TotalTelly.co.uk
Devoted to Popular, Cult and Retro TV
Sharpe's Rifles Collection Set [1993] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
![Sharpe's Rifles Collection Set [1993] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510NVQ64V8L._SL160_.jpg)
The set up is fairly simple and compelling. One day Sir Arthur Wellesley (David Troughton), early in the career that would see him become the Duke of Wellington, is out for a ride on his horse when French dragoons come after him. Wellesley escapes death through the heroic efforts of Sergeant Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean), who is promoted to lieutenant on the spot by the grateful commander of British forces in Spain. Of course, promoting from the ranks makes Sharpe neither fish nor fowl, with the gentlemen in the officer's office refusing to consider him an equal and the enlisted personal dismissing the idea that he is a "real" officer. Just to make things interesting Major Hogan (Brian Cox), Wellesley's master spy, sends the new lieutenant off on a secret mission. The story is that the men have not been paid in two weeks, going on three, so the mission is to find a missing banker who has funds (although why the men in the field need money strikes me as odd: after all, we are talking pounds and shillings not Euros). But Sharpe is off to a bad start as he buts heads with sharpshooter Patrick Harper (Daragh O'Malley), the leader of the men, who challenges the new lieutenant's control of his men. Then a wounded Major Blas Vivar (Simon Andreau) has to confide in Sharpe the real nature of the mission. Based on Bernard Cromwell's first novel in the Sharpe series, "Sharpe's Rifles" has the virtue of strong multiple conflicts. Sharpe has to accomplish his mission and try to earn the respect of his men while that mission becomes more and more complicated. As you would expect, this is a first rate historical drama that has an above average sense of authenticity. Bean's Sharpe is too busy trying to command respect Then we have Teresa (Assumpta Serna), a Spanish lady who has good reason to seek revenge upon the French and another reason for recommending this movie is that the relationship between Teresa and Sharpe is actually an adult one. The same thing can be said for the relationship between Sharpe and Harper, which is developed properly without any of the cheap shortcuts that can be taken to move things along. The primary quality that Bean brings to the character of Sharpe is the sense of being a real man in real situations, without being overtly heroic. This is a man with a mission and there are other missions to come, not to mention all those books.
Our Price: £38.42 (subject to change)
Lt. Richard Sharpe goes on his first mission for Major Hogan
Review date: 2004-08-06 Rating: 10 out of 10
I suppose the idea that Richard Sharpe is sort of Horatio Hornblower on land is apt enough, mainly because both characters have the advantage of stellar British television productions whereas Lucky Jack Aubrey has only the one cinematic adventure to date. But clearly the Napoleonic Wars are the British Empire's answer to the American Civil War without the problematic element of fighting against brother against brother. Napoleon is a secular anti-Christ trying to force the ideals of the French Revolution down the throats of Europe, so no shades of blue and gray here, this is all black and white.
Similar Products
Reviews
So close and yet a miss
Review date: 2004-02-22 Rating: 4 out of 10
The Region 1 version of this series suffers from poor DVD production values. No menu, long unescapable trailer, no subtitles and no close captioning detract from the vewing experience.
Enjoyable gung-ho stuff!
Review date: 2003-03-01 Rating: 8 out of 10
I loved the Sharpe series when they hit our screens some 10 years back: simple story lines, good action scenes and excellent characters.
I enjoy this first installment the most, for it shows how Sharpe gets a foot on the career ladder and how he meets the chosen men - the battle with Harper is an entertaining one indeed!
I particularly liked the way that his love interest (Theresa) is a heroine to match Sharpe in terms of wit, sharpness and fighting ability, not a classic screaming damsel in distress!
Sharpe's constant struggle as an officer promoted from the ranks starts here and never ends, which is a poignant reminder of our class riddled past.
Forget the opinion that the books are superior (they are!), try to enjoy the films as a separate form of entertainment...starting with Sharpe's Rifles!!
A realistic interpretation of the book
Review date: 2001-11-28 Rating: 8 out of 10
When I heard they were making a series out of the books my first thoughts were that it would be poorly made and would lose the plot of the books completely...
This has happened to a degree, but for the better, as mentioned before there are differences such as Sharpes saving of Lord Wellington being far less dramatic than described in the book, by being less dramatic it is also much more believable and realistic.
I found mention before in these reviews of Sharpe being made out to be a coward in this episode and letting his comrades die, not true, again this makes the series much more believable and realistic, wading in there would in reality have gotten himself and his men massacred.
All round a very good start to an excellent series, it's just very unfortunate that this is the only episode out of the series that made it to DVD.
Disappointing at best
Review date: 2001-09-19 Rating: 4 out of 10
I'm sorry, but I really must say I was very disapointed with this film. I know that a movie will rarely be better than the book, but this was not a very good effort. For those who have read the books and are considering purchasing this, my quibbles include the following: Sharpe is all about action and the action sequences are shockingly clumsy. The scene where Sharpe saves Wellsley's life was ridiculous. Of course, this scene takes place in India in the book, with Sharpe going into a blood rage, furiously fighting off several enemies to protect his commander. Here they make Wellsley look like a complete girl when he rides off by himself (for no reason) and then immediately turns and runs away when he sees a couple of frenchman. He falls off his horse right in front of Sharpe, who pulls the frenchy off his horse. Big deal. Why would he get promoted to officer for that? Soon after, the way a battle scene is choreographed and shot makes Sharpe look like a coward, as he and his men hide and watch their fellows die. Other battle scenes throughout have nonsensical events or not enough men involved. None of the actors look like they've spent much time with a sword in their hands, so all of the sword fights are slow and amaturish. Sharpe is meant to be a big fellow; bigger than any but Harper, who is meant to be HUGE and strong. But here, Sharpe looks like about the smallest man in the company and Harper is not much bigger. Cooper towers over both of them, as does the marksman poacher. The first time we see Harper he has his shirt off, and we can see he's pretty narrow in the shoulders and hasn't much in the way of muscles, so this other fun and important character point is tossed in the trash. The character of Major Blas Vivar is completely emasculated also. They've totally jettisoned the plot of the book, which is fair enough, I suppose, but the one they give us instead is disjointed and unclear, stumbling along to a climax anything which is anything but climactic. I could go on and on. The only positives are decent (if occasionally innacurate)costumes and weaponry and competant (if uninspired) acting.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
David Troughton
Sean Bean
Assumpta Serna
Brian Cox
Daragh O'Malley
Creators:
Sean Bean (Primary Contributor)
Brian Cox (Primary Contributor)
Malcolm Craddock (Producer)
Muir Sutherland (Producer)
Neville C. Thompson (Producer)
Pavel Douvidzon (Producer)
Ted Childs (Producer)
Bernard Cornwell (Writer)
Eoghan Harris (Writer)
Director(s):
Recording label: BFS Entertainment Entertainment
Manufacturer: BFS Entertainment Entertainment
EAN: 9780779257355
Binding: DVD
ISBN: 0779257359
Number of items: 5
Format: Box set, Colour, DVD-Video, NTSC,
Release date: 2005-11-01
Universal product code (UPC): 066805307355
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Region code: 1
Running time: 102 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2005
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: French (Original Language)
Language: Portuguese (Original Language)
Language: Spanish (Original Language)
Language: Yiddish (Original Language)