Sharpe's Gold - reaction post
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Still loving the way Sean Bean's name comes up on the screen at the first note from the electric guitar.
And I'm wondering if you get extra filmstar points for how long it is after your name that the title comes up. It's a full 8 seconds here.
Everyone seems to hate this episode - including Cornwell and the actors as far as I can see - and it's definitely not based on the book of the same name. (For insurance reasons linked to claiming for it when Paul McGann had to drop out). Written by Nigel Kneale who didn't seem embarrassed to admit that he hadn't read more than ten pages of the book. Though possibly they weren't allowed to use the same story anyway.
Never heard of most of the people listed after the title.
Set in Summer 1813.
9:35 Sharpe pulls his rifle on Lt Ayres, and everyone else except Harper does the same. Harper is watching Sharpe, not the Provost. I think Sharpe has a PTSD reaction to the Provosts, or maybe just a private soldier's hatred for them, and now he can challenge them he doesn't stop to think that's really not a good idea.
13:25 Sharpe is ordered to apologise to Lt Ayres and he looks beaten and humiliated.
13:40 But 15 seconds later he's apologising profusely with a wonderfully fake sincere look on his face. He's almost grinning, cheeky bastard. And by the end of it he is grinning. Love him.
14:30 Turns out he only apologised so he can be part of the advance into France, "not stuck in some [gets cut off by Munro]."
18:15 Sharpe goes to remonstrate about Skillicorn being taken to be hanged and Harper grabs him by the arm to stop him. Again Harper is all about protecting Sharpe. From himself most of the time. Wellington would have to court-martial him if he tackled authority again so soon and so blatantly. What is never pointed out is that with any other officer Harper would be risking his own life by grabbing Sharpe like he does so often. There's a strong case for "striking an officer" which is a shooting offence.
27:45 Ayres is trying to taunt Sharpe into waging 50 guineas. Which he presumably doesn't have, so he says No.
28:30 And for all the fine words about gambling being a sin, Munro hands some money secretly to Harper to put on Sharpe.
34:50 Ellie's cradling Ramona's baby when Sharpe walks up. The look of devastation on his face. Tiny touches of humanity and tragedy.
36:45 El Casco says he doesn't kill Englishmen, which Wellington says is a relief. "Not to the Scots" says Munro. Tiny touches of humour.
39:50 The mark of Sharpe's leadership style - he's sitting with his men with no jacket on, cleaning his rifle as they're cleaning theirs.
40:50 Being thought ignorant is one of Sharpe's really big things. Because of course he is ignorant, if the word means not knowing things that other people of his rank take for granted. He doesn't give himself enough credit - because neither does anyone else - for being extremely intelligent. He also describes himself as "wounded all over" which physically he is, but he also makes it clear very frequently how damaged he is emotionally as well.
44:05 This is ridiculous - no way would either of them go for a full-on snog at all, never mind in front of the men.
53:45 Christ she moves fast. And Lt Ayres comes along and sees what's going on.
55:25 Sharpe is giving every impression of being extremely stressed. Maybe that's because he's got Lt Ayres to interact - negatively - with, whereas usually he's interacting with his men and being a proper officer to them. Plus Ellie's there which is really throwing him off.
1:37:25 Harper "The mind's a very funny thing you know. I had an uncle once who thought the fairies were after him."
Sharpe: What happened to him?
Harper: They got him.
Where's the Frenchman gone then? Did he die in the action? Oh it's OK, he's there with them.
Unfortunately the full video seems to have attracted a very grumpy set of commenters who seem to have no understanding that if something is supposed to have happened 200 years ago, some things are going to be different. Nothing like the friendly community on the clips.
Still loving the way Sean Bean's name comes up on the screen at the first note from the electric guitar.
And I'm wondering if you get extra filmstar points for how long it is after your name that the title comes up. It's a full 8 seconds here.
Everyone seems to hate this episode - including Cornwell and the actors as far as I can see - and it's definitely not based on the book of the same name. (For insurance reasons linked to claiming for it when Paul McGann had to drop out). Written by Nigel Kneale who didn't seem embarrassed to admit that he hadn't read more than ten pages of the book. Though possibly they weren't allowed to use the same story anyway.
Never heard of most of the people listed after the title.
Set in Summer 1813.
9:35 Sharpe pulls his rifle on Lt Ayres, and everyone else except Harper does the same. Harper is watching Sharpe, not the Provost. I think Sharpe has a PTSD reaction to the Provosts, or maybe just a private soldier's hatred for them, and now he can challenge them he doesn't stop to think that's really not a good idea.
13:25 Sharpe is ordered to apologise to Lt Ayres and he looks beaten and humiliated.
13:40 But 15 seconds later he's apologising profusely with a wonderfully fake sincere look on his face. He's almost grinning, cheeky bastard. And by the end of it he is grinning. Love him.
14:30 Turns out he only apologised so he can be part of the advance into France, "not stuck in some [gets cut off by Munro]."
18:15 Sharpe goes to remonstrate about Skillicorn being taken to be hanged and Harper grabs him by the arm to stop him. Again Harper is all about protecting Sharpe. From himself most of the time. Wellington would have to court-martial him if he tackled authority again so soon and so blatantly. What is never pointed out is that with any other officer Harper would be risking his own life by grabbing Sharpe like he does so often. There's a strong case for "striking an officer" which is a shooting offence.
27:45 Ayres is trying to taunt Sharpe into waging 50 guineas. Which he presumably doesn't have, so he says No.
28:30 And for all the fine words about gambling being a sin, Munro hands some money secretly to Harper to put on Sharpe.
34:50 Ellie's cradling Ramona's baby when Sharpe walks up. The look of devastation on his face. Tiny touches of humanity and tragedy.
36:45 El Casco says he doesn't kill Englishmen, which Wellington says is a relief. "Not to the Scots" says Munro. Tiny touches of humour.
39:50 The mark of Sharpe's leadership style - he's sitting with his men with no jacket on, cleaning his rifle as they're cleaning theirs.
40:50 Being thought ignorant is one of Sharpe's really big things. Because of course he is ignorant, if the word means not knowing things that other people of his rank take for granted. He doesn't give himself enough credit - because neither does anyone else - for being extremely intelligent. He also describes himself as "wounded all over" which physically he is, but he also makes it clear very frequently how damaged he is emotionally as well.
44:05 This is ridiculous - no way would either of them go for a full-on snog at all, never mind in front of the men.
53:45 Christ she moves fast. And Lt Ayres comes along and sees what's going on.
55:25 Sharpe is giving every impression of being extremely stressed. Maybe that's because he's got Lt Ayres to interact - negatively - with, whereas usually he's interacting with his men and being a proper officer to them. Plus Ellie's there which is really throwing him off.
1:37:25 Harper "The mind's a very funny thing you know. I had an uncle once who thought the fairies were after him."
Sharpe: What happened to him?
Harper: They got him.
Where's the Frenchman gone then? Did he die in the action? Oh it's OK, he's there with them.
Unfortunately the full video seems to have attracted a very grumpy set of commenters who seem to have no understanding that if something is supposed to have happened 200 years ago, some things are going to be different. Nothing like the friendly community on the clips.