Portugal 1813. A band of deserters, including Sharpe's old enemy, Obadiah Hakeswill, have captured two women, one the wife of a high-ranking English officer, and are holding them hostage for ransom. Sharpe is given the 60th Rifles and a Rocket troop, as well as his majority to rescue the women. But while Sharpe may be able to deal with his old enemy, he has yet to face a newer threat, the French Major Pierre Ducos.
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In what is arguably the best of the Sharpe series, Richard Sharpe, now promoted Major is sent to secure the release of the wife of an English aristocrat who has been captured by a gang of desperate deserters lead by Sharpe's former Nemesis Obidiah Hakeswell.Hakeswell is demanding a kings ransom for Lady Farthingdale played by a young Elizabeth Hurley, and he has asked for Sharpe to be the delivery boy so he can exact his ultimate revenge.Also the town in question is not only the den and haven of the thieves and mutineers but a strategic stronghold, essential to Wellington's advance, and as a result Sharpe and his chosen men not only have the deserters and the hostages to contend with, but the arrival of a large contingent of French troops determined to secure the town for themselves.Sean Bean and Daragh O'Malley return as Sharpe and Harper, and we see excellent performances by Hugh Fraser as Wellington, Michael Byrne as Major Nairn and Assumpta Serna returning for the final time as Sharpe's wife Teresa Moreno.However the performance of the film, if not the performance of the entire Sharpe series is given once again to Pete Postlethwaite as the pervertedly evil and twitchy Obidiah Hakeswell, in my opinion one of the most loathsome baddies ever brought to the screen.Super Swash for your Buckle
Sharpe's Enemy, the fourth entry in the Sharpe TV series is one of the more grim outings for the heroic rifleman. And given that previous entries have seen men being flogged by superior officers and blown to bits by artillery, peasant natives being abused by both sides and women getting raped by rampaging soldiers, that's saying something. The early half of the story may be marked by Sharpe's comical encounters with a troop of rocket launchers but when the story gathers apace, things get far darker.The principle enemy this time you see is neither the French nor the incompetent senior officers, but a battalion of renegades formed by deserters from the English, French, Spanish and Portugese armies who are rampaging across the countryside. Led by a former French cook, these thieves and murderers seize control of a village, butcher the male inhabitants and hold the women hostage, including a pair who happen to be the wives of two very influential men; one a British Colonel, the other a French officer. Sharpe and his men are sent to rescue them where they discover that one of these women is Sharpe's old flame Lady Farthingdale (Elizabeth Hurley) and what's worse, the second in command of the deserters is Obadiah Hakeswill (Pete Postlethwaite), the insane Sergeant who first cropped up in Sharpe's Company where he was responsible for Harper being flogged and Teresa, Sharpe's wife nearly being raped. Twice. So not only does our hero have justice on his mind, he also has revenge.As can be expected of the Sharpe movies, Enemy is packed to the rafters once again with buxom women, dastardly villains and brutal combat, but this time there's a far seedier undercurrent to the proceedings. As they are fighting their own men, there's a tremendous sense of despair and futility to the war and in the later half, Sharpe engages in some decidedly un-noble behaviour. This is dispelled somewhat by the triumphant clash with a French reconnaissance battalion towards the end, but the uncomfortable climax is marked more prominently by the look of hopelessness etched on Sharpe's face.It goes without saying of course that Sean Bean is the star of the show. He epitomises the role so effortlessly that it's not surprising he adopted the phrase 'still sharp' as a trademark in later performances and while he may be a brave man, he is nonetheless a flawed one and Bean breathes not only life into Bernard Cornwell's creation but incredible depth as well. The chief complaint thrown at this film is Elizabeth Hurley's performance as Lady Farthingdale, but she handles it reliably well and certainly does a good job, even if playing a big breasted English temptress probably wasn't much of a stretch. Hakeswill sadly doesn't get as much screen time as he did in Sharpe's Company but Postlethwaite uses every second to its full potential. The twitching madman with the thousand yard stare makes a perfect foe and he comes close to stealing the show. However, that honour goes to Philip Whitchurch as Captain 'Sweet' William Frederickson, Sharpe's latest ally. Having been in more battles than the rest of the army combined, Frederickson has so many scars he's more or less falling to pieces and is an engaging, charming presence who you can't help but like.With its darker approach to the Napoleonic wars than had been seen before, Sharpe's Enemy is one of the best entries the series had. The battle with the French at the ending is a bit of a let down after the bruising close quarters ruck they have with the deserters but its finale is fittingly triumphant, especially as it sets up a delightfully evil French man for Sharpe to come to blows with in later movies. They take a few risks with this chapter but nonetheless, the pay off is well worth it and by the time the credits roll, you'll have experienced one of the most rewarding Sharpe films there is.
This is my favorite of the Sharpe series. Why, you may ask? Obadiah Hakeswill; it's the perfect name for the most foul of villains. Pete Postlethwaite is wonderful as the evil deserter, rapist, thief and all-around bad egg. From his guttural language to his head twitch, he exudes the greatest villainy this side of Ian Mckellan's Richard III.Sean Bean is the swashbuckling Sharpe, with Daragh O' Malley as the faithful Sgt. Harper. We have the "Chosen Men" and Captain "Sweet William" Frederickson. What's not to love? OK, Elizabeth Hurley doesn't distinguish herself, but the rest of the principles do, including Feodor Atkine as Major Ducos.The whole series captures the flavor of the Cornwell books, although some of the battles are fought on smaller scales. Still, the productions make the most of their budgets and score points for character. If you like historical adventure, romance, swashbuckling, or just great character acting, watch these films.
Oncer again, Sharpe's Enemy allows our hero Richard Sharpe, along with his Rifles in support, to save the day.A somewhat contrived plot does not help, but some excellent acting saves the day. Not, one might add, from a certain Liz Hurley! The tragic events towards the end add a poignancy to the Sharpe series that had not really been present before, although this is superbly counter-balanced by the humour of Sharpe's promotion.Not the best episode, but definitely up there as a strong showing, before the ravages of Jane beguiled our hero.
