted as a spiritual sequel to Sharpe's Eagle as Sharpe's Talavera victory has secured him a place amongst the highest class of aristocracy, next to the Prince Regent himself. His mission is to save the South Essex regiment, which is being abused by Sir Henry Simmerson, its original founder and owner in Eagle. It's a nice way of showing how far Sharpe has come - and how far he still is from being an actual aristocrat. 

I also appreciate that Regiment is the first Sharpe story to take place in England, outside of the war(in fact, the juxtaposition of the military camp and the war is one of the key aspects of the story). It's always good to see the characters put into different, unusual scenarios. 

Sharpe's Siege is something of a retread of familiar elements - a castle to defend, a pompous aristocratic young officer to contend with, pretty women and returning characters. However, it's executed with panache and creativity, and is just plain fun. 

The highlight for me personally were some of the minor characters - such as the realist French General Calvert, the honorable and dignifed Colonel Lassan and the delightfully eccentric, vicious Captain Frederickson. One of the consistently great aspects of the Sharpe series is its ability to create people that are interesting enough that you believe they can exist, whilst never going outright comedic with them. In spite of the limited budget, the good characterisation and wonderful acting builds a compelling and believable environment. 

And let's not forget the writing. The dialogue sparkles, and I love the focus on military strategy. We spend time mostly with Sharpe's men, who have their battles(here in particular, we see them low on resources and forced to be inventive), but there's always the bigger picture, the actual battle of wits between Wellington and Napoleon going on in the background, so it feels like the stories have a sense of purpose, as the narrative progresses ever closer to Waterloo... 

Sharpe's Mission is kind of a quirky one. In a twist from the norm, the story opens with a flashback to three years ago(between the events of Sharpe's Eagle and Sharpe's Company) to establish Sharpe's relationship with the eventual main antagonist. The fact that it's retroactive means we've little to no investment when Sharpe is betrayed - a fact that Sharpe discovers very quickly anyway. 

Since Sharpe and co are aware of the villains' plans for about 75% of the story, they're really just going through the motions until they're able to upend them, meaning that the rest of the time is spent on these strange little romance subplots. In fact, you could easily call Sharpe's Mission a romance drama as pretty much everyone and their cat are having struggles with their significant others. I'm half-convinced that Major Ross and his Freddy Krueger-faced engineer friend have gay undertones too! But probably the weirdest one surrounds Harper and his Spanish wife, who have lost their mojo for unexplained reasons, until somebody nearly rapes the latter. And that's it! I don't get it.

On a more positive note, Olivier Pierre's adorable General Calvet is back for another go-round and the film is overall still entertaining and full of the usual charming dialogue and character interplay as usual. But as far as overall stories go, I wasn't that impressed. 

The central theme of Sharpe's Revenge seems to be age, specifically the midlife crisis. Sharpe has grown weary of his soldiering ways and seeks to settle down, as do the men around him(allies and enemies alike). The war has taken its toll on them all, but what to do next? 

There's a melancholy sense of closure about the film, though it could just be me reflecting, given the massive journey we've taken to get to this point. But with everyone scrambling around and trying to figure out their future amidst the end of Napoleon's era(which has defined the series), it does feel a bit sad to know times are changing and our heroes won't be fighting together anymore. 

Well, it's not quite over yet. Similarly to Sharpe's Honour, the nefarious Major Ducos makes an attempt to permanently smear Sharpe's good name, which forces him to go off the map with his loyal friends. One of them is the aging misfit Captain Frederickson. Philip Whitchurch has his best material here, and Frederickson completely steals the show(and Sharpe's trial) with his consistently unexpected bursts of competence and awkward attempts to garner a romantic partner. 

Probably my least favourite part of the film was the subplot concerning Jane. I get the point, but watching her spend all of Sharpe's money and fall deeper and deeper into a pit she couldn't crawl out of was cringeworthy. She didn't deserve my lad Sharpe!

Sharpe's Justice is a welcome change of pace in that it's the only one of these films not to take place on a battlefield. Instead, Sharpe is sent back to England and forced to revise his opinion of his military career during a period of peace. Forcing him to realise that things aren't always black and white and that his loyalty to the crown has its limits is a great bit of character development, and I think it sets up the end of the series quite nicely. 

The downside is that Justice simply isn't very entertaining. Sharpe's return to his hometown is by-the-numbers(he no longer fits in, he has estranged family and friends, something goes wrong). The reappearance of Rossendale and Jane is tiresome and the conflict between the duo and ex-Rifleman Hagman doesn't feel very natural, especially given that Hagman immediately rushed to their defence at the start of the film. 

So basically, it's a soap opera, for better or worse. 

Sharpe's Waterloo is, I'm sad to say, a disappointment. Not just because of the budget - I expected the battle to be minuscule - but because of poor editing, direction and scriptwriting. The central story itself is well constructed and ties up all the loose ends from the series. But the execution is so bungled that a lot of it falls flat. Half the time, I'm not even clear on exactly what's going on. 

You can play a drinking out of all the reused footage, the times people say "Oh My God!" and when characters make unexplained decisions. It's that shoddy. I hear only half of the novel got adapted too. Now, to be fair, it might've been so dense that a straight adaptation would be unfeasible, but the film's battle scenes drag on for so interminably long that at the very least, more of the plot should've been included instead. 

Still, I think it's all worth it for that final scene where Sharpe and Harper(now the last surviving riflemen of the main cast) glimpse Napoleon for the first and only time. There's an innate satisfaction in it, that two rough soldiers who've been through so much to defeat Napoleon manage to see their enemy at least once in his final defeat. It feels like the appropriate culmination to all the two have been through. It's just a shame the rest of it isn't as good. 

Well. Here's another one. I'm not sure what should have followed the climax of Waterloo, but Sharpe's Challenge does kind of feel like the production team is winking at the audience and saying "look, Sharpe's back!" and the enjoyment is meant to come out of that single fact. 

The India setting aside, it's Sharpe and Harper doing their thing. A little older and greyer, but still always dealing with pompous aristocrats, backstabbing sergeants and a monstrous enemy who takes umbrage with Sharpe. Sean Bean shouts "bastard" a lot. Simmerson shows up to blunder around a bit. Even the climax is a direct riff on the amazing Siege of Badajoz in Sharpe's Company. None of this is badly handled, but with Napoleon gone and the characters in a different stage in their lives, it just seems to me like there was an oppurtunity here to tell a new kind of story. There's a brief suggestion that Harper returned to the army due to a midlife crisis, but nothing comes of it. That on its own would've been interesting, to see our heroes cope with age and no longer being as capable or needed as they once were. But it's never brought up again and they're clearly as strong and able as ever. 

It's fun to have Toby Stephens ham it up. He's always got a great sneer. Productionwise, it's a step up from the 90s films. More extras, more guts and cool locations. So it's not like the people making it were slacking off. But I disagree fundamentally with the approach taken. If you're going to watch Sharpe for those classic elements, you're likely to put on one of the early episodes, not this story from the twilight of his career. It's time to do something melancholy and hard-hitting. 

Unless they manage to bring the character out of retirement again, Sharpe's Peril is the final adventure. Thankfully, it corrects its predecessor's mistake of rehashing old plot points in favor of a more thematic return to the show's roots. It all started with a column of misfits trying to work together as they proceed through unknown territory, and it ends just the same, right down to them being united by their desire to protect a village of innocents. The development of these characters(all brilliantly cast, by the way) is some of the best in the series, and the fact that they're all in this together makes it one of the more concrete and satisfying films.

In addition to this, Sharpe himself is given a welcome closure to his relationships with Hakeswill and Simmerson, two rivalries that stand out amongst the rest in the series for the amount of hatred they had for him. Giving Hakeswill a longlost son was somewhat cliched, I'll admit, but I was just happy to see the character addressed at all given how iconic he is to the series. And what they did with Simmerson was perfect. It was wonderful to see him so naturally blend in with the group as an almost grandfatherly figure. The best use of Michael Cochrane since his first appearance. 

This is also definitely the best-budgeted film - they went through so many locations and wild sword fights and battle scenes that you could've told me it was a trip around the world and I'd probably believe you. There's a few dark moments that do a good job of harkening back to the grittiness of the early films, and the series' overall melancholy take on the soldiering life. Yes, this is a good end for Richard Sharpe.