Sharpe's Eagle (1993)

Sharpe is a Captain saddled with the South Essex, a battalion run by incompetents, and filled with soldiers who have never been in battle. When the South Essex loses its colors (its ... See full summary »

Director:

Tom Clegg

Writers:

Eoghan Harris, Bernard Cornwell (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Sean Bean, Assumpta Serna, Brian Cox

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Bean	...	Lt. / Cpt. Richard Sharpe
Brian Cox	...	Maj. Hogan
Daragh O'Malley	...	Sgt. Patrick Harper
Assumpta Serna	...	Teresa Moreno
Michael Cochrane	...	Sir Henry Simmerson
David Troughton	...	Sir Arthur Wellesley
Martin Jacobs	...	Maj. / Col. Lawford
Katia Caballero	...	Josefina
Michael Mears	...	Francis Cooper
John Tams	...	Daniel Hagman
Jason Salkey	...	Harris
Paul Trussell	...	Isiah Tongue
Lyndon Davies	...	Ben Perkins
Gavan O'Herlihy	...	Cpt. Leroy
David Ashton	...	Maj. Lennox

Storyline

Sharpe is a Captain saddled with the South Essex, a battalion run by incompetents, and filled with soldiers who have never been in battle. When the South Essex loses its colors (its regimental flag), Sharpe vows to save the honor of the regiment by capturing a French Imperial standard: an eagle.

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Plot Keywords:

19th century | second part | bare chested male | bare chested male bondage | whipping | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | History | War

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Certificate:

TV-14

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the first of the Sharpe movies to introduce a running theme of cultural references, here regarding art (Peter Paul Rubens and Sandro Boticelli) and, as a recurring theme for the future, literature in general and Shakespeare in particular (here: "Julius Caesar").

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Goofs

Sharpe teaches the South Essex to increase their rate of fire by simply dropping the musket ball down the barrel and tapping the butt on the ground to jolt it down, rather than using the ramrod. However, this method would only be used in an emergency as it badly affects the accuracy and power of the musket. It is perfectly possible to fire three to four rounds a minute using the ramrod, with practice. (Having said that, it is possible Sharpe taught them the shortcut because of the extremely limited time Simmerson allowed him to train them).

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Quotes

Leroy: [he has just seen Sharpe talking with Colonel Lawford] You and the young lord twins, or what?
Richard Sharpe: We spent three months chained in a cell in India. He had a page of the Bible. In three months he taught me how to read and write. How can you pay back a man who teaches you how to write your own name, Captain?

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Connections

Followed by Sharpe's Sword (1995)

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Soundtracks

Over the Hills and Far Away
(uncredited)
Traditional
Lyrics adapted by John Tams
Performed by John Tams

User Reviews

A SUPERB WAR DRAMA

This installment in the career on Richard Sharpe is possibly the best of the series.

It is a mix of terrible leadership, outstanding battle scenes, and bitter rivalry between officers.

Sean Bean is perfect as Sharpe, but this film lacks the beauty of Elizabeth Hurley, who appeared in Sharpe's Enemy, later in the series.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English Spanish French

Release Date:

12 May 1993 (UK)

Also Known As:

Sharpe's Eagle

Filming Locations:

Crimea, Ukraine

Company Credits

Production Co:

Celtic Films Entertainment, Central, Picture Palace

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1