Passion In The Desert

Sales Rank: 48165
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When it was released in 1998, Passion in the Desert was largely dismissed by critics, many of whom derided the film as silly, pretentious, or altogether misguided by first-time director Lavinia Currier. It's a pity, because this is the kind of mesmerizing, mostly nonverbal film that weaves its own particular spell on receptive viewers. Based on a novella by the great French writer Honor de Balzac and set in Egypt in 1798, the story focuses on Augustin (played by British actor Ben Daniels), a soldier in Napoleon's army who is separated from his unit and lost in the desert. There he encounters a female leopard and, as the title suggests, the film daringly develops a relationship between man and beast--a relationship that may push the boundaries of credibility for many viewers, but which works in the strange, otherworldly context of the story. It's best to accept the film on its own terms--a film about a man reduced to his purest basic instincts, or a parable that should not be confused for any kind of literal reality. Otherwise, the film will surely seem as odd and silly as naysaying critics said it was.

As a rookie director (after directing theater and working for the Merchant-Ivory production team), Currier seems uncertain of precisely what kind of film she's attempting, and the result is uneven in its narrative thrust. But Passion in the Desert is triumphant as a sensual and sensory experience, casting its spell through magnificent cinematography (on locations in Petra, Jordan and Moab, Utah), and the purity of its visual narrative. Obviously chosen for his own feline features, Daniels deserves credit for playing so convincingly with his sleek, spotted co-star (actually, three leopards were used during filming), and the leopard itself is majestically graceful and fascinating to watch. This is a film to be savored not as a rich and altogether satisfying story (which bears thematic resemblance to Walkabout), but as a film full of magical moments, hypnotic in its beauty and its depiction of nature, both soothing and savage. --Jeff Shannon

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Amazon.com
When it was released in 1998, Passion in the Desert was largely dismissed by critics, many of whom derided the film as silly, pretentious, or altogether misguided by first-time director Lavinia Currier. It's a pity, because this is the kind of mesmerizing, mostly nonverbal film that weaves its own particular spell on receptive viewers. Based on a novella by the great French writer Honor de Balzac and set in Egypt in 1798, the story focuses on Augustin (played by British actor Ben Daniels), a soldier in Napoleon's army who is separated from his unit and lost in the desert. There he encounters a female leopard and, as the title suggests, the film daringly develops a relationship between man and beast--a relationship that may push the boundaries of credibility for many viewers, but which works in the strange, otherworldly context of the story. It's best to accept the film on its own terms--a film about a man reduced to his purest basic instincts, or a parable that should not be confused for any kind of literal reality. Otherwise, the film will surely seem as odd and silly as naysaying critics said it was.

As a rookie director (after directing theater and working for the Merchant-Ivory production team), Currier seems uncertain of precisely what kind of film she's attempting, and the result is uneven in its narrative thrust. But Passion in the Desert is triumphant as a sensual and sensory experience, casting its spell through magnificent cinematography (on locations in Petra, Jordan and Moab, Utah), and the purity of its visual narrative. Obviously chosen for his own feline features, Daniels deserves credit for playing so convincingly with his sleek, spotted co-star (actually, three leopards were used during filming), and the leopard itself is majestically graceful and fascinating to watch. This is a film to be savored not as a rich and altogether satisfying story (which bears thematic resemblance to Walkabout), but as a film full of magical moments, hypnotic in its beauty and its depiction of nature, both soothing and savage. --Jeff Shannon

Movie Review - Passion in the Desert - FILM REVIEW; A Lone Desert ... Cultures clash and man and animal achieve transcendent communion in the fever dream that is ''Passion in the Desert.'' With its background of war, its desert setting ... PASSION IN THE DESERT - FAMILY MOVIE REVIEWS FOR PARENTS AND KIDS ... QUICK TAKE: Drama: A Napoleonic soldier, lost in the Egyptian desert in the late 18th century, enters into an odd relationship with an adult female leopard. Passion in the Desert - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Passion in the Desert, or Simoom: A Passion in the Desert, is a 1998 film from director Lavinia Currier based on the short story A Passion in the Desert by Honor de ... Amazon.com: Passion In The Desert: Ben Daniels, Michel Piccoli ... When it was released in 1998, Passion in the Desert was largely dismissed by critics, many of whom derided the film as silly, pretentious, or altogether misguided by ... Passion-in-the-Desert - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com An overview of Passion in the Desert, including cast and credit details, a review summary, and more. Passion in the Desert - Rotten Tomatoes - Movies Movie Trailers ... Review: Loosely based on a story by Honore de Balzac, this historical drama is set in Egypt in 1798, as Napoleon was leading the French army into the Middle... Passion in the Desert (1997) With Ben Daniels, Michel Piccoli, Paul Meston. Young French officer Augustin Robert escorts artist Jean-Michel Venture de Paradis to Egypt during Napoleon's Egyptian ... Passion in the Desert (1997) - IMDb Director: Lavinia Currier. Actors: Ben Daniels: Augustin Robert Michel Piccoli: Jean-Michel Venture de Paradis Paul Meston: Grognard Kenneth Collard: Officer ... PASSION IN THE DESERT - Christian Movie Review Movieguide- Movie reviews from a christian perspective. The christian family guide to movies and entertainment. Passion in the Desert Trailer and Cast - Yahoo! Movies Set during Napolean's campaign in Egypt, a French soldier gets separated from his comrades during a violent sandstorm and takes refuge in a cave.