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Plot – The year is 1899 and the city of Paris has attracted a young English writer, Christian (McGregor) with its promise of the Bohemian revolution that is sweeping the city's streets. And the Mecca for this revolution is the Moulin Rouge, a nightclub where the rich and poor alike come to be entertained by the Diamond Dog dancers led by the club's star courtesan, Satine (Kidman). Things become complicated for Christian when he falls in love with Satine, whose affections are also courted by a wealthy Duke (Roxburgh) who is considering investing in the club. A dangerous love triangle ensues as Satine and Christian attempt to keep alive their love in secret. Satine however is keeping a dark secret of her own, one that spells doom for the couple's potential happiness.
This film really wasn't high on my watch list. In fact I'm not sure when or even if I would have gotten round to it. However last Sunday was Mother's Day here in the UK, so when it came to watching a film with my mum at night it was completely her choice. No matter what she wanted to go with, that's what we'd watch. Well she wanted to finally give Moulin Rouge a go after having the DVD kicking about for years and years.
My viewing experience actually bore a strong resemblance to the previous musical I watched – Les Miserables. This was due to me finding Moulin Rogue to be a similarly mixed bag. I was actually surprised at how much I was able to enjoy the film when it was being played straight, and how much I engaged with the romantic storyline that Kidman and McGregor shared. Very tragic and Shakespearean in design, I found their romance to have quite a degree of beauty and sincerity about it, helped supremely by a nice chemistry shared by the two. So that was the positive. On the negative side however, I absolutely detested the film when it moved off into screwball territory! Whenever it engaged in the slapstick and the goofy I just felt like gouging out my eyes and then using them as makeshift earplugs; that way I could neither see or hear what was being inflicted upon me! I just found it so immensely grating and cringy whenever the film all of a sudden descended into a cartoon. The songs they sing become ludicrous, the logic and sound effects are right out of a Looney Tunes short and everyone just acts like a clown.
Despite being a worshipper of redheads, Nicole Kidman isn't someone that I've really been that enamoured with. Here however, decked out in a series of burlesque-like outfits, that changed. Damn she is absolutely smoking in this! Sexy, elegant and effervescent, at times she appears to actually glow on the screen. It's not just her physical appearance that is so striking but the attitude with which she carries herself throughout the film. Evoking a great confidence and sexuality she is just magnetic as Satine. Stunning! I know he seems to be an actor who splits audiences right down the middle (I've got a friend who cannot stand him!) but I've got to say that I've always quite liked Ewan McGregor. Perhaps its my Scottish bias but I've always found him quite a cheery, likeable presence on the screen. And again here I found myself supporting and sympathising with his character as a result of his performance. I was not as infatuated with the performances of Jim Broadbent and John Leguizamo however. Though to be fair to them, I personally felt they were rather sabotaged by the characters foisted upon them which required quite camp, flamboyant showings; and that just fed into the silly, slapstick element of the film which irritated me so. Oh and it's a shame that Richard Roxburgh's duke is relegated to little more than a sneering, one dimensional villain. The only surprise was that he didn't constantly use his fingers to twirl his little pencil moustache; that would just have completed his silent movie villain vibe. He seems to exist purely to provide an inconvenience for the lovers.
Most of the film's highlights come as a result of the songs that are featured. The large majority of them are covers of classic songs which are given a slight twist, many of them successfully I have to say. And thankfully McGregor and Kidman both prove quite capable of delivering them with a fair degree of talent and flair. The standout moment would probably have to be the 'Elephant Love Medley' which features McGregor and Kidman atop a stunning elephant statue, trading lines from classic love songs back and forth; utilizing the likes of “All You Need Is Love” by the Beatles, “In the Name of Love” by U2 and “Heroes” by David Bowie amongst countless others. It's just as well that the musical instances hit such heights on occasion as the plot itself left a bit to be desired. While I may have bought into the romance between Christian and Satine it's not exactly the most original or creative storyline. In fact I think I might be right in saying that it's the plot to just about every opera ever made! 
And at times it becomes a bit of a convoluted mess with little rhyme or reason to proceedings.
Eli Roth is a purveyor of torture porn. The Fifty Shades of Grey books have been referred to as mommy porn. Well I would like to christen Baz Luhrmann as the master of 'sequin porn'. The film really is quite astonishing to look at, just a constant assault of colour and glitz, with Luhrmann's darting, inventive camerawork capturing it beautifully. He revels in the gorgeous costumes and the staggering sets. The scenes set in the Moulin Rouge itself are immense, just a cavalcade of dancers invading the screen. The large rendition/performance of “Diamons Are a Girl's Best Friend” is absolutely spectacular to witness. What was unfortunate then was the film's penchant for rather scattershot editing, which at times sabotaged the ability to appreciate what was on screen for the simple fact that it was actually tough to see and work out what was going on. It feels like a frenzied mess at times, overloading the senses.
Conclusion – Gaudy. Opulent. Kitschy. Garish. Decadent. Moulin Rouge is all those things and more! I've seen this film dubbed as one of those real 'love it or hate it' films, and I certainly found that to be the case, even if it wasn't in the conventional sense. Some bits of it I loved, others I absolutely hated! As a result it was tough to really stay in the film, I kept getting taken out of it whenever it descended into silliness. As a piece of visual entertainment however there is no doubt that it is quite astonishing, like very little I've ever seen before. I don't think it's a film I could ever bring myself to watch again in full. However I could perhaps pop in the DVD and fast forward through it to some of the big songs, and certainly past the bits that infuriated me so.
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Year of release
2001
2001
Directed by
Baz Luhrmann
Baz Luhrmann
Written by
Baz Luhrmann
Craig Pearce
Baz Luhrmann
Craig Pearce
Starring
Nicole Kidman
Ewan McGregor
Jim Broadbent
John Leguizamo
Richard Roxburgh
Nicole Kidman
Ewan McGregor
Jim Broadbent
John Leguizamo
Richard Roxburgh
Moulin Rouge
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Plot – The year is 1899 and the city of Paris has attracted a young English writer, Christian (McGregor) with its promise of the Bohemian revolution that is sweeping the city's streets. And the Mecca for this revolution is the Moulin Rouge, a nightclub where the rich and poor alike come to be entertained by the Diamond Dog dancers led by the club's star courtesan, Satine (Kidman). Things become complicated for Christian when he falls in love with Satine, whose affections are also courted by a wealthy Duke (Roxburgh) who is considering investing in the club. A dangerous love triangle ensues as Satine and Christian attempt to keep alive their love in secret. Satine however is keeping a dark secret of her own, one that spells doom for the couple's potential happiness.
This film really wasn't high on my watch list. In fact I'm not sure when or even if I would have gotten round to it. However last Sunday was Mother's Day here in the UK, so when it came to watching a film with my mum at night it was completely her choice. No matter what she wanted to go with, that's what we'd watch. Well she wanted to finally give Moulin Rouge a go after having the DVD kicking about for years and years.
My viewing experience actually bore a strong resemblance to the previous musical I watched – Les Miserables. This was due to me finding Moulin Rogue to be a similarly mixed bag. I was actually surprised at how much I was able to enjoy the film when it was being played straight, and how much I engaged with the romantic storyline that Kidman and McGregor shared. Very tragic and Shakespearean in design, I found their romance to have quite a degree of beauty and sincerity about it, helped supremely by a nice chemistry shared by the two. So that was the positive. On the negative side however, I absolutely detested the film when it moved off into screwball territory! Whenever it engaged in the slapstick and the goofy I just felt like gouging out my eyes and then using them as makeshift earplugs; that way I could neither see or hear what was being inflicted upon me! I just found it so immensely grating and cringy whenever the film all of a sudden descended into a cartoon. The songs they sing become ludicrous, the logic and sound effects are right out of a Looney Tunes short and everyone just acts like a clown.
Despite being a worshipper of redheads, Nicole Kidman isn't someone that I've really been that enamoured with. Here however, decked out in a series of burlesque-like outfits, that changed. Damn she is absolutely smoking in this! Sexy, elegant and effervescent, at times she appears to actually glow on the screen. It's not just her physical appearance that is so striking but the attitude with which she carries herself throughout the film. Evoking a great confidence and sexuality she is just magnetic as Satine. Stunning! I know he seems to be an actor who splits audiences right down the middle (I've got a friend who cannot stand him!) but I've got to say that I've always quite liked Ewan McGregor. Perhaps its my Scottish bias but I've always found him quite a cheery, likeable presence on the screen. And again here I found myself supporting and sympathising with his character as a result of his performance. I was not as infatuated with the performances of Jim Broadbent and John Leguizamo however. Though to be fair to them, I personally felt they were rather sabotaged by the characters foisted upon them which required quite camp, flamboyant showings; and that just fed into the silly, slapstick element of the film which irritated me so. Oh and it's a shame that Richard Roxburgh's duke is relegated to little more than a sneering, one dimensional villain. The only surprise was that he didn't constantly use his fingers to twirl his little pencil moustache; that would just have completed his silent movie villain vibe. He seems to exist purely to provide an inconvenience for the lovers.
Film trivia - Several big names were linked with the role of Satine before it eventually went the way of Kidman. These included Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger and Courtney Love. Love in particular was very bitter about losing out, calling it one of the biggest disappointments of her career. She has also stated publicly her resentment towards Kidman. In an interview for Vanity Fair, Luhrmann characterized the difference between the two by saying that “Courtney is fire and Nicole is ice.” In response to this, Love described Kidman as “a puddle” and on her 1999 tour with Hole dedicated the song “Miss World” (a song about a self-loathing beauty queen) to Kidman. Miaow!
And at times it becomes a bit of a convoluted mess with little rhyme or reason to proceedings. Eli Roth is a purveyor of torture porn. The Fifty Shades of Grey books have been referred to as mommy porn. Well I would like to christen Baz Luhrmann as the master of 'sequin porn'. The film really is quite astonishing to look at, just a constant assault of colour and glitz, with Luhrmann's darting, inventive camerawork capturing it beautifully. He revels in the gorgeous costumes and the staggering sets. The scenes set in the Moulin Rouge itself are immense, just a cavalcade of dancers invading the screen. The large rendition/performance of “Diamons Are a Girl's Best Friend” is absolutely spectacular to witness. What was unfortunate then was the film's penchant for rather scattershot editing, which at times sabotaged the ability to appreciate what was on screen for the simple fact that it was actually tough to see and work out what was going on. It feels like a frenzied mess at times, overloading the senses.
Conclusion – Gaudy. Opulent. Kitschy. Garish. Decadent. Moulin Rouge is all those things and more! I've seen this film dubbed as one of those real 'love it or hate it' films, and I certainly found that to be the case, even if it wasn't in the conventional sense. Some bits of it I loved, others I absolutely hated! As a result it was tough to really stay in the film, I kept getting taken out of it whenever it descended into silliness. As a piece of visual entertainment however there is no doubt that it is quite astonishing, like very little I've ever seen before. I don't think it's a film I could ever bring myself to watch again in full. However I could perhaps pop in the DVD and fast forward through it to some of the big songs, and certainly past the bits that infuriated me so.