Sharpe's Siege (TV programme)

Infobox Television Film
bgcolour =
name = Sharpe's Siege


caption = Title screen from "Sharpe's Siege"
format = Military drama
runtime = 100 min.
creator =
director = Tom Clegg
producer = Malcolm Craddock
Ray Frift (assoc.)
Muir Sutherland (exec.)
writer = Bernard Cornwell (novel)
Eoghan Harris
Charles Wood (uncredited)
starring = Sean Bean
Daragh O'Malley
Abigail Cruttenden
Hugh Fraser
James Laurenson
Feodor Atkine
Christian Brendel
music = Dominic Muldowney
John Tams
country = UK
language = English
network =
released = 1996
first_aired =
last_aired =
num_episodes =
preceded_by = Sharpe's Regiment
followed_by = Sharpe's Mission
website =
imdb_id = 0117622
tv_com_id =
amg_id =

"Sharpe's Siege" is a British television drama, part of a series that follows the career of Richard Sharpe, a British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. The adaptation is based on the novel of the same name by Bernard Cornwell.

Plot summary

In 1813, the war turns in favour of the British. Lord Wellington (Hugh Fraser) is poised to invade southern France after triumphing in Spain. The Compte de Maquerre (Christian Brendel), a French nobleman, offers to raise a rebellion in Bordeaux against Napoleon. Major General Ross (James Laurenson), is unconvinced, as his spies have reported no discontent in the region, but agrees that a brigade can be sent as a probe if the compte can provide a secure base; he offers a family castle, though he admits that it is garrisoned.

Wellington is forced to put a young, inexperienced Colonel Horace Bampfylde (Christopher Villiers) (the son of a general Wellington needs to placate) in charge of the expedition, instead of Major Sharpe (Sean Bean). Sharpe is reluctant to go, as he has just married Jane Gibbons (Abigail Cruttenden) and she has come down with a deadly fever. Without quinine, her prognosis is bleak, but he is a soldier and he has his orders.

Bampfylde botches the initial assault on the fortress and is driven back with heavy casualties. Disgusted, Sharpe and his men gain entry to the castle at night by a ruse, pretending to be a French patrol, and capture the place. The compte is reunited with his sister (Amira Casar) and gravely ill mother. For his trouble, Sharpe is sent by Bampfylde on a useless reconnaissance in order to grab the credit for himself.

While he is away, the compte convinces Bampfylde to demolish the front gates, blow up the captured ammunition, abandon the wounded, and return to Wellington with the wonderful news that he has accomplished his mission and that the region is ready to rise up. The compte fetches the "Mayor of Bordeaux", who turns out to be none other than Sharpe's old enemy, Major Ducos (Feodor Atkine), to help convince the naive Bampfylde.

Sharpe's patrol meanwhile ambushes and annihilates a French column of reinforcements, and captures a resupply cart and a doctor bringing quinine for the compte's mother. Resisting the temptation to save it for his wife, Sharpe allows it to be given to the ailing woman.

Rifleman Robinson (Danny Cunningham) is found with a local French girl. Sharpe is required to hang him by Wellington's standing orders, but when the girl says she had been willing, Sharpe reduces the sentence to a beating from Sargent Harper (Daragh O'Malley).

Hearing the explosion from the castle's magazine, Sharpe and his men hurry back. When he gets a description of the mayor, he realizes he has been trapped by Major Ducos. Not only will Wellington be tricked into advancing into an ambush, but Ducos will have his own personal revenge on Sharpe.

French General Calvet (Olivier Pierre) arrives with a sizable, but inexperienced force. Under a flag of truce, Ducos offers to let the British go free provided they leave Sharpe behind; Robinson replies for them all, "Fight them to the death, sir." The compte comes along and reveals himself to be Napoleon's agent. Sharpe turns them down and has the compte shot dead by Hagman after he rides away. Sharpe and his men only have 18 rounds a man. Out of gratitude, the compte's sister tells them to burn a cellar full of oyster shells to produce lime.

The French attack, but are met by accurate volley shooting. With the British ammunition running low, Sharpe's men dump powdered lime from the walls, blinding their foes as they enter the castle. The French retreat just as the British run out of ammunition. Then, a messenger arrives from Marshal Soult, Calvet's superior, wondering why he was guarding the flank when Wellington attacked...fifty miles away. The wily British commander had seen through the scheme and turned it to his advantage. General Calvet hurries away, leaving Sharpe victorious.

When Sharpe gets back, Bampfylde is placed under arrest for cowardice and other charges. Sharpe is astounded to find his wife well; she tells him that Wellington had gone to some lengths to obtain quinine for her.

External links

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