Sharpe's Enemy (1994)
Portugal 1813. A band of deserters, including Sharpe's old enemy, Obadiah Hakeswill, have captured two women, one the wife of a high-ranking English officer, and are holding them hostage for ransom. Sharpe is given the 60th Rifles and a Rocket troop, as well as his majority to rescue the women. But while Sharpe may be able to deal with his old enemy, he has yet to face a newer threat, the French Major Pierre Ducos.
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Excellent, smart action film.
This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.
In what is arguably the best of the Sharpe series, Richard Sharpe, now promoted Major is sent to secure the release of the wife of an English aristocrat who has been captured by a gang of desperate deserters lead by Sharpe's former Nemesis Obidiah Hakeswell.Hakeswell is demanding a kings ransom for Lady Farthingdale played by a young Elizabeth Hurley, and he has asked for Sharpe to be the delivery boy so he can exact his ultimate revenge.Also the town in question is not only the den and haven of the thieves and mutineers but a strategic stronghold, essential to Wellington's advance, and as a result Sharpe and his chosen men not only have the deserters and the hostages to contend with, but the arrival of a large contingent of French troops determined to secure the town for themselves.Sean Bean and Daragh O'Malley return as Sharpe and Harper, and we see excellent performances by Hugh Fraser as Wellington, Michael Byrne as Major Nairn and Assumpta Serna returning for the final time as Sharpe's wife Teresa Moreno.However the performance of the film, if not the performance of the entire Sharpe series is given once again to Pete Postlethwaite as the pervertedly evil and twitchy Obidiah Hakeswell, in my opinion one of the most loathsome baddies ever brought to the screen.Super Swash for your Buckle
This is my favorite of the Sharpe series. Why, you may ask? Obadiah Hakeswill; it's the perfect name for the most foul of villains. Pete Postlethwaite is wonderful as the evil deserter, rapist, thief and all-around bad egg. From his guttural language to his head twitch, he exudes the greatest villainy this side of Ian Mckellan's Richard III.Sean Bean is the swashbuckling Sharpe, with Daragh O' Malley as the faithful Sgt. Harper. We have the "Chosen Men" and Captain "Sweet William" Frederickson. What's not to love? OK, Elizabeth Hurley doesn't distinguish herself, but the rest of the principles do, including Feodor Atkine as Major Ducos.The whole series captures the flavor of the Cornwell books, although some of the battles are fought on smaller scales. Still, the productions make the most of their budgets and score points for character. If you like historical adventure, romance, swashbuckling, or just great character acting, watch these films.
Remember that Sir Lawrence Olivier was renown for taking on different looks for every movie? so Pete Postlewaite, one fantastic actor. To have this creep with his facial tics do the horrible things he does in this movie, having flogged Sharpe in some past time and then to have seen him in An Awfully Big Adventure as the kindly uncle ---what a talen!!! I'm a realism freak, so despite the wonderful writing, the most important part of any movie, there were a few too many 'Enter on cue'. "But Sharpe, we don't HAVE any cavalry".....He nods and in they come. The scene with Ducot, also an excellent actor in which the glasses are broken is exquisite. But, here's the rub: Sharpe is supposed to be a hero: yet even though you're made quite aware that he's in love with his wife, guess what he does with the whore, Elisabeth (breasts not real) Hurley? I didn't think Clinton should have been impeached for such adolescent breaches in morality, but to have Sharpe commit adultery: No, no, a thousand times no!!!! And then.....but I don't want to be a spoiler, it just makes the act worse. The scenery is gorgeous, supposedly Portugal, but really up where England had a war once, and the "Valley of Death" where 10,000 English soldiers died is where it was filmed, somewhere around Afghanistan and the Kyber Pass. "Sweet William" the hairless, toothless, eyeless top notch soldier is portrayed exquisitely. You can understand why the series continued. And, yes, Darrah O'Malley is much sexier than people give him credit for, and having seen him in 'Withnail and I', it made him much funnier. But have you noticed? When guys play sinister scenes with up close hostility such as between Ducot and Sharpe, there's almost a homoerotic quality about it. Don't understand this, but the emotions must be similar. We'll have to ask the actors.
Oncer again, Sharpe's Enemy allows our hero Richard Sharpe, along with his Rifles in support, to save the day.A somewhat contrived plot does not help, but some excellent acting saves the day. Not, one might add, from a certain Liz Hurley! The tragic events towards the end add a poignancy to the Sharpe series that had not really been present before, although this is superbly counter-balanced by the humour of Sharpe's promotion.Not the best episode, but definitely up there as a strong showing, before the ravages of Jane beguiled our hero.