Borodino 2002

Video Presentation:
Austerlitz and Sharpe

by Russ Lockwood


When there was no speeches, the area had a TV and VCR where folks could insert a tape and watch. I believe the most watched video was one on Austerlitz, because I saw this playing multiple times. As for the movie's actual name, I have no idea, but it was definitely about the Battle of Austerlitz, and follows a young Allied officer. At movie's end, and I'm sure I'm not giving anything away, the French win. It wasn't exactly a great film, but the uniforms were nice and some of the battle scenes with hundreds of extras were OK. The acting was, ahem, satisfactory, to be kind. I saw enough bits and pieces of it over 4 days to be a film critic...

Sharpe at Waterloo had superior production values, and since I had not seen it, I watched it from beginning to end. The reputation of the Prince of Orange comes off rather badly, but our hero Sharpe is, well, Sharpe.

If I can voice a criticism and not get flayed alive by Sharpe fans, you'd think after all these episodes, they'd spend a few extra dollars to either a) stuff more people into uniforms for battles, or b) buy computer graphics time to stuff more digital people into uniforms for battles. I thought the Battle of Quatre Bras was a simple skirmish before I realized it was the Battle of Quatre Bras.

As for Waterloo proper, I thought La Haye Sainte was well done for the most part, although the great ferocious charge of the French Imperial Guard was, ah, a little underwhelming with only a dozen Guardsmen followed by 20 or so regular infantry. No wonder the British won -- the British re-enactors were out in great numbers!

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