Passion in the Desert: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:PitDScreenshot.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Ben Daniels as Frenchman Augustin Robert.]] |
[[Image:PitDScreenshot.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Ben Daniels as Frenchman Augustin Robert.]] |
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The leopard decides not to kill Augustin but insteads gives him food and shows him water. Augustin and the leopard develop a strange and mysterious relationship. Augustin starts to imitate the leopard's behavior. Augustin strips off his clothes and is fully nude. He paints his body like that of the animal, down to the rosettes and golden-brown fur. The two at first seem to quarrel with each other and compete, but a bond arises. Augustin even becomes jealous when he sees the leopard, who he has now named " |
The leopard decides not to kill Augustin but insteads gives him food and shows him water. Augustin and the leopard develop a strange and mysterious relationship. Augustin starts to imitate the leopard's behavior. Augustin strips off his clothes and is fully nude. He paints his body like that of the animal, down to the rosettes and golden-brown fur. The two at first seem to quarrel with each other and compete, but a bond arises. Augustin even becomes jealous when he sees the leopard, who he has now named "Simone", hanging around with another leopard mate instead of him. |
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[[Image:Pidbattle.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Augustin Robert helps defend his small regiment's camp against an attack while protecting Venture.]] |
[[Image:Pidbattle.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Augustin Robert helps defend his small regiment's camp against an attack while protecting Venture.]] |
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Revision as of 23:46, 12 December 2007
| Passion in the Desert | |
|---|---|
 Passion in the Desert theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Lavinia Currier |
| Written by | Lavinia Currier (screenplay) Honoré de Balzac (story) Martin Edmunds (additional script) |
| Produced by | Lavinia Currier Jamil Dehlavi Stephen Dembitzer Joel McCleary Alton Walpole |
| Starring | Ben Daniels Michel Piccoli Paul Meston Nadia Odeh |
| Cinematography | Aleksei Rodionov |
| Edited by | Nicolas Gaster |
| Music by | Jose Nieto |
| Distributed by | Fine Line Features Warner Home Vídeo (VHS/Brazil) |
Release date | June 12, 1998 (USA) |
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Box office | Domestic: $249,682 |
Passion in the Desert, or Simoom: A Passion in the Desert, is a film based on a short story by Honoré de Balzac titled A Passion in the Desert. The film received a limited theatrical release in 1998 and was rated PG-13 by the MPAA for violence, barbarism, and nudity. Directed by Lavinia Currier, the film follows the ventures of a young French officer named Augustin Robert (Ben Daniels) in late 18th century Egypt during Napoleon Bonaparte's campaign to capture the country.
Production
Filming took place in Jordan and the ruins in Petra. Director Lavinia Currier invested 5 million USD of her own money in addition to writing and producing the film[1]. Currier used animals that were chosen at birth to be raised with enough human interaction, thereby making the process of filming scenes with the leopard much easier. Despite this, there were some close calls during the making of the movie with actor Ben Daniels. Daniels reportedly almost got bitten by the leopard. Prior to filming, Daniels spent time with a Bedouin family out in the Wadi Rum to develop a feel for the environment, something that would assist him in his acting[2].
Plot
The year is 1798 and Napoleon I launches an invasion of Egypt. Assigned to protect artist Jean-Michel Venture de Paradis (Michel Piccoli) who is commissioned by Napoleon to sketch the landscape and monuments of Egypt, Frenchman Augustin Robert (Ben Daniels) deals with the hassles of keeping the slow, frail and elderly Venture from being harassed by other French troops. The toll on Augustin soon becomes apparent with this ill-fated and burdensome task. Augustin and Venture encounter a devastating Mameluke attack on their French regiment's small encampment. The arid landscape of Egypt forces upon them an unquenchable thirst along with the blaze of the desert sun.
Augustin ultimately decides to leave Venture but promises faint hope for aid. Venture commits suicide a short while later. Now, Augustin finds himself wandering aimlessly and alone. His thirst forces him to steal water from native Bedouin inhabitants. Several Bedouin men give chase in response, but Augustin heads for the nearby caves and escapes with his life in the most bizarre bizarre circumstance. A leopard appears out of nowhere and saves his life by slaying one of his would-be killer.
The leopard decides not to kill Augustin but insteads gives him food and shows him water. Augustin and the leopard develop a strange and mysterious relationship. Augustin starts to imitate the leopard's behavior. Augustin strips off his clothes and is fully nude. He paints his body like that of the animal, down to the rosettes and golden-brown fur. The two at first seem to quarrel with each other and compete, but a bond arises. Augustin even becomes jealous when he sees the leopard, who he has now named "Simone", hanging around with another leopard mate instead of him.
Their friendship is tested when Augustin chooses to save Simoom's life from a group of lost French soldiers wandering by aiming to kill it for food. Augustin in the end decides to return back to his regiment rather than be branded as a deserter or a traitor. He immediately begins to dress up with what is left of his French uniform and bicorne. Simoom takes offense at this and charges at Augustin who ends up killing the animal.
Augustin collapses under the intense heat, thirst and his physical wounds done by Simoom before he can return back to the French. Augustin appears close to death. He is picked up by a passing Arab on camel and finally reunited with his fellow troops.
Soundtrack
The follow up Passion in the Desert film soundtrack was released in conjunction with the film on June 16, 1998[3]. Composers José Nieto and Hamza El Din compiled up to 17 tracks altogether. A DVD version of the film was released in December of 2005.
| Song | Composer |
|---|---|
| The Lost City | by Jose Nieto |
| Simoon | by Jose Nieto |
| Chase Near The Lost City | by Jose Nieto |
| A Dream | by Jose Nieto |
| Helalisa | by Hamza El Din |
| The Shepherd Boy | by Jose Nieto |
| The Attack Of The Mamelucs | by Jose Nieto |
| A Night In The Lost City | by Jose Nieto |
| Avoiding The Beast | by Jose Nieto |
| Ollin Arageed | by Hamza El Din |
| The Painter | by Jose Nieto |
| A Friend | by Jose Nieto |
| Alone (The Painter's Death) | by Jose Nieto |
| The Desert | by Jose Nieto |
| Walking In Circles (Lost In The Desert) | by Jose Nieto |
| The Leopard (Infidelity) | by Jose Nieto |
| The End Of A Passion | by Jose Nieto |
See Also
External links
- The short story "A Passion in the Desert" by Honoré de Balzac; Translated into English by Ernest Dowson
- Official Movie Site
- 'Passion in the Desert' at Rotten Tomatoes.com