Sharpe's Revenge (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Okay, it took me a while to recognize that the character of Rossendale was being played by Alexis Denisof a.k.a. Wesley Wyndham-Pryce from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel." But the twists of "Sharpe's Revenge," the twelfth of the fourteen adventures of Bernard Cornwell's maverick British officer from the Napoleonic War, were such that I was surprised that Rossendale turns out to be more than a minor character. We have been waiting for the war to be over, but it turns out the defeat of Napoleon is not the best of all possible worlds for our hero.
In April 1814 Wellington's forces are attacking Toulouse, the final French stronghold still loyal to Napoleon, and when it falls Napoleon falls from power and King Phillipe is restored. Of course during the final battle another incompetent but well connected officer, Wigram (Tom Hodgkins) is ordered to lead the assault, botches it, and it is up to Major Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean) to save the day. But then several important things happen that ruin the end of the war for our hero. First, Wigram uses the subject of Sharpe's wife to insult him and set up a duel in defiance of the Duke of Wellington's orders. Sharpe knows he will be sent home, but that is what he wants since Jane Sharpe (Abigail Cruttenden) has extracted a promise that the battle would be his last. However, urged on by Lady Molly Spindacre (Connie Hyde), who has her own agenda when she discovers Jane has a signed power of attorney giving her control of Sharpe's 10,000 pounds, Sharpe's wife leaves for home when she hears of the duel.
Meanwhile, Major Ducos (Féodor Atkine) is not only still not dead, despite another opportunity for Sharpe to put Napoleon's master spy out of business, but plotting his final revenge on our hero. After the duel, in which Sharpe finds a great way of teaching Wigram a lesson, he finds himself arrested. Not for the duel, but for stealing Napoleon's treasure. Although defended in court by Frederickson (Philip Whitchurch), who learned his law in a most unusual but totally appropriate way, Ducov has contrived enough evidence to make his convinction and execution almost certain. So Frederickson and Harper (Daragh O'Malley) break Sharpe out and set off to uncover the truth and save Sharpe's reputation and neck.
The dynamic of "Sharpe's Revenge" is different from most of the episodes in the series and not just because the big battle scene comes at the beginning (they still have one at the end). The most obvious is that Frederickson plays the role Harper usually has when Sharpe is in trouble, but we also have a rather unexpected ally in the French General Calvet (John Benfield), who has been opposing Sharpe on the field of battle for the last several films. While Sharpe is having problems in France, Jane is back home being swept off her feet by Rossendale and to our surprise she is willing to be seduced. Meanwhile, Sharpe is being nursed back to health by a young French widow (Cécile Paoli) and while she is interested, he will remain faithful to Jane, unaware she is not doing the same.
This is really the first half of a two-part story, continued in "Sharpe's Justice." That is because as long as he is on the Continent Sharpe can only get his revenge against half of his targets, with the rest awaiting him back home in England. "Sharpe's Revenge" has as much of a "to be continued" ending of any of these films and given how rare it is that Sharpe actually kills his enemies in this tales, I have no clue as to how the rest of this one will play out.


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Sean Bean returns as British Officer Richard Sharpe in the battle of his life. The war may be over for Britain and its allies, but Sharpe, set up by long-time enemy, Ducos, finds himself accused of stealing Napoleon's treasure. Abandoned by his wife and convicted of the crime, Sharpe is sent to prison. Breaking out of jail, Sharpe goes in search of truth and vengeance on a perilous journey across post-war France.

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