Instinct félin

"Passion in the Desert" (1998): Adapted from Balzac's novel, filmed on the AMAZING landscapes of Jordan, scored by Jose Nieto, filmed by Alexei Rodionov, and directed by Lavinia Currier, this is one seriously interesting, highly symbolic film. Napolean's soldiers are trying to cross the Sahara, with typical chauvinism to their imperial viewpoints. When two men become lost, all the old habits and rules are turned to cinders under the hot sun. THEN things get interesting… and not as linear or predictable as you will probably expect. Ben Daniels stars as the soldier whose spirit moves through many changes. DO think symbolically for this story. THAT is where the worthwhile meanings are found.

My opinions do not flow with the majority in most cases. I tend to lean toward the artsy, imaginative, and different. This movie was reminiscent of Frances Ford's "The Black Stallion" wherein a fantasy situation is created to showcase the beauty of a magnificent creature who's not readily available to view performing at its peak except on these multitudes of documentaries ala natural. Unlike those nature films, this offering utilizes the finest movie making techniques the industry has to offer fit for a diva creating one of the most sensual super stars (the cat) on the screen.

This fantasy depicting the love relationship that develops between a french soldier (he is very nice too) lost on the Egyptian desert and a female leopard he encounters when he chances upon an abandoned Egyptian temple is mesmerizing. I bought into it wholeheartedly. If you are the least bit open to fantasy and appreciate the grace, beauty, power and sensuality of the feline, you should enjoy it.

The only flaw in my book was the ending. It was a perfect set up for a Romeo and Juliet finale - that would have taken me over the top.

This movie could have been immensely more successful if it was not for the ending, which made it lousy. I think the producers are stupid for creating a movie with such good scenery and such and waste it all with the ending.

There were several "wrong moments" in this movie. However, despite being the worst overall movie I've ever seen, I recommend drinking heavily and watching it. When I was drunk I laughed so hard that I cried. I guarantee that you will laugh so hard that urine will leak from your body. WEIRDEST MOVIE EVER!!! On a more serious/disturbing note, I'm also stunned at the fact that it's acceptable for this dude to have a love affair with an animal. This leopard is maybe 10 years old. What if this was a 10 year old human? Would it not be more believable that a man would fall in love with a 10 year old human, rather than a 10 year old animal? That being said, I'm considering producing a movie called "Passion in the Daycare."

I remember reading the original Balzac story in college French.

I remember Ken Nordine of WGN-TV in Chicago reading it as one of his late night shows.

Always loved the story but never believe they could or would make a movie of it. To my surprise they did and did it VERY well.

Few of any Balzac stories lend themselves to dramatization, which is unfortunate, and -cat lover that I am, I was always hoping it WOULD be filmed without a lot of Hollywood sexing up. This is as close to perfect conversion as could be done.

The theater of the mind is always better than what the eye can see, but this is as close as I think it can come to letting the imagination of reading meet the reality of seeing.