Prime Your Pan!

Discussion, Ideas, and Wheezes

by Peter Lawson

A series of discussions, ideas and wheezes for the "novice" historian/wargamer or military enthusiast of the "black powder" era 1. "IF THOSE AREN'T PLASTIC BUTTONS, I'LL EAT MY HAT..." Well, it has finally happened. After the best part of 10 million pounds expended on three different locations (and a cast change), Richard Sharpe Bernard Cromwell's stirring creation, hits the screen of the UK in the first of two screen adaptations of "Sharpe's Rifles" and "Sharpe's Eagle". (For those readers residing in mainland Europe or in the US, keep your powder dry; Sharpe and Harper will be with you soon.) Bernard Cromwell's highly successful series of novels featuring the tough Rifles' "ranker to gentleman" is the latest in a long line of Napoleonic subjects transferred to the silver screens, both large and small. Within days of the advanced trailers being released nationwide, however, the old war cry trumpeted forth from the flea bitten armchairs of this country's Napoleonic "AUTHORITIES": "Yes ... chappie Cornwell may have made a packet on the old word processor, but they've stuck it on the telly now. I doubt if it is AUTHENTIC ...... never are, are they? .." The above tosh can be heard at many wargames shows and other venues and is usually delivered by an acned, denimed youth in thick NHS glasses with the death's head insignia of the Imperial Space Marines emblazoned on his back. (The "flea-bitten armchair" mentioned above is, literally, that). Technical Advisors for shows/movies of this ilk (John Mollo, for example) are contracted to provide the best possible atmosphere and authenticity (quite often, these parameters are at odds with each other) within the confines of a truly emasculating budget. Long gone are the days of Cecil B. deMille..... Having tread the professional boards in my younger days myself (where I successfully fibbed my way into small parts/walk-ons in a wide variety of "period" television and film productions - none of then memorable and not a few of them down right abysmal) the military historian in me was firmly "excused boots" for the duration of the shoot. As a jobbing thespian, your overriding desire is to be NOTICED (and if this means filching a nice shiny gorget from the props wagon to embellish your sentry's uniform, then fair enough. All's fair in love, war and equity, and the above mentioned Technical Adviser rarely appears on location..... he's a busy chap, unlike you.... The FLAVOUR is the thing, and Bernard Cornwell (along with many other best selling authors) makes his characters fairly ooze plenty of that. Sit down in your armchair (de-louse as required) and lap up this latest screen adaptation. If you feel afterwards that you would like to find out more about the Rifles or the Peninsula wars or the full dress horse furniture of the Chasseurs a Cheval, then so much the better. If you are already a confirmed "purist", then glance over to your better half on the sofa. I am sure that she will be more than willing to discuss the attributes of Sean Bean, in the title role, as opposed to Richard Gere, or Mel Gibson..... Lette to Editor Response (FE12) Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire #11 Back to First Empire List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1992 by First Empire. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com