Imagine a Disney-type movie for cineastes and intellectuals where the bond between man and beast is, well, a little more adult than old Walt ever dared.
Adapted from the 19th century French novella by Honore de Balzac, "Passion in the Desert" becomes a surreal love story between a man and a leopard as the two nomads bond in the splendid, life-threatening isolation of the Egyptian desert.
Augustin (Ben Daniels) is a captain in Napoleon's doomed 1798 Egyptian campaign. He becomes separated from his regiment in a sandstorm and is near death by the time he stumbles into the hideaway of this lethal predator. But the big cat, after ripping to shreds the Bedouin who's chasing him, takes a liking to this tawny, blond and blue-eyed Frenchman, and he's soon dangerously fond of her.
Lulled by the hot winds and bright silences into a surreal, alternative reality, the two are soon completely absorbed in one another. Before long, Augustin has gone completely native, daubing his body in gold clays with dark spots, hunting like a cat and living for the attentions of his feline twin.
It sounds like complete madness, but it actually works, thanks to very committed and artful direction by writer-director-producer Lavinia Currier, who makes her feature debut (she won a Cine Golden Eagle for the short "Heart of the Garden").
Currier gets remarkable performances from both man (the daring Daniels) and beast (three leopards groomed for this task from birth by trainer Rick Glassey).
Her striking gift for exotic imagery, supported by the lush, seductive cinematography of Alexei Rodionov ("Orlando"), is undermined somewhat by muted storytelling skills. Still, Balzac's purpose in sending his Age of Enlightenment soldier into a clinch with untamed natural forces is soon clear enough.
Less apparent is how distributor Fine Line will position this piece of exotica for U.S. theatrical play. Although certainly potent enough to merit gambling on, the film seems limited to adventurous art-house audiences. Soundtrack play could lure some viewers; the original music by Jose Nieto and Hamza El Din is exceptional.
PASSION IN THE DESERT
Fine Line Features
Producer-director-screenwriter: Lavinia Currier
Contributing screenwriter: Martin Edmunds
Executive producers: Joel McCleary,
Steve Dembitzer
Director of photography: Alexei Rodionov
Production designer: Amanda McArthur
Editor: Nicolas Gaster
Costume designer: Shuna Harwood
Composer: Jose Nieto
Additional music: Hamza El Din
Animal trainer: Rick Glassey
Sound designer: Michael Stearns
Color/stereo
Cast:
Augustin: Ben Daniels
Venture: Michael Piccoli
Running time -- 93 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Adapted from the 19th century French novella by Honore de Balzac, "Passion in the Desert" becomes a surreal love story between a man and a leopard as the two nomads bond in the splendid, life-threatening isolation of the Egyptian desert.
Augustin (Ben Daniels) is a captain in Napoleon's doomed 1798 Egyptian campaign. He becomes separated from his regiment in a sandstorm and is near death by the time he stumbles into the hideaway of this lethal predator. But the big cat, after ripping to shreds the Bedouin who's chasing him, takes a liking to this tawny, blond and blue-eyed Frenchman, and he's soon dangerously fond of her.
Lulled by the hot winds and bright silences into a surreal, alternative reality, the two are soon completely absorbed in one another. Before long, Augustin has gone completely native, daubing his body in gold clays with dark spots, hunting like a cat and living for the attentions of his feline twin.
It sounds like complete madness, but it actually works, thanks to very committed and artful direction by writer-director-producer Lavinia Currier, who makes her feature debut (she won a Cine Golden Eagle for the short "Heart of the Garden").
Currier gets remarkable performances from both man (the daring Daniels) and beast (three leopards groomed for this task from birth by trainer Rick Glassey).
Her striking gift for exotic imagery, supported by the lush, seductive cinematography of Alexei Rodionov ("Orlando"), is undermined somewhat by muted storytelling skills. Still, Balzac's purpose in sending his Age of Enlightenment soldier into a clinch with untamed natural forces is soon clear enough.
Less apparent is how distributor Fine Line will position this piece of exotica for U.S. theatrical play. Although certainly potent enough to merit gambling on, the film seems limited to adventurous art-house audiences. Soundtrack play could lure some viewers; the original music by Jose Nieto and Hamza El Din is exceptional.
PASSION IN THE DESERT
Fine Line Features
Producer-director-screenwriter: Lavinia Currier
Contributing screenwriter: Martin Edmunds
Executive producers: Joel McCleary,
Steve Dembitzer
Director of photography: Alexei Rodionov
Production designer: Amanda McArthur
Editor: Nicolas Gaster
Costume designer: Shuna Harwood
Composer: Jose Nieto
Additional music: Hamza El Din
Animal trainer: Rick Glassey
Sound designer: Michael Stearns
Color/stereo
Cast:
Augustin: Ben Daniels
Venture: Michael Piccoli
Running time -- 93 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 6/11/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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