Context for this scene. Captain Jack was captured by the French, tortured and mutilated until he broke and divulged a number of British military secrets to them. The French then let him go, using the confession as blackmail to make him their spy. When Sharpe finds out, he knows he'll either have to arrest and have him hanged, ruining his family's reputation or hand him a pistol and let him commit suicide. None of which are honorable deaths for a good man put in an impossible situation. So this was his way out. A suicidal hate charge against his vicious captors.
As "Lieutenant Dude" notes, this gave Jack an honorable death in the face of the enemy who had broken him. However it also served another thing. Captain Jack was generally well liked by the men, and seeing him do this headlong suicidal charge into the enemy, reaching the very walls before he fell, served to charge Sharpe's men. They wanted French blood even more than before, and each and every one of them would do anything, literally anything, to bring justice to Jack after his charge.
To say what a limited budget it had. Sharpe always had good actors, decent locations and good set pieces, it also had early appearances by Mark Strong as Brand and Daniel Craig as Berry to name a couple, it was game of thrones long before game of thrones was an idea.
I thought all the production stuff was great, the only thing that has aged terribly is the corny 90's electric guitar riffs. Apart from that its a badass and well written tv show
Đức Anh Nguyễn so this is about the Napoleonic wars, and back then they would march forward slowly to maintain formations for A. The looks and professionalism, but also because they needed to be in formation to counter Calvary with quick square formations. You also have to remember that at the time this is set in, it’s not really that far removed from medieval type combat, so you’d still see regiments with only melee weapons and stuff like that (more often in eastern countries such as the Ottoman Empire). It was definitely beginning to become an outdated form of warfare though, and some (Napoleon for ex) saw this and moved more towards light infantry which could be used to ambush and other guerrilla warfare.
James Purefoy is such an underrated actor. I have never seen him in a role I didn't thoroughly enjoy. If you want a treat, go look for the 2012 film "Ironclad." It's basically a re-vamp of The Magnificent Seven, but set in the siege of Rochester Castle in the 14th century. Purefoy plays a Templar knight tasked with the defense. Excellent and under-appreciated film.
A good movie and the swordfighting is very good, expecially the last one. And I agree, Purefoy is something of an underrated actor, but I think he's a good one.
@@rubyboy99 Needed to get morale up a bit after watching an officer getting beaten to death, though between the flag and the brutal death there was a perfect spot for an advance.
The man was dead already. It was either this or going down in shame as a spy for the French as a result of torture no one could stand against, or suicide and die alone. Sharpe gave him the chance to die with his honor intact and his head held high.
Only thing I didn't get is why Sharpe did not order the troops to follow Jack's lead as he is about halfway across the field. It would have been a cool visual for Jack to see the British advancing behind the men about to kill him.
@Super Bad he was a gentleman to let him die with honor and not execute him as a spy. Even if the authorities figure out what he does, in the records will still be killed on a battlefield. And there will be no dishonorable discharge or execution.
@@scasny Well, they do have a goal - the fort's gate. More to the point, if they are marching and looking at Jack while he's making his charge, they are not thinking about the French cannons. Get them to start moving as they start cheering, get the momentum going before Jack dies.
@@OmegaPaladin144 well only problem with that is he was a traitor. He can not lead a charge and Sharp have to be sure he died. Also he have to boost morale, if they go with him it will not have that effect.
@@scasny I think you are missing my point. Sharpe's general plan is good, I just don't see why they had to wait until Jack was confirmed dead to start marching. They could have started marching once he was shot off his horse, or right after he planted the flag. Jack is going to die regardless - he's surrounded well ahead of the lines. Tactically, less of a delay means the French will have less time to shift their focus off of Jack, and the British will already be marching forward. Cinematically, you have the contrast between Jack dying and his last moments seeing and hearing the advance of the British, with the French soldiers killing him turning to see them.
"Sharpe wondered what to do with him, a 'proper' officer would arrest him and have him shot, letting his family die of shame. A gentleman would leave him a pistol so that he might shoot himself. Sharpe takes a third option, and sends Spears off to a hero's death, leading the attack against the French fort." and this is why we love Sharpe he's a man of honor, he is a man who believes in things worthy of honor, and in redemption for we all sin.
@@raditya5663 At the 1:54 mark. The soldier to the right of the bagpiper. Another better shot of it at 2:11 where you can see that the barrel bands are painted on. Brown Bess's didn't have bands anyways. At 3:07 you can see the canvas sling and that the knob has been cut off the bolt handle. Note that the musket on the left appears to be a wooden mock-up. Two are visible at 3:29. At 3:37 the entire front rank has them. This is nothing new in film making. There was Lee Enfield rifles all over 'Zulu'.
Frog commander: What the hell? Why are those guys' rate of fire so high? And how are they hitting us from so far away? Frog soldier: Training? Frog commander: No, that's not it. I think... I think these are weapons from the future!!! Frog soldier: Okaaaay...
@@sonofthewolfguardianofthef1214 He was serving as a spy for the french. Sharpe found him out, but instead of reporting him and having him hanged he let him die fighting.
Talk about an elite company. This company had like 4 different types of soldiers. Highlanders, rifles, and two other infantry I think (one with yellow collars and one with dark blue collars) and even have a piper. They could win any battle lol.
@@rfmerrill indeed the Scots were the same rifle infantry but the way they dressed was somewhat different as was for other parts of the country as well. Such as the Welsh Regiment and Irish Regiments. They were mostly the same as the English regiments but Scottish would wear there iconic Kilts and bear skin hats. But the Royal Welsh Fusiliers also known as Welsh 1st Battalion would wear mostly the same uniform as the English except for the bear skin hats with the 3 feathers to represent the prince of Wales! (Yes I am Welsh and proud!)
@@taoliu3949 I reckon it was "meant" to represent 3 regiments the Highlanders, Prince of Wales Volunteers and the light company I think but obviously they didn't have enough extras.
well what i saw was a company comprising of highlanders, ( which should probably be in their own battalion) grenadiers,( which should have their own company on the right of the line) Fusiliers, Light infantry, ( which should have their own company on the right flank) and rifles (which should realistically be in their own battalion or at least company) But i suppose the budget constraints were there. But it still holds up as a great show despite all the historical inaccuracies and the tiny budget.
@@Zwei4815 Robert the Bruce is supposed to have wanted his own heart to be delivered to the Holy Land after his death. Douglas, one of his leading nobles, took the embalmed heart in a box to Spain, then partly under Muslim control, and carried it into battle. He threw it among the Saracen cavalry and then charged after it, and was killed.
that was set over 200 years ago, but yes military tactics have changed a lot over the last 150 years, mostly due to the extremely rapid evolution of military technoligy. at the time of the peninsular war (as deplicted in Sharp) a soldier firing 5 rounds a minute was considered to be exceptional, firing 3 rounds from a canon in 5 minutes was considered good, the fastest mode of transport was the horse, or maybe a few of the more "advanced" sailing ships. the first iron hulled ship, is only 160 years old and at the time of its launch it was the most dangerous vessel afloat, a decade years later it was retired from the Royal Navy because it was obsolite (it was then sold off, and about a centurary later restoration started, it is now a museam ship docked at Portsmouth), late 1800s and early 1900s the rate of technoligical advancement was incredable, as tech evolved so did tactics.
@@terryforsdyke306 I agree but there are things that bug me about the tactics of the era. I understand the need for grouped volley fire of the time. What I don't understand is standing in formation in open fields and waiting while under fire. Simple stuff like sandbag walls, trenches, or just simply having the formation kneel while under fire until the order to move forward would have helped a lot. Also I don't know if they're just ignored in modern interpretations but there doesn't seem to be any combat medics. If you go down there doesn't seem to be any medical help until after the fighting has stopped and even then seems to be a kind of "If he makes it he makes it." I understanding medical is super crude at the time but simple "stop the bleeding" was known at this time.
@@gungriffen there was no combat medics and watch these *ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-83_h4N_lwJc.html* *ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uw3wlU3eYsc.html*
Being a soldier, I can completely relate to the coin of courage. I always had sympathy for Jack's character, as if this charge was an unnecessary redemption. It helps with the plot and I understand it.
Love how many GOT or Lord Of The Rings references you get in these comment sections but surprisingly no Frankenstein Chronicles where Sean Bean character is a former rifleman in the 95th.
While I completely comprehend what type of tactics used for this time, and set of doctrines in place, surely they could of figured out that letting the enemy zero in on you for free, is not a very good move, while I comprehend the Honor aspect and the leadership under fire, wouldn't it of made more sense to hit the deck when those rounds incoming? Looks brutal as all hell honestly.
It's because of the inaccuracy and infrequently of the weaponry. Low round per minute and inaccurate fire means you need to fire in volleys and that needs disciplined positions and ranks...and being in formation can help you fight of cavalry charges, where as if you all hit the deck and then some cavalry come charging.....well good luck
To add to Lewis' point. The muskets at the time were flintlocks. It didn't take a lot for the weapon to not fire. So getting the gun close to the ground wasn't a great idea.
@@bakersmileyface aye the effective range of the smooth bore musket was 50 yards on a good day. And they were often instructed to aim low at the knees for example as the recoil would raise the muzzle. While the baker rifle 200 yards was the normal effective range but there are stories of much longer range kills over 500 yards by the top marksmen of their day.
finding a way for a man to redeem his honour and at the same time motivative his troops with a will to fight and moral boost before battle. Now that's soldiering.
I love how the guys just randomly fell down a few seconds after the cannon ball landed about 30 feet behind them. It's like they forgot they were supposed to die from it, so they just fell down for no reason. Also it's funny how the fort's defenders are firing their cannons at one man. Like yeah, they would really waste cannon ammo trying to hit one guy?
I recognize a lot of these actors from the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes series. This guy playing Captain Jack was in The Boscombe Valley Mystery and the guy playing Rebeque in the Waterloo episode played Captain Jack Crocker in The Abbey Grange.
I mean yeah....cannon explosion will shoot alot of shrapnel everywhere....but given the type of ammo used in the small arms of the day and thr lack of armour its just 1 piece of shrapnel.
@@Peoples_Republic_of_Devonshire then I think it’s odd when they played a Jacobite song, which makes me curious because Johnnie Cope is from the Jacobite.
@@handsomebritishstraitschinese Jacobites are still a big part of Scottish history. Jacobite songs have always feautured when the the Highlanders were piped into battle, and they always will
Captain Jack was one of the most relateable and sympathetic villains/ anti-heroes of the Sharpe series. Here is proof that "honor" and "duty" are illusions. He was charismatic, kind and noble. His confession was coerced, so he had no malicious act on his soul. Only the lie of "honor" caused the need for this suicide-by-forelorn-hope-charge. Had Sharpe been tortured, he would have broken by the third day like everyone else, even Jack. "There but for the grace of God go I."
So did all the men know he was a traitor? If not, was there an explanation for him charging the fort alone? Also, I wonder what would happen if he single-handedly(pun) took the fort? Do you think that would absolve him of his crimes?
Nah, even if he captures the fort singlehandedly, he still committed the crime.... our society tends to love the second chances, and values redemption over mostly anything else (If you cheat but turn around, you will be praised much more, than if you didn't cheat at all at the first place.)... But at the end he lost his honour, there is no way back. Like if someone murders an other guy, he will be a murderer for the rest of his life, there is no turning back. This officer will be a traitor (who captured a fort), but still.... a traitor. Otherwise there would be no point to judge anything, because.... "Well, I betrayed the country, but trust me will redeem myself later in my life, this is just a point I'm right now." Any personal responsibility is pointless, if you can redeem your actions, and absolve your sins.
It's the old open warfare, it has to be that way because everyone has only 1 single shot, it takes discipline, lots of discipline and coordination, or men can lose nerve and run.
That's how wars of old were fought; with blocks and lines. The drums are their to remind them _not_ to run and break formation, they advance to the beat.
It's to protect themselves against cavalry. The casualty rate for getting attacked by cavalry will be a lot worse than getting pummeled by musketballs and cannons, which at that time has very poor accuracy beyond 100m. In fact, the discipline of the British Volunteers was what allowed the British lines to withstand against Napoleon's Columns who were used to breaking through the less motivated and trained conscripts of continental armies.
@@taoliu3949 No, there is no cavalry threat though. You don't charge infantry against artillery if there is enemy cavalry, because if you go into square formation within range of artillery fire, your troops will be devastated lost.
@@handsomebritishstraitschinese First things first, stop commenting across this video, calling me greedy. That's complete nonsense and it's childish. And you can stop demanding me to give you proof in that ridiculous manner. I've asked, and answered hundreds of piping questions on RU-vid. Politeness costs you nothing, and really helps in getting a question answered. The tune is Johnny Cope, a folk song written to mock General Sir John Cope, after his army was defeated at the Battle of Prestonpans, by being taken by surprise in the early hours of the morning. Ironically, the Scottish regiments of the British army then adopted the tune as reveille. As for the difference between the tunes, the one in this video sounds slightly more like the folk song (look it up), whilst the more common tune, which you have probably heard was slightly changed when adapted for the pipes.
@Howard Pearcey During the siege of Seringapatam in 1799, the the main attack against the walls was led by a MAJOR GENERAL! In this case, it was Major general David Baird, of the British army, he was second in command of the battle below Lieutenant general George Harris (the third in command was one Colonel Arthur Wellesley, who Baird despised for having achieved the rank of Colonel at just 29 years old, Wellesley was technically just a regiment commander but he was the de facto brigade commander).
The captain had been revealed as a spy by Sharpe, but he had done it for honourable motives (to protect the reputation of a lady) so Sharpe gave him the chance to die as a hero instead of a traitor.
He was also tortured into revealing dishonourable things about a lady, then going forward he lied to help keep that secret and the fact that he broke under torture.
Next to Harper, Captain Jack was Sharpe's best friend, someone he not only trusted but admired. When he discovered that Jack was a long-time spy, his heart was broken. Jack, in his turn, was almost relieved to finally have the truth come out, but agonized by the loss of Sharpe's respect. Rather than be court-martialed, hanged and shamed forever, Jack willingly, knowingly accepted the tacit offer to save his honor and reputation and especially his self-respect.
The British military tradition has this weirdest idea that being bludgeoned and beaten to death while you comrades can't do anything about it is considered an ''honourable death''.
I have got a movie DVD of Sean Bean as 006/Janus with Robbie Coltrane and Pierce Brosnan as 007 James Bond in Goldeneye I am dedicating this movie DVD to my old school friends who are both sisters as I hope to see them both again very soon to Chris and Hester from Billyxxx
Standing still in a line, having a cannonball explode 20 feet behind you, and then jumping up and flopping down onto the ground 10 seconds later? Now thats soldiering
@@Raemnant you don't understand that cannon balls don't explode. If you understood how armies fought with cannonballs you would know that gunners did not aim for the ground, they aimed to skim the ball along the ground and the kinetic energy would kill and maim the soldiers. There was no explosion because a cannon ball doesn't explode.
The green jackets are part of a rifle regiment. And you're right, their main function was to act as skirmishers. They were formed after the American Revolution to apply the lessons in light infantry tactics learned from that conflict. They were also slightly influenced by German (region, not country, as Germany didn't exist at the time) Jaeger units. Anyway, good eye catching that detail.
Light rifles or skirmishers were deployed in a screening formation in front of the line and normally hopped in twos either towards or away from the enemy line providing accurate harassment fire while the lines approached or simply just to inflict casualties without taking many in return.
As we learn in an earlier episode, the Rifles have two paces: double-time and dawdle. I believe to this day Rifle regiments march at 140 beats per minute and not 120 as line regiments do.
