Sharpe's Regiment - Reaction Post
.
Sean Bean
Title
Daragh
Cochrane & Cruttenden
Farrell & Fellowes
Lambert & Langrishe
Laurenson & Rossington
~ ~ ~
This one mentions Vitoria, which seems to have happened off screen?
"From a script by Charles Wood" ?? Not "written by Charles Wood? What does it say on the others?
It's that major music with brassy minor bits which I think we often get in battles. Triumphant, glorious with a strong undercurrent of doom.
1:35 At this point - while they're trying to cross the river and getting massively shot at - I always wonder exactly what the remains of the battalion were doing while Sharpe and Harper were in London and Chelmsford, because when they come back, they start crossing (what I think is) the exact same river, like they've been stood there waiting all that time.
2:30 James Laurenson's character has got a fold-flat bicorne under his arm. Did they all fold flat?
3:45 His orders authorise him to go to Chelmsford and select replacements. Surely it's implied in that to get them on a ship back to Spain.
4:50 We're apparently supposed to understand that Fenner immediately realises who Sharpe is when he sees him at Horse Guards, although there is no interaction. He doesn't look too pleased.
6:00 I've still never worked out how some people know his rank just from looking at him. Presumably there's some insignia that gives it away. But though from the sword and the sash he's at least a Lieutenant, Captain Carline here, and Captain Anderson in Peril, don't recognise him as having any rank at all, and certainly not equal to them or higher.
6:10 A bit RP here as he speaks to the officers.
6:25 Carline here is definitely addressing him as an inferior.
7:50 This guy playing Captain Carline is very good [Adam James]. Excellent facial expressions to fit the circumstances, not overplayed and totally convincing. According to IMDb this was his first ever film or television role, so it's no surprise that he seems to have been working non-stop ever since.
9:55 It has taken me SO long to get what Sharpe says here, and I had to get enough clues from the Spanish subtitles to hear it. The Spanish says "Pienso que esta guerra me altera?" which googe translate says with the question mark means "I think this war upsets me?" and without means "...alters me". Neither of which makes sense because from the intonation he's asking Harper a question. I'm not at all clear why it doesn't say "Piensas que...?" Anyway, what he actually says is "D'you think this war has addled my wits, Patrick?"
So here's Alexander Armstrong and according to IMDb he's supposed to be playing Lord Rossendale. I hate recasting. I can see why they did it for Wellington, but for fictional characters they could surely just create a new one and give them the story that belonged to the old one if it's that important to keep the story/character. Which obviously it is in this case.
10:25 The invitation was presumably arranged by Fenner to get Sharpe back to London, within his orbit and away from Chelmsford. Fenner obviously worked out very quickly where Sharpe would be. In fact, Rossendale seems to have arrived there only an hour or so after Sharpe and Harper, but he's on a horse rather than having waited for a public coach.
11:05 Sharpe's being presented to Prinny. He looks terrified. And Lady Anne is there watching. He's practically shaking in terror and utter social awkwardness. He forgot to make a knee and he doesn't have a clue what to say.
12:30 OMG crying, they're bringing in his Eagle. And he's hearing the sounds of battle - he got quite seriously wounded at Talavera iirc.
13:40 Sharpe is sitting right next to Prinny, on his left hand, with a lady on the Prince's right.
16:15 Ah, Fenner gives Lady Anne the assignment to find out what Sharpe is after. I didn't know that before, it wasn't obvious from the clips I've seen.
16:35 And he suddenly cottons on that he's pulled without even noticing and follows her out.
18:15 He's looking both older and younger in this one than in Sword, somehow. This one was shown in 1996 - when was Sword made/shown? Also something in the way he says "Why not?" and the look on his face reminds me of another character of his. I think it's Alex Bailey in the Morse episode Absolute Conviction.
26:10 Another scene where Sharpe is where he would naturally be - ie way at the back of the crowd, away from the recruiting sergeant - rather than in the centre of the shot where most directors like to put their star at all times.
26:15 "...our hero, the gallant Major Sharpe" says the recruiting Sergeant. And the crowd all echo and whisper to each other "Major Sharpe!" And Sharpe looks around at them, a bit gobsmacked and faintly amused, while Harper doesn't actually look amused AT ALL.
30:35 Apparently Sharpe has met Jane before? Once, says Harper, and Sharpe agrees. But WHEN? I don't remember that at all. In the books, he finds her picture in a locket on Christian Gibbons' body.
33:50 I never knew before that Simmerson treated Jane really badly. It's implied here that he whips her. Or maybe worse.
41:45 They're sitting in a tent, Harper's blacking his boots while Sharpe and Marriott are pipeclaying belts. Presumably if Sharpe hadn't started in the ranks he'd be having problems with this, and he's supposed to have served before so he'd be expected to be all over it.
It's interesting how Sharpe is telling Marriott to slow down with the work. He's really acting as a private soldier here, not even a sergeant, let alone a Major.
45:35 "Even Corporals, and their heirs and successors". That's a phrase from wills, and I can't imagine at this point that Sharpe has ever seen a will. In the books yes, by this point if you read in chrono order, because of Lady Grace Hale, but not in the tv show.
54:30 Sergeant Lynch is an absolute cowardly shit of a man.
57:35 Another example where Harper is shown to have no tactical (or is it strategic?) intelligence at all. Sharpe gets a musket and a pistol off the horse and Harper assumes they're going to fire at the pursuers, but Sharpe stops him and leads them to somewhere to hide.
58:50 Christ, that bit where the horse treads on his head nearly has me throwing up every time I watch. Sean could have actually died there. But he gets up, pulls himself out of the water and carries on with the scene. Extraordinary. For a long time I thought there was a cut between the horse on his head and him climbing out of the water, but it was just me closing my eyes in horror.
1:01:30 He's being hunted and he thinks it a good idea to stand silhouetted in an open doorway gawping back at the horrible Jane without taking any notice of what's going on outside.
1:02:15 Fuck's sake, THIS is Lawford? At least they're making it clear by having him say "Is this the sergeant I taught to read and write" and Sharpe delighted to see him but ffs. Probably only one tiny scene, could they not have got the guy for one day? Though it needed to be on this particular set, so if he was on location elsewhere I guess that would have been a problem.
1:03:55 Fuck's sake, not only does Lawford go straight to Lord Fenner, but he tells Fenner exactly who he's got the information from! Either he doesn't give a shit about the man he calls "My dear Richard" or he's really really stupid. [What is "field rank"?]
Deme solo un momento - "just a moment"
Dowager countess - condesa viuda
"Pah! Horse Guards! You may not Horse Guards me sir!"
1:10:30 It really doesn't suit him having his hair down as a fringe - it works much better swept back how he normally has it.
1:13:15 He's going full-on RP when he introduces himself to the battalion he was a private in 3 days ago. He practically says "demn" when he tells them to "remove those damn silly stocks from your necks".
alacrity - presteza
1:17 Right, so Simmerson does beat her. With a cane. No wonder Sharpe fell for her, he's a sucker for helping anyone who's being mistreated by someone they have no power over and no recourse. But even in these early days Jane looks frankly a hard-face bitch. No softness about her at all, but I suppose she's been hard-treated.
1:19:15 Sharpe you are a fucking nutjob. "I shall protect you. I will marry you!" She doesn't actually look impressed lol.
1:19:50 Sharpe's wearing black leather gloves on the horse. For a man with no money he's always able to source what he really needs. Though we're told in Peril that he and Harper took great riches from the baggage park after Vittoria, and Vittoria has apparently just happened. Oh yeah, dummy, that's what he took to Maggie Joyce to fence for him. And he's got a year's salary in French gold put away.
1:20:10 Is this Chatham Dockyard they're walking through? Looks like the right kind of buildings and I know they do host filming there. Harper walking at the head of the men while Sharpe, most unusually for him, rides at the front with the other officers - two captains in this case. Mind you, it's unusual to see him in a situation where there are other officers around and they're not senior to him. Usually the Colonels and such would be riding up front and he'd be further back with his men.
1:20:20 Ah, it's supposed to be the Chelmsford Barracks. But where did they actually film it?
1:20:45 So now they're all in proper South Essex uniform and armed, and Sharpe and Harper are walking together at the front. That's more what we're used to seeing.
1:21:00 My God, the walk on this man.
1:21:10 Now the men are singing Marching Through Rochester and Sharpe is actually joining in .
No me extraNarIa - I shouldn't wonder [ie I should think]
1:22:15 Carline is getting in between Sharpe and Harper in so much as Harper reports to Carline that the company is ready to march and Carline reports that to Sharpe, but when Sharpe walks up into the little group he ends up next to Harper and Harper closes in a little bit so he's right behind Sharpe's left shoulder as usual and standing very close. And Sharpe takes a couple of steps forward to address the men, Harper steps forward too.
1:23:20 "He cannot sail without orders, he must know that." But isn't he covered by the orders James Laurenson's character gave him?
1:25:00 "Lord John" looks like he's Alexander Armstrong, so this must be Rossendale and he's dressing up to take part in the pageant. Sharpe's taking the Eagle and Rossendale says "You will bring it back, won't you" to which he says "I did the last time." Interesting that before Jane got involved they were on reasonably good terms.
1:36:10 So Lady Anne is inviting him to go with her and Jane chooses this moment to announce they are to be married. And Sharpe says "I have the honour to name the Dowager Lady Camoynes. Miss Jane Gibbons, ma'am." Which is entirely the wrong way round. Always give the information to the more senior person first. But Jane is still fundamentally a hard-eyed and not particularly attractive woman.
1:38:35 All these cannons going off and no sign of the actual French at all.
1:40:15 Oh yeah, this is the bit (where they're climbing over the mountains into France) where Harper looks up at Sharpe several times as he approaches and walks past him, but Sharpe doesn't pay him any attention. Ah, Harris does too, I didn't notice that on previous viewings (of the clip).
And that's the end, so him standing there looking down the Spanish side of the mountain as the men climb past him must count as the look-back. But we're Franceward of him so he does a quick look towards us as well.
Military Advisor Richard Moore - when did he put the Rutherford in? Only one Exec - Muir Sutherland. I think back then actors didn't tend to get involved in that side of things. It always seems weird to me to learn of actors in their 30s who are Execs. Produced by Picture Palace which I think was Malcolm Craddock.
Sean Bean
Title
Daragh
Cochrane & Cruttenden
Farrell & Fellowes
Lambert & Langrishe
Laurenson & Rossington
~ ~ ~
This one mentions Vitoria, which seems to have happened off screen?
"From a script by Charles Wood" ?? Not "written by Charles Wood? What does it say on the others?
It's that major music with brassy minor bits which I think we often get in battles. Triumphant, glorious with a strong undercurrent of doom.
1:35 At this point - while they're trying to cross the river and getting massively shot at - I always wonder exactly what the remains of the battalion were doing while Sharpe and Harper were in London and Chelmsford, because when they come back, they start crossing (what I think is) the exact same river, like they've been stood there waiting all that time.
2:30 James Laurenson's character has got a fold-flat bicorne under his arm. Did they all fold flat?
3:45 His orders authorise him to go to Chelmsford and select replacements. Surely it's implied in that to get them on a ship back to Spain.
4:50 We're apparently supposed to understand that Fenner immediately realises who Sharpe is when he sees him at Horse Guards, although there is no interaction. He doesn't look too pleased.
6:00 I've still never worked out how some people know his rank just from looking at him. Presumably there's some insignia that gives it away. But though from the sword and the sash he's at least a Lieutenant, Captain Carline here, and Captain Anderson in Peril, don't recognise him as having any rank at all, and certainly not equal to them or higher.
6:10 A bit RP here as he speaks to the officers.
6:25 Carline here is definitely addressing him as an inferior.
7:50 This guy playing Captain Carline is very good [Adam James]. Excellent facial expressions to fit the circumstances, not overplayed and totally convincing. According to IMDb this was his first ever film or television role, so it's no surprise that he seems to have been working non-stop ever since.
9:55 It has taken me SO long to get what Sharpe says here, and I had to get enough clues from the Spanish subtitles to hear it. The Spanish says "Pienso que esta guerra me altera?" which googe translate says with the question mark means "I think this war upsets me?" and without means "...alters me". Neither of which makes sense because from the intonation he's asking Harper a question. I'm not at all clear why it doesn't say "Piensas que...?" Anyway, what he actually says is "D'you think this war has addled my wits, Patrick?"
So here's Alexander Armstrong and according to IMDb he's supposed to be playing Lord Rossendale. I hate recasting. I can see why they did it for Wellington, but for fictional characters they could surely just create a new one and give them the story that belonged to the old one if it's that important to keep the story/character. Which obviously it is in this case.
10:25 The invitation was presumably arranged by Fenner to get Sharpe back to London, within his orbit and away from Chelmsford. Fenner obviously worked out very quickly where Sharpe would be. In fact, Rossendale seems to have arrived there only an hour or so after Sharpe and Harper, but he's on a horse rather than having waited for a public coach.
11:05 Sharpe's being presented to Prinny. He looks terrified. And Lady Anne is there watching. He's practically shaking in terror and utter social awkwardness. He forgot to make a knee and he doesn't have a clue what to say.
12:30 OMG crying, they're bringing in his Eagle. And he's hearing the sounds of battle - he got quite seriously wounded at Talavera iirc.
13:40 Sharpe is sitting right next to Prinny, on his left hand, with a lady on the Prince's right.
16:15 Ah, Fenner gives Lady Anne the assignment to find out what Sharpe is after. I didn't know that before, it wasn't obvious from the clips I've seen.
16:35 And he suddenly cottons on that he's pulled without even noticing and follows her out.
18:15 He's looking both older and younger in this one than in Sword, somehow. This one was shown in 1996 - when was Sword made/shown? Also something in the way he says "Why not?" and the look on his face reminds me of another character of his. I think it's Alex Bailey in the Morse episode Absolute Conviction.
26:10 Another scene where Sharpe is where he would naturally be - ie way at the back of the crowd, away from the recruiting sergeant - rather than in the centre of the shot where most directors like to put their star at all times.
26:15 "...our hero, the gallant Major Sharpe" says the recruiting Sergeant. And the crowd all echo and whisper to each other "Major Sharpe!" And Sharpe looks around at them, a bit gobsmacked and faintly amused, while Harper doesn't actually look amused AT ALL.
30:35 Apparently Sharpe has met Jane before? Once, says Harper, and Sharpe agrees. But WHEN? I don't remember that at all. In the books, he finds her picture in a locket on Christian Gibbons' body.
33:50 I never knew before that Simmerson treated Jane really badly. It's implied here that he whips her. Or maybe worse.
41:45 They're sitting in a tent, Harper's blacking his boots while Sharpe and Marriott are pipeclaying belts. Presumably if Sharpe hadn't started in the ranks he'd be having problems with this, and he's supposed to have served before so he'd be expected to be all over it.
It's interesting how Sharpe is telling Marriott to slow down with the work. He's really acting as a private soldier here, not even a sergeant, let alone a Major.
45:35 "Even Corporals, and their heirs and successors". That's a phrase from wills, and I can't imagine at this point that Sharpe has ever seen a will. In the books yes, by this point if you read in chrono order, because of Lady Grace Hale, but not in the tv show.
54:30 Sergeant Lynch is an absolute cowardly shit of a man.
57:35 Another example where Harper is shown to have no tactical (or is it strategic?) intelligence at all. Sharpe gets a musket and a pistol off the horse and Harper assumes they're going to fire at the pursuers, but Sharpe stops him and leads them to somewhere to hide.
58:50 Christ, that bit where the horse treads on his head nearly has me throwing up every time I watch. Sean could have actually died there. But he gets up, pulls himself out of the water and carries on with the scene. Extraordinary. For a long time I thought there was a cut between the horse on his head and him climbing out of the water, but it was just me closing my eyes in horror.
1:01:30 He's being hunted and he thinks it a good idea to stand silhouetted in an open doorway gawping back at the horrible Jane without taking any notice of what's going on outside.
1:02:15 Fuck's sake, THIS is Lawford? At least they're making it clear by having him say "Is this the sergeant I taught to read and write" and Sharpe delighted to see him but ffs. Probably only one tiny scene, could they not have got the guy for one day? Though it needed to be on this particular set, so if he was on location elsewhere I guess that would have been a problem.
1:03:55 Fuck's sake, not only does Lawford go straight to Lord Fenner, but he tells Fenner exactly who he's got the information from! Either he doesn't give a shit about the man he calls "My dear Richard" or he's really really stupid. [What is "field rank"?]
Deme solo un momento - "just a moment"
Dowager countess - condesa viuda
"Pah! Horse Guards! You may not Horse Guards me sir!"
1:10:30 It really doesn't suit him having his hair down as a fringe - it works much better swept back how he normally has it.
1:13:15 He's going full-on RP when he introduces himself to the battalion he was a private in 3 days ago. He practically says "demn" when he tells them to "remove those damn silly stocks from your necks".
alacrity - presteza
1:17 Right, so Simmerson does beat her. With a cane. No wonder Sharpe fell for her, he's a sucker for helping anyone who's being mistreated by someone they have no power over and no recourse. But even in these early days Jane looks frankly a hard-face bitch. No softness about her at all, but I suppose she's been hard-treated.
1:19:15 Sharpe you are a fucking nutjob. "I shall protect you. I will marry you!" She doesn't actually look impressed lol.
1:19:50 Sharpe's wearing black leather gloves on the horse. For a man with no money he's always able to source what he really needs. Though we're told in Peril that he and Harper took great riches from the baggage park after Vittoria, and Vittoria has apparently just happened. Oh yeah, dummy, that's what he took to Maggie Joyce to fence for him. And he's got a year's salary in French gold put away.
1:20:10 Is this Chatham Dockyard they're walking through? Looks like the right kind of buildings and I know they do host filming there. Harper walking at the head of the men while Sharpe, most unusually for him, rides at the front with the other officers - two captains in this case. Mind you, it's unusual to see him in a situation where there are other officers around and they're not senior to him. Usually the Colonels and such would be riding up front and he'd be further back with his men.
1:20:20 Ah, it's supposed to be the Chelmsford Barracks. But where did they actually film it?
1:20:45 So now they're all in proper South Essex uniform and armed, and Sharpe and Harper are walking together at the front. That's more what we're used to seeing.
1:21:00 My God, the walk on this man.
1:21:10 Now the men are singing Marching Through Rochester and Sharpe is actually joining in .
No me extraNarIa - I shouldn't wonder [ie I should think]
1:22:15 Carline is getting in between Sharpe and Harper in so much as Harper reports to Carline that the company is ready to march and Carline reports that to Sharpe, but when Sharpe walks up into the little group he ends up next to Harper and Harper closes in a little bit so he's right behind Sharpe's left shoulder as usual and standing very close. And Sharpe takes a couple of steps forward to address the men, Harper steps forward too.
1:23:20 "He cannot sail without orders, he must know that." But isn't he covered by the orders James Laurenson's character gave him?
1:25:00 "Lord John" looks like he's Alexander Armstrong, so this must be Rossendale and he's dressing up to take part in the pageant. Sharpe's taking the Eagle and Rossendale says "You will bring it back, won't you" to which he says "I did the last time." Interesting that before Jane got involved they were on reasonably good terms.
1:36:10 So Lady Anne is inviting him to go with her and Jane chooses this moment to announce they are to be married. And Sharpe says "I have the honour to name the Dowager Lady Camoynes. Miss Jane Gibbons, ma'am." Which is entirely the wrong way round. Always give the information to the more senior person first. But Jane is still fundamentally a hard-eyed and not particularly attractive woman.
1:38:35 All these cannons going off and no sign of the actual French at all.
1:40:15 Oh yeah, this is the bit (where they're climbing over the mountains into France) where Harper looks up at Sharpe several times as he approaches and walks past him, but Sharpe doesn't pay him any attention. Ah, Harris does too, I didn't notice that on previous viewings (of the clip).
And that's the end, so him standing there looking down the Spanish side of the mountain as the men climb past him must count as the look-back. But we're Franceward of him so he does a quick look towards us as well.
Military Advisor Richard Moore - when did he put the Rutherford in? Only one Exec - Muir Sutherland. I think back then actors didn't tend to get involved in that side of things. It always seems weird to me to learn of actors in their 30s who are Execs. Produced by Picture Palace which I think was Malcolm Craddock.