Sharpe's Rifles (1971) Review

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(More customer reviews)I had not read any of Sharpe's books before watching the series. However, I love British TV drama and novel adaptations, and I love the period in which Sharpe's adventures are set, so after reading the reviews in Amazon.co.uk, I decided to give it a try. And now I'm hopelessly hooked! All the actors' performances are wonderful, but Sean Bean's is simply stunning. The story is very respectful to the people who lived in Spain in those times, both those who were for and against the French (I'm Spanish. I know), and it is even respectful to the French enemy. The plot is a mixture of adventure and spy story, with quite a bit of criticism of the British class system thrown in.This is as good as a historical novel can be (and I've read quite a few)especially because of the feeling you get that the characters belong to the period in the way they think and the way they act. In fact, it would answer the question What were all those handsome officers from Jane Austen's novels doing when they were not dancing with her heroines?. This is the other side of the same story, without contradicting it. The hero,Sharpe, belongs to the "dregs" of society, he is "scum", although he is more human and braver than the petty officers who have purchased their comissions and who are, otherwise, so elegant and so good at dancing with Austen's heorines. I am also beginning to read all the Sharpe's novels and I love them. Bravo Sharpe! Stand and Fight!

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Sean bean stars as british officer richard sharpe. Set in the midst of the desperate missions and battles of the napoleonic wars in 19th century spain. A masterpiece theatre classic.Studio: Bfs Ent & Multimedia LimiRelease Date: 07/25/2000Starring: Sean BeanRun time: 100 minutes

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War & Peace (1972) (1973) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm quite in agreement with the reviewer who wrote that this is the best version of Tolstoy's classic--which I have, in fact, read. This is distinct from the "Fonda/Hepburn" version for that very reason: the mid-'50's version is known as the "Fonda/Hepburn" version. There were no Stars in this BBC production, just excellent actors. Mind you, anyone who watched a lot of Masterpiece theatre was able to follow Angela Down [Princess Marya Nokolaievna Bolkonskaya] into a subsequent series, "The Glittering Prizes;" or Frank Middlemass who portrayed General Kutuzov into "Poldark" as Uncle Charles. It was only later that Anthony Hopkins went Hollywood, and became recognized; although his portrayal of gay butcher Richard the Lion Hearted in "The Lion in Winter" was superb in '68.
This is the best, most faithful to the book, version of War and Peace available.

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Leo Tolstoy’s timeless masterpiece of love and loss is universally recognized as one of the greatest novels ever written. Focusing on the consequences faces by three Russian families during the Napoleonic Wars, this classic work is retold in twenty parts in this epic BBC production, complete with award-winning design and breathtaking battle sequences. Anthony Hopkins heads the cast as the soul-searching Pierre Bezuhov (a role for which he won the 1972 Best Actor BAFTA); Morag Hood is the impulsive and beautiful Natasha Rostova; Alan Dobie is the dour but heroic Andrei Bolkonsky; and David Swift is Napoleon, whose decision to invade Russia in 1812 has far-reaching consequences for both the Rostov and Bolkonsky families. Includes a 44-page booklet featuring production notes, episode summaries, character profiles and stunning behind the scenes photography.

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