France 1815
When
Napoleon escapes from Elba, Sharpe is settled in Normandy
with Lucille, but his sense of duty recalls him to the
army, and he is promoted to Lt. Col. in the 5th (Belgian)
Light Dragoons, under the command of William, Prince of
Orange. Sharpe
and Lucille head for Brussels where the Duke of Wellington
is based, with Lord John Rossendale and Jane Sharpe nearby
in the city.
Out on reconnaisance, Sharpe sees a mass of French soldiers. He
and the Prince's chief of staff, Rebecque, try to discover
if it is a feint prior to Napoleon attacking Mons. Sharpe
believes the French are heading to Quatre Bras, to split the
Allied and Prussian forces. With French forces gathering,
Sharpe knows he must tell Wellington and interrupts him at
the Duchess of Richmond's ball. After delivering his
message, Sharpe heads for the front, rejoined by Sgt. Harper
(retired) and riflemen Hagman.
After the battle at Quatre Bras, Sharpe and Harper are given
their post, the farm at La Haie Sainte. Woefully undefended,
the men there repulse attacks from the French in bloody combat. The
Prince of Orange has made mistakes, ending in the senseless
loss of life of good soldiers. Eventually, Sharpe has
had enough of this.
Not only must Sharpe deal with incompetent orders from
the Prince of Orange, that lead to slaughter, he confronts
his wife's lover, Lord Rossendale, in the midst of battle.
The film climaxes as Wellington's small army 'holds the line'
against Napoleon's veteran Imperial Guard. |
