Napoleonic Wars
UK productions depicting the Napoleonic Wars. See notes for each title
Behind the scenes / making of books:
Behind the scenes / making of books:
- Sharpe's Victory - by Rachel Murrell
- The Making of C S Forester's Horatio Hornblower - by Tom McGregor
- The Making of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World - by Tom McGregor
- Vanity Fair: Bringing Thackeray's Timeless Novel to the Screen - by Mira Nair
- War & Peace: Viewing Notes (44 p. booklet inside dvd set for 1972 BBC series)
- Persuasion - by Nick Dear (screenplay of 1995 film)
- Mansfield Park: A Screenplay - by Patricia Rozema
- Masterpiece Theatre: A Celebration of 25 Years of Outstanding Television - by Terrence O'Flaherty (behind the scenes of many tv productions, including Vanity Fair 1967 and War & Peace 1972)
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52 titles
- DirectorStuart St PaulStarsJean-Marc BarrEmma FieldingSimon CallowIn nineteenth century rural England, a German hussar serving with King George III's personal cavalry, Matthaus Singer, falls madly in love with the only daughter of a West Country solicitor, Frances Groves.Adapted from a short story by Thomas Hardy that was based on a real event
- DirectorTom CleggStarsSean BeanAssumpta SernaBrian CoxIn the Peninsular War, a British sergeant is field promoted to a lieutenant in charge of a disrespectful rifle company.Sharpe’s #1
- DirectorAndrew GrieveStarsIoan GruffuddRobert LindsayDorian HealyHoratio Hornblower begins his naval career, but a deadly feud with a despicable mate is causing complications.Hornblower #1
- StarsNatasha LittleFrances GreyPhilip GlenisterAn adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's classic story of parvenue Becky Sharp's rise from obscure and humble origins to her subsequent ignominious fall from Society; set against the backdrop of Regency England and continental Europe during the Napoleonic War.Favorite version!
- DirectorTom CleggStarsSean BeanAssumpta SernaBrian CoxGeneral Wellesley sends Major Hogan, Sharpe, the chosen men and the South Essex Regiment to destroy a bridge. Sharpe is immediately in conflict with two junior officers of the South Essex and their incompetent commander.Sharpe’s #2
- DirectorAndrew GrieveStarsIoan GruffuddRobert LindsayDenis LawsonWhile Lt. Hornblower studies for his promotion examination, he is distracted by the serious supply problems that face his crew.Hornblower #2
- StarsPhilip GlenisterTamsin GreigHarriet WalterFollows events when the emerging nouveau riche, including the Trenchard family, rub shoulders with London's established upper classes and when secrets from the past threaten to emerge.Adapted by Julian Fellowes from his own novel. This series depicts the famous ball hosted by the Duchess of Richmond the night before the Battle of Waterloo
- StarsEve MathesonRebecca SaireSimon DormandyIn the time of Napoleon, Becky Sharp, a poor orphan girl, schemes for money and position. Her most-used stepladder is her old school friend, Amelia Sedley. Both women marry soldiers, and both of them are affected by the Battle of Waterloo.My second favorite version of Thackeray’s tale
- DirectorTom CleggStarsSean BeanPete PostlethwaiteDaragh O'MalleySpain, 1812. Wellington's army is headed for Badajoz. Sharpe, now a Captain in the South Essex, learns that he has a daughter with Teresa and she is in Badajoz. He also runs into an old nemesis - Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill.Sharpe’s #3
- DirectorAndrew GrieveStarsIoan GruffuddRobert LindsayCherie LunghiLt. Hornblower and his crew are captured by the enemy while escorting a Duchess who has secrets of her own.Hornblower #3
- StarsAnthony HopkinsMorag HoodAlan DobieNapoleon's tumultuous relations with Russia including his disastrous 1812 invasion serve as the backdrop for the tangled personal lives of five aristocratic Russian families.My favorite version of Tolstoy’s epic
- CreatorGwyneth HughesStarsMichael PalinOlivia CookeTom BatemanAn adaptation of the 1848 novel by William Makepeace Thackeray.My 3rd favorite version of Thackeray’s novel
- DirectorTom CleggStarsSean BeanPete PostlethwaiteDaragh O'MalleyAn army of British, French, Spanish and Portuguese deserters, lead by Sharpe's arch-nemesis Obadiah Hakeswill, has kidnapped two English women and held them for ransom. Hakeswill demands that Sharpe deliver the ransom money himself.Sharpe’s #4
- DirectorAndrew GrieveStarsIoan GruffuddRobert LindsayAntony SherLt. Hornblower and his mates are sent to accompany a doomed royalist invasion of revolutionary France.Hornblower #4
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsRussell CrowePaul BettanyBilly BoydDuring the Napoleonic Wars, a brash British captain pushes his ship and crew to their limits in pursuit of a formidable French war vessel around South America.
- StarsClémence PoésyAlessio BoniAlexander BeyerThe story of five aristocratic families in Russia during the Napoleonic Wars of 1812Pan-European production.
- StarsSusan HampshireMarilyn TaylersonDyson LovellRebecca "Becky" Sharp is an impoverished, strong-willed and cunning young woman determined to make her way in the early 19th Century British society.My 4th favorite version of VF
- DirectorTom CleggStarsSean BeanDaragh O'MalleyHugh FraserThe French are on the run in Spain. In an effort to save Spain, Major Ducos engineers a diplomatic incident to split the English-Spanish alliance. Sharpe is at the centre of this incident, putting his life and honour at stake.Sharpe’s #5
- DirectorAndrew GrieveStarsIoan GruffuddRobert LindsayDavid WarnerHornblower and his comrades come under the command of a revered but obviously mentally unstable captain and eventually must mutiny.Hornblower #5
- StarsBenedict CumberbatchJared HarrisJamie SivesIn 1812, young British aristocrat Edmund Talbot travels by ship to Australia, and learns more about himself and about life than he had ever bargained for.Adapted from Golding’s trilogy set during the Napoleonic Wars. SPOILERS: this series depicts a group of Brits en route to Australia aboard a royal navy ship. During the journey they encounter another royal navy vessel bound for Australia and learn that the war is finally over.
- StarsPaul DanoJames NortonLily JamesAs the Russian conflict with Napoleon reaches its peak, five aristocratic families face the possibility of their lives being changed forever.
- DirectorMira NairStarsReese WitherspoonRomola GaraiJames PurefoyGrowing up poor in London, Becky Sharp defies her poverty-stricken background and ascends the social ladder alongside her best friend, Amelia Sedley.
- DirectorTom CleggStarsSean BeanDaragh O'MalleyHugh FraserSharpe leads a party to exchange rifles for British deserters. He is dealing with Aztec-inspired Spanish partisans. Complicating matters is Wellington's cousin, with her daughter, who is searching for her missing husband.Sharpe’s #6
- DirectorAndrew GrieveStarsIoan GruffuddRobert LindsayDavid WarnerHornblower and the other officers of the Renown must return to Jamaica to face a court-martial and possible execution for their actions in relieving their unstable captain.Hornblower #6
- DirectorRoger MichellStarsAmanda RootCiarán HindsSusan FleetwoodTheatrical film of Persuasion with Ciaran Hinds & Amanda Root. Directed by Roger Michell.No navy battles but it does depict an admiral and his officers discussing Napoleon’s exile before his escape
- DirectorTom CleggStarsSean BeanDaragh O'MalleyHugh FraserWhen Sharpe is ordered to whip the King of Spain's Irish Royal Brigade into shape, he faces dissent from the men who believe the British are slaughtering their relatives in Ireland and a spy from within.Sharpe’s #7
- DirectorAndrew GrieveStarsIoan GruffuddRobert LindsayPaul McGannHornblower is given a dangerous mission to deliver an emigre French nobleman to a secret rendezvous near Brest while coping with enemy agents in his own ranks.Hornblower #7
- DirectorTom CleggStarsSean BeanDaragh O'MalleyJohn TamsSharpe is tasked to protect the most important spy in Lord Wellington's network, but domestic issues, a traumatized young girl, and possible French spies all threaten his success.Sharpe’s #8
- DirectorAndrew GrieveStarsIoan GruffuddRobert LindsayPaul McGannAdmiral Pellew interrupts Hornblower's wedding reception and tasks him to locate a British ship which has disappeared off the French coast, where Napoleon's troops are engaged in covert activities.Hornblower #8, and the final installment of Ioan Gruffudd’s portrayal
- DirectorRaoul WalshStarsGregory PeckVirginia MayoRobert BeattyDuring the Napoleonic wars, a British Navy Captain has adventures in Central American waters.Gregory Peck in a film that picks up shortly after where the Ioan Gruffudd series left off.
- DirectorTom CleggStarsSean BeanDaragh O'MalleyAbigail CruttendenThe South Essex is to be disbanded due to dwindling personnel. This doesn't make sense as the entire 2nd Battalion is in England and taking new recruits. Sharpe and Harper head to England to work out what is going on and save the regiment.Sharpe’s #9
- DirectorTom CleggStarsSean BeanDaragh O'MalleyAbigail CruttendenWellington is about to invade France and is considering his options. Sharpe's regiment, under the command of a green Colonel, is sent to capture a French castle in the hope that the local population will rise up against Napoleon.Sharpe’s #10
- DirectorTom CleggStarsSean BeanDaragh O'MalleyAbigail CruttendenSharpe is teamed with a Colonel he helped promote and they are tasked to destroy a powder magazine, but an alliance with the French may threaten their success. Meanwhile, Jane is wearying of the army life and Harper and Ramona are at odds.Sharpe’s #11
- DirectorTom CleggStarsSean BeanDaragh O'MalleyAbigail CruttendenSharpe is framed as the thief who stole Napoleon's gold, and he must clear his name to avoid execution. Meanwhile, Jane - urged on by a friend - makes some questionable choices.Sharpe’s #12
- DirectorTom CleggStarsSean BeanDaragh O'MalleyAbigail CruttendenReturning to Yorkshire, Sharpe finds himself on the wrong side between corrupt employers and exploited workers.Sharpe’s #13
- DirectorTom CleggStarsSean BeanDaragh O'MalleyAbigail CruttendenNapoleon has escaped from Elba and Britain is at war again. As Wellington's army assembles in Belgium, Sharpe, now a Lt. Colonel, is placed on the staff of the Dutch Prince of Orange, commander of a large portion of Wellington's army.Sharpe’s #14, the final installment of Sharpe’s films set during the Napoleonic Wars. Two sequels set in India, after the Napoleonic wars: Sharpe’s Challenge (#15) and Sharpe’s Peril (#16).
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsKeith CarradineHarvey KeitelAlbert FinneyFrance, 1801. Due to a minor perceived slight, mild-mannered Lieutenant d'Hubert is forced into a duel with hot-headed irrational Lieutenant Feraud. The disagreement ultimately results in scores of duels spanning several years.Adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s novella
- DirectorKevin ReynoldsStarsJim CaviezelGuy PearceChristopher AdamsonA young man, falsely imprisoned by his jealous "friend", escapes and uses a hidden treasure to exact his revenge.
- StarsAnna MasseyAngela PleasenceSylvestra Le TouzelImpoverished Fanny Price is sent to live with her more affluent uncle and aunt. The arrival of new neighbors brings a chance for romance to Fanny and her cousins.The heroine’s brother is serving in the navy during the Napoleonic Wars.
- DirectorHarry HookStarsJean-Marc BarrMiranda RichardsonRichard E. GrantIn 1813, Capitaine Jacques St. Ives, a Hussar in the Napoleonic wars, is captured and sent to a Scottish prison camp. He's a swashbuckler, so the prison's commander, Major Farquar Bolingbroke Chevening, asks for lessons in communicating with women. Both men have their eyes on the lovely Flora, who resides with her aunt, the iconoclastic and well-traveled Miss Susan Emily Gilcrist. By chance, living close to the camp is Jacques's grandfather and brother, whom Jacques believes died years before. Jacques decides to escape, find his relatives, and win the hand of Flora; Major Chevening and an unforeseen enemy stand in his way. Can Miss Gilcrist contrive to make everything work out?Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale of a French officer who is captured and held in a prison camp in Scotland
- StarsKenneth ColleyTim Pigott-SmithGeraldine JamesWorshipped as a national savior, Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson masterminded the naval victories that thwarted Napoleon's plans to invade Britain. Yet, in the midst of public adulation, rumors swirled about his private life. Nelson took a friend's wife as a mistress and even fathered a child by her in secret. Starring Kenneth Colley (Monty Python's Life of Brian), Geraldine James (The Jewel in the Crown), and Tim Pigott-Smith (V for Vendetta), this lavish historical drama examines Nelson through the eyes of four people close to him: his wife, who feels bitter and betrayed but ultimately loving; his friend, who helplessly loses his wife to a hero; his captain, who admires Nelson's bold leadership but disdains his lifestyle; and an ordinary seaman, who turns to his commander for inspiration while facing death. What emerges is an unconventional portrait of a complex figure and a study in the effects of fame. Seen on Masterpiece Theatre.Admiral Horatio Nelson bio series
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsJavier BardemNatalie PortmanStellan SkarsgårdPainter Francisco Goya faces a scandal involving his muse, who is labeled a heretic by a monk.Affects of the wars in Spain
- StarsEwan McGregorChristopher FulfordAlice KrigeThe story of an ambitious but impoverished young man who seduces women of social class in order to improve his own prospects in 19th century France.The main character has an imaginary friendship with Napoleon.
- DirectorPatricia RozemaStarsFrances O'ConnorJonny Lee MillerAlessandro NivolaFanny, born into a poor family, is sent away to live with wealthy uncle Sir Thomas, his wife and their four children, where she'll be brought up for a proper introduction to society.
- DirectorIain B. MacDonaldStarsJulia JoyceDouglas HodgeMaggie O'NeillThe classic tale by Jane Austen of family scandal, social graces, and the unrequited love between cousins.
- DirectorGerald ThomasStarsKenneth WilliamsCharles HawtreyBernard CribbinsA new midshipman joins a frigate, encountering mutiny, pirates, mistaken identities, and shipwrecks while navigating Spanish waters with his captain, lover, and friend. Survival is uncertain in this swashbuckling adventure.
- DirectorAlan TaylorStarsIan HolmIben HjejleTim McInnernyDuring Napoleon's exile on St. Helena, some loyalists hire a look-alike to swap places with the deposed Emperor. While the impostor lives in luxury on the island, the real Napoleon returns to Paris in order to retake the throne.
- DirectorGeorge SidneyStarsStewart GrangerJanet LeighEleanor ParkerIn France during the late 18th Century, a man sets out to avenge the death of his friend at the hands of a master swordsman.
- DirectorDesmond DavisStarsDelphine SeyrigSimon CallowDavid TroughtonYoung Napoleon Bonaparte arrives at an inn. He is supposed to receive a packet of letters. Meanwhile, an unnamed lady steals the letters to keep the content of one of the letters secret.
- DirectorLavinia CurrierStarsBen DanielsMichel PiccoliPaul M. MestonYoung French officer Augustin Robert escorts artist Jean-Michel Venture de Paradis to Egypt during Napoleon's Egyptian campaign. Napoleon sent de Paradis to record Egypt's great monuments and temples that are destroyed by French soldiers in acts of barbarism. During combat, Augustin and Jean-Michel are separated from their regiment, and they start wandering through the desert fighting for their life. In one of the canyons Augustin meets a leopard he names Simoom and a strange bond between them appears.
- StarsArmand AssanteJacqueline BissetStephanie BeachamEpic story about the romance between the most powerful man in the world and the woman who conquered his heart.
- StarsChristian ClavierIsabella RosselliniGérard DepardieuA masterful soldier, tactician, and statesmen, Napoleon Bonaparte, with courage and love for his country, rises from an unpaid general consumed with ambition to the most powerful man in Europe. But his life ends with a fall and exile.