Sharpe's Gold (TV programme)

Infobox Television Film
bgcolour =
name = Sharpe's Gold


caption = Title screen from "Sharpe's Gold"
format = Military drama
runtime = 100 min.
creator =
director = Tom Clegg
producer =
writer = Bernard Cornwell (novel)
Nigel Kneale
starring = Sean Bean
Daragh O'Malley
Hugh Fraser
John Tams
Michael Mears
Jason Salkey
Lyndon Davies
Hugh Ross
Rosaleen Linehan
Jayne Ashbourne
music =
country = UK
language = English
network =
released = 1995
first_aired =
last_aired =
num_episodes =
preceded_by = Sharpe's Honour
followed_by = Sharpe's Battle
website =
imdb_id = 0114417
tv_com_id =
amg_id =

"Sharpe's Gold" is a 1995 British television drama, part of a series screened on the ITV network that follows the career of Richard Sharpe, a British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. The drama has almost nothing in common with the novel of the same name by Bernard Cornwell. Scriptwriter Nigel Kneale explained, "I didn't use much of [the book] . I used the first ten pages, I think. Then I had an idea which would be more fun to do. It was all about magic by the time I was through with it."cite book | last=Murray| first=Andy | title=Into the Unknown: The Fantastic Life of Nigel Kneale |format=paperback|year=2006 | location=London|publisher=Headpress | id=ISBN 1-900486-50-4 | pages=p. 175]

Plot summary

Bess Nugent (Rosaleen Linehan) and her daughter Ellie (Jayne Ashbourne), visit their close relative Lord Wellington (Hugh Fraser) in Spain during the Peninsular War. They are there to search for Bess's husband, Richard (Peter Eyre). Wellington however refuses to assist their foolhardy mission, demanding they go home to Ireland.

Meanwhile, Major Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean) is assigned the task of handing over 50 rifles for some British deserters caught by a Spanish guerrilla leader named El Casco (Abel Folk). While on the way to the exchange, the two ladies catch up to Sharpe's party. With no other choice, he takes them along in order to protect them. The trade goes as planned. However, when he starts back without helping the Nugents, they ride off, forcing Sharpe to go after them.

The ladies encounter El Casco's men; Bess is killed and Ellie taken captive. When she is taken to El Casco's cave lair, she finds her father, though he has become deranged, presumably after witnessing atrocities committed by the Spaniards (they believe they are descendants of the Aztecs and cut out the hearts of French prisoners). Sharpe tracks them down, fights the Spaniards and rescues Ellie and her father. El Casco wounds Sharpe, but is killed by Sargeant Harper (Daragh O'Malley).

Cast

References

External links

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* [http://www.sharpefilm.com/gold/index.html Sharpe's Gold at SharpeFilm.com]