“Set
in 1802 when Napoleon Bonaparte
ruled France, Italy and the German
provinces and Britain was standing
against him, The Scarlet Tunic is a
tragic love story adapted from Thomas
Hardy’s
The Melancholy Hussar...”
IN EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY ENGLAND, West Country solicitor's daughter
Frances Groves (Emma Fielding: Cranford) becomes betrothed to her father's
business associate Humphrey Gould (John Sessions), who then returns to his home
in Bath and fails to contact her.
Frances' father Edward (Jack Shepherd) has leased his land to the army and the
brutal Captain John Fairfax (Simon Callow: Four Weddings And A Funeral)
has brought his men to camp there before sailing off to the war. Among those
men are a number of foreign soldiers prepared to fight to regain their lands,
including King's German Legion Hussar Sergeant Matthaus Singer (Jean-Marc Barr:
Breaking The Waves) and his brother Christoph (Thomas Lockyer).
While Frances waits in vain to hear from her fiancé and unhappily overhears
some gossip about him, the frustrated soldiers are desperate to see action.
Feeling trapped and let down, the headstrong girl becomes drawn to Matthaus.
They begin meeting in secret and inevitably fall in love. But it is a love that
is fraught with danger because, if it is discovered, Frances may well lose her
standing and be branded a soldier's whore while Matthaus will suffer the consequences
of bringing his regiment into disrepute.
Clandestine liaisons draw Frances and Matthaus deeper towards the point of no
return and on a reckless whim they spend a stolen day together. But will Matthaus
desert the army and return to his homeland without his true love; and will Frances
be able to forsake honour and obedience and follow her heart? With such difficulties
to overcome, can they remain true and will they be able to avoid the repercussions
of their love?
The Scarlet Tunic reflects true Thomas Hardy style with both despair
and poignancy while weaving a romantic tale of a turbulent age. The film is
adapted from Thomas Hardy's The Melancholy Hussar by Mark Jenkins and
also features: Lynda Bellingham as Emily Marlowe; Andrew Tiernan as Muller;
Gareth Hale as William Parsons; Lisa Faulkner as Amy Parsons; Laura Aiken as
Dottie Marlowe and Erich Redman as Strasser. Costume Designer is Gary Lane;
Director of Photography is Malcolm MacLean; Written by Mark Jenkins, Colin Clements
and Stuart St Paul; Music is by John Scott; Producers are Daniel Figuero and
Zygi Hamasa; and the Director is Stuart St Paul.
• Courtesy of Bluebell Films, The Scarlet
Tunic, a timeless and touching romance filmed along the beautiful Dorset
coast, with stunning photography and heartfelt performances, is available on
DVD on 6 July (2009) at a RRP of £9.99.
Extras
The Making Of | Behind The Scenes | Trailer | Commentary.
"The Scarlet Tunic reflects true Thomas Hardy style with both despair
and poignancy while creating a romantic tale of a turbulent age" — Maggie
Woods, MotorBar
“Set
in 1802 when Napoleon Bonaparte