Sharpe's Mission

Infobox Television Film
bgcolour =
name = Sharpe's Mission


caption = Title screen from "Sharpe's Mission"
format = Military drama
runtime = 100 min.
creator =
director = Tom Clegg
producer =
writer = Bernard Cornwell (novel series)
Eoghan Harris
starring = Sean Bean
Daragh O'Malley
Abigail Cruttenden
music = Dominic Muldowney
John Tams
country = UK
language = English
network =
released = 1996
first_aired =
last_aired =
num_episodes =
preceded_by = Sharpe's Siege
followed_by = Sharpe's Revenge
website =
imdb_id = 0117620
tv_com_id =
amg_id =

"Sharpe's Mission" is a British television drama, part of a series that follows the career of Richard Sharpe, a British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. Unlike most of the other installments of the series, this episode was not based on a novel by Bernard Cornwell.

Plot summary

It is 1813. France is losing the war. Major Sharpe (Sean Bean) is teamed with Colonel Brand (Mark Strong), a British officer famous for leading a small band of soldiers operating far behind enemy lines. Wellington (Hugh Fraser) assigns them the task of blowing up a store of gunpowder vital to French General Calvet (Olivier Pierre). To do this, they need the expertise of explosives expert Major Pyecroft (Nigel Betts). Major General Ross (James Laurenson), Wellington's head of military intelligence, decides to go along to evaluate Calvet's intentions.

Meanwhile, a Gypsy family stumbles upon a secret meeting between a French colonel and some masked men. The interrupted plotters pursue and kill the Gypsies, except for a young woman, Zara (Berrin Politi), who manages to hide. Afterwards, she starts to bury her dead parents, only to flee when another masked man appears. However, it turns out to be Pyecroft, whose face was disfigured by a bomb accident. He digs the graves and takes Zara under his protection.

In the British encampment, Zara spots one of her family's horses and her mother's ring in the possession of Brand and his men, confirming Sharpe's suspicions. Brand is luring them into a trap, with the goal of capturing Ross for his knowledge of Wellington's plans.

Forewarned, Sharpe is able to thwart the turncoat. After Sharpe's men capture the fort where the gunpowder is stored, he has Ross convene a court-martial, in which Brand is convicted and sentenced to death. Fearing that Brand's influential friends will be able to overturn the verdict, Sharpe conducts an impromptu execution, pushing the traitor into a deep well. The British blow up the gunpowder and escape, while Brand's men are given the opportunity to redeem themselves by acting as a rearguard to hold off the attacking French forces.

All is not well for Sharpe however. His wife Jane (Abigail Cruttenden) is becoming more and more dissatisfied with his career as a soldier. Pyecroft has more luck; he and Zara become engaged.

External links

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