Instinct félin

Original title: Passion in the Desert

1997
PG-13
1h 31m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Young French officer Augustin Robert escorts artist Jean-Michel Venture de Paradis to Egypt during Napoleon's Egyptian campaign. Napoleon sent de Paradis to record Egypt's great monuments an... Read allYoung French officer Augustin Robert escorts artist Jean-Michel Venture de Paradis to Egypt during Napoleon's Egyptian campaign. Napoleon sent de Paradis to record Egypt's great monuments and temples that are destroyed by French soldiers in acts of barbarism. During combat, Augus... Read allYoung French officer Augustin Robert escorts artist Jean-Michel Venture de Paradis to Egypt during Napoleon's Egyptian campaign. Napoleon sent de Paradis to record Egypt's great monuments and temples that are destroyed by French soldiers in acts of barbarism. During combat, Augustin and Jean-Michel are separated from their regiment, and they start wandering through th... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

953

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination total

Photos7

User reviews19

6.3953

Featured reviews

8eek-4

Like a stranger, kinkier "English Patient"

A film about the relationship between a man and leopard that's very reminiscent of "The English Patient," even down to a scene similar to when Ralph Fiennes' character carries the body of his lover across a desert-rock cliff. In "A Passion in the Desert," the main character carries the body of the leopard across a desert-rock cliff but in the opposite direction (calculated decision or unconscious contrast?). Historically expanded from a very short Balzac story, the film is not perfect but a treat no less. Final shot will haunt me for weeks. (8 of 10)

8iteti

Mesmerized

I recently stumbled across a TV showing of "Passion...." (having missed the opening scenes). Ms Currier in to be praised for having the vision and courage to bring such a strange de Balzac tale to the screen. I am grateful to the entire cast and crew for their parts in producing such a thoroughly fine motion picture. It must have been arduous shooting so many scenes in the desert. And I cannot comprehend how her trainer coaxed such a fine "performance" from the leopard, Simoon. (This adverture calls to mind another suspenseful adventure, "Naked Prey"). Why isn't this film more well-known?. Hope I can find it on video.

futures-1

It's time to think Symbolically

"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.

6lib-4

An interspecies connection

This was a very strange film- I guess dehydration on the desert can cause someone to go slightly insane. Yet the leopard was beautiful and somehow connected with the soldier. There are stories about animals that befriend humans- the most famous is Incident at Hawks Hill by Eckert- where a badger protects a young boy- that is why Passion can be a believable movie. the cinematography is gorgeous and though the acting, not all that good, the leopard makes the story. Independent films like this give the audience a wider view of the filmmaking scene and this is a unique story set in a unique time. Worth a glance.

8stingaree1

What is true Passion? A desire to survive.

An excellent story well told by the film maker. The interactions between the man and the leopard brought many questions to the viewers mind about just who was being humane. The humans killed for no reason the animals only to survive. At the end of the movie you were left wondering just who the real "hero" of the movie was. A well told story. The human actor did an excellent job but the leopard stole every scene it was in.

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
The phrase uttered by Venture after he and Augustin realize they are lost (and says "We seemed to have misplaced the French army") is "mesh ma'ool" which is "unbelievable" in Arabic said in fairly good Egyptian dialect.

Goofs
The French soldiers fire a cannon at the sphinx. An explosion is shown with a shower of stone and dust from the face of the sphinx. 2 minutes later, Venture is shown drawing with the sphinx behind him visible and intact.