In this Napoleonic-era romance, a French prisoner of war plots his escape from a Scottish prison after falling for a local woman.
During the Napoleonic wars, dashing French officer Jacques St Ives (Jean Marc Barr) is captured and imprisoned in a bleak Scottish prisoner-of-war camp. His confinement is brightened by visits from the beautiful Flora Gilchrist (Anna Friel), who attends to the prisoners with her formidable aunt, Miss Gilchrist (Miranda Richardson). A romance develops between Jacques and Flora, giving the Frenchman a powerful new reason to escape his captivity and clear his name. He finds himself competing for her affections with the arrogant Major Chevening (Richard E. Grant) while evading his ruthless cousin, Alain (Jason Isaacs).
Adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson’s unfinished novel St Ives, this television film was a large-scale European co-production with a clear eye on the international market; it was broadcast under the book’s title outside the UK. The production makes full use of its handsome budget and Scottish locations to create a convincing period setting. While the central romance is the story’s main engine, the narrative also functions as a picaresque adventure, following its hero’s flight across the landscape. The direction by Harry Hook maintains a brisk pace, keeping the focus on action and romantic peril rather than political intrigue.
Broadcast: BBC One, 1 Episode, 06 June 1999
Written by: Allan Cubitt
From the novel by: Robert Louis Stevenson
Director: Harry Hook
Producers: Jonathan Cavendish, James Mitchell
Executive Producers: David M. Thompson, Ralph Kamp, Paul Tucker
Music: John Keane
Main Cast: Jean Marc Barr (Jacques St Ives), Anna Friel (Flora Gilchrist), Miranda Richardson (Miss Gilchrist), Richard E. Grant (Major Chevening), Jason Isaacs (Alain de St Ives), Tim Dutton (François), Cécile Pallas (Mathilde), Michael Gough (Count de St Ives)
