Richard Sharpe vs. James Bond

[loogthan]

I watched “Sharpe’s Challenge” on PBS and it was interesting how the character was compared to James Bond in a historical adventure. I liked this film because it reminded me of Pierce in “The Deceivers” (and there aren’t many movies which take place during the early 19th century in Asia). It might not be as exciting or terrifying as Deceivers but it was still quite adventurous. Although I felt Sharpe was perhaps more realistic than the obviously larger-than-life Bond, while the events or obstacles which interfered with his plans to rescue Celia were believable. Still it was nice to see two ex-Bond villains pitted against each other, this time with 006 as the hero; loved how the sword fight scene between Sharpe and Dobbs was anti-climatic in comparison to the one in Die Another Day where as Graves became more angrier he was more violent (yet another favorite fight scene & probably the best from our last Bond film with Pierce). This weekend, PBS will be showing “Sharpe’s Peril” which I believe is even more similar to Deceivers (according to the promo).

[Lauryn]

Apr 1, 2010 14:49:49 GMT -5 loogthan said:

I watched “Sharpe’s Challenge” on PBS and it was interesting how the character was compared to James Bond in a historical adventure. I liked this film because it reminded me of Pierce in “The Deceivers” (and there aren’t many movies which take place during the early 19th century in Asia). It might not be as exciting or terrifying as Deceivers but it was still quite adventurous. Although I felt Sharpe was perhaps more realistic than the obviously larger-than-life Bond, while the events or obstacles which interfered with his plans to rescue Celia were believable. Still it was nice to see two ex-Bond villains pitted against each other, this time with 006 as the hero; loved how the sword fight scene between Sharpe and Dobbs was anti-climatic in comparison to the one in Die Another Day where as Graves became more angrier he was more violent (yet another favorite fight scene & probably the best from our last Bond film with Pierce). This weekend, PBS will be showing “Sharpe’s Peril” which I believe is even more similar to Deceivers (according to the promo).

Watching both duels is a fun compare and contrast exercise.

When I first saw Sean Bean as Sharpe I thought he was all wrong. The Sharpe from the books was described as dark-haired and tanned, and a man born in one of the worst parts of London. With that Northern (Sheffield) accent it’s still a little hard to buy SB as a London guttersnipe. But I got over it because he has the right blend of risen-through-the ranks roughneck charm, and can play a convincing paragon of a fighting soldier.

Though SB came from a well-to-do family I believe they had working class roots and IMO, Sean Bean is better in roles where he doesn’t have to play more posh. Though he’s a very formidable and physical adversary, I think he loses a bit of his personality as Alec in Goldeneye due to having to modify his accent.

[loogthan]

Lauryn, since you have seen the other adventures of Richard Sharpe, which ones would you recommend as the best among them (I've read that some are not as good as the rest).

[Ace]

I've only seen about half of them but my favorite of the series are the first 4 or so - the ones with the glorious Assumpta Serna as Teresa. After that they felt more episodic and they lost a lot of their appeal for me and I stopped looking for them the next couple after that. I haven't read the books but from what I know they are not in the same order as the series and events/character relationships etc were changed.

[Lauryn]

Apr 4, 2010 17:20:53 GMT -5 loogthan said:

Lauryn, since you have seen the other adventures of Richard Sharpe, which ones would you recommend as the best among them (I've read that some are not as good as the rest).

Of the books I would most highly recommend the first decade’s worth, written in the 80’s, which cover the Peninsular campaign through Waterloo. That’s when the series was at its most vigorous, IMO, creatively and historically. Cornwell goes back to the period in later books and fills in gaps, but those aren’t as satisfying as the “core” books are. The prequels, from Sharpe’s early career in India, aren’t bad, but they’re more like straight forward adventure books and lack some of the historical complexity and resonance. (Maybe I say that because I'm more familiar with the Napoleonic period.) For India, I liked “Sharpe’s Tiger” where you learn how he first meets up with one of his worst enemies, Hakeswill, and Sharpe and Harper steal the jewels of the Tipoo Sultan.

Cornwell is a pretty consistent writer for having spun a series out over decades and different theatres of conflict, etc. I believe his own favorite series that he’s written is not Sharpe, but his Arthurian chronicles which I haven’t read but, by all accounts, are top notch.

The dramatizations of the 80’s Sharpe books are also the highpoint of the continuing TV series, especially Eagle, Rifles, Enemy, Company, Seige and Honour. You’ll find Sharpe’s love, the formidable Teresa, and for Bond comparison, if you like, there’s also one of the best Sharpe villains, Napoleon’s genius spymaster Ducos, smoothly played by Feodor Atkine, and his blackmailed accomplice, the fine Alice Krige as La Marquesa.

Like the James Bond series, the scripts can conflate people and events from different novels. Sometimes that weakens episodes like “Sharpe’s Gold” which they had already raided for other episodes. Often, after one turn, characters disappear, where in the books they stick with Sharpe throughout whole campaigns.

For the true Sharpe experience you have to read the books, though the TV adaptions are well cast and with solid production values. In a series that includes a number of the sprawling land battles of the Napoleonic Wars, for instance, there's only so much scale and spectacle you can achieve with a Granada TV budget.

[loogthan]

Thankyou Lauryn. These are great recommendations for Sharpe. Being disappointed by the two recent Bond films (especially “Quantum of Solace”, it reminded me of Licence to Kill’s vengeance theme—which was much better now in comparison; Quantum was sufficient in one viewing). Interestingly, I was immediately hooked by the Sharpe films and viewing them again actually enhanced the experience of enjoying them. The UK’s release of the newer ones on DVD actually are better because they have the longer versions as opposed to the syndicated versions as aired recently on PBS. I’d say it’s a worthy pursuit to view them instead of future Bond films.

“Sharpe’s Peril” certainly was more similar in pacing to Deceivers, every incident and attack on the group increasing the suspense of wondering who will survive until the end. Also, I believe the same actor is in both Peril and Deceivers (David Robb) as Major Treddinick and George Anglesmith in the former.

[Ace]

QOS has indeed made like LTK look great now in comparison. I'm not thrilled with the dark gritty brutish lemon sucking take on Bond but aside from that the film was a mess in terms of story, action, side characters and editing. You can make Bond joyless but joyless (and here sexless in spite of the most embarrassing pick up line ever uttered in a Bond film - stationary - come on!) and incomprehensible is a truly unwatchable combination. Mathis in the trash, M as his cold cream mom ....grrrrrrrr.

It's great you've now found Sharp to fill your new Bond void.

[Lauryn]

Apr 29, 2010 15:16:11 GMT -5 Ace said:

QOS has indeed made like LTK look great now in comparison. I'm not thrilled with the dark gritty brutish lemon sucking take on Bond but aside from that the film was a mess in terms of story, action, side characters and editing. You can make Bond joyless but joyless (and here sexless in spite of the most embarrassing pick up line ever uttered in a Bond film - stationary - come on!) and incomprehensible is a truly unwatchable combination. Mathis in the trash, M as his cold cream mom ....grrrrrrrr.

It's great you've now found Sharp to fill your new Bond void.

Ace, please stop. My sides hurt. Lemon sucking, LOL! Bond’s newest libation – Bacardi Limon. And how he came on to poor, wretched Miss Fields! Roger Moore would shave his eyebrows in shame if he’d had to sell a line like that! And he was famously un-picky.

At least LTK was a straightforward revenger with no pretensions to Great Art. All that film school futzing around in QOS and Forster didn’t have much to show for it. A gentleman's C in conception and a bare C minus in execution. For starters, it’s not as if an evening at the opera, intercut with scenes of mayhem, is the most novel idea in cinema. Even the Marx Brothers have done it <wink>, before it became a rampant cliche. Unfortunately, here, it’s Tosca, and the presence on stage of such a profoundly good villain as Baron Scarpia only serves to highlight how forgettable these new Bond baddies are.

The binning of Mathis was incomprehensible to me. What sort of message is that supposed to represent? If he had to quickly conceal the body he could have found any number of less tacky places nearby. I’ll grant Bond room for ruthlessness, but not pointlessness.