Sharpe's Gold (TV programme)

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Sharpe's Gold

Title screen from Sharpe's Gold
Genre Military drama
Running time 100 min.
Director(s) Tom Clegg
Writer(s) Bernard Cornwell (novel)
Nigel Kneale
Starring Sean Bean
Daragh O'Malley
Jayne Ashbourne
Country of origin Flag of United Kingdom United Kingdom
Language(s) English
Release date(s) 1995
Preceded by Sharpe's Honour
Followed by Sharpe's Battle
IMDb profile

Sharpe's Gold is a 1995 British television drama, part of a series screened on the ITV network that follows the career of Richard Sharpe, a British soldier during the Napoleonic Wars. The drama has almost nothing in common with the novel of the same name by Bernard Cornwell. The scriptwriter, Nigel Kneale, explained: "I didn't use much of [the book]. I used the first ten pages, I think. Then I had an idea which would be more fun to do. It was all about magic by the time I was through with it."[1]

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Two close relatives visit Lord Wellington (Hugh Fraser) in Spain during the Peninsular War, Bess Nugent (Rosaleen Linehan) and her daughter Ellie (Jayne Ashbourne). They are there to search for Richard Nugent (Peter Eyre), the husband of Bess. Wellington however refuses to assist their foolhardy mission, demanding they go home to Ireland.

Meanwhile, Major Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean) is assigned the task of handing over 50 rifles for some British deserters caught by a Spanish guerrilla leader named El Casco (Abel Folk). While on the way to the exchange, the two ladies catch up to Sharpe's party. With no other choice, he takes them along in order to protect them. The trade goes as planned. However, when he starts back without helping the Nugents, they ride off, forcing Sharpe to go after them.

The ladies encounter El Casco's men; Bess is killed and Ellie taken captive. When she is moved to El Casco's lair, she finds her father, though he has become deranged after presumably witnessing the attrocities the Spaniards have committed (they believe they are descendents of the Aztecs and cut out the hearts of French prisoners). Sharpe tracks them down, fights the Spaniards and rescues Ellie and her father. After El Casco wounds Sharpe, he is killed by Sargeant Harper (Daragh O'Malley) and his men flee.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Murray, Andy (2006). Into the Unknown: The Fantastic Life of Nigel Kneale (paperback), London: Headpress, p. 175. ISBN 1-900486-50-4. 

[edit] External links