Moulin Rouge is Australian director Baz Lurhmann's third film, and the highly anticipated follow up to his spectacular modern reworking of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The scene is turn of the century Paris where nervous writer Christian (Ewan McGregor) has come to capture the bohemian sprit of the city in words and learn about love. This he achieves by visiting the high class dancing hall/whore house that is the Moulin Rouge where the glamorous Satine (Nicole Kidman) is the main attraction. Mistaking him for a wealthy benefactor, Satine seduces the lovely Christian and romance blossoms. But to gain a large amount of funds for the club to be converted to a theatre and achieve her dream of becoming a ‘real actress’ Satine must transfer her affections to the aforementioned benefactor, a duke and all round nasty piece of work. Will true love shine through?
No, is the answer evident from the start of the picture which is told by the bereaved Christian in retrospective – yet is a testament to the films incredible energy that knowledge of the outcome does not detract from the viewers enjoyment.
The film is a musical and in an ironic twist of fate it is this that stops it becoming cheesy. The near defunct musical genre is notoriously saccharine but here – with the characters singing versions of contemporary pop songs – the tunes eclipse the sentimentality of the story. Much of the lovers romance is made up of them singing songs to each other and some vomit inducing lines on the validity of love are swiftly counteracted by the pair launching into joyously silly covers of songs such Bowie’s ‘Heroes’.
If this all sounds utterly ridiculous that is because it is. The entire film is commendably deranged bouncing from one madcap set piece to the next with aplomb. This is not to say that it can only be enjoyed for its style and inventiveness, for despite the constant reminders that Lurhmann is not taking his film too seriously, one does become increasingly involved in the love story and is saddened by the self consciously tragic ending.
Technically it is superb and one is constantly aware of the effort Lurhmann is making to make every frame of the film look striking. He is aided in this by strikingly garish set and costume design, and the immense energy of the cast, who seem to be enjoying themselves throughout, especially during the humorous early scenes. Kidman and McGregor are both endearing and Jim Broadbent is characteristically scene-stealing as the club's proprietor Harold.
However, the film is slightly overlong (the audience collectively shuffled in their seats when Elton Johns ‘Your Song’ was reprised for the 3rd time) and the sheer silliness of it does occasionally become trying. But there is always some new idea to regain the viewer's interest - just when you start to tire of the highly choreographed lunacy Kylie Minogue appears or a Nirvana song is covered and your faith in Lurhmann’s beautifully filmed chaos is restored.
No, is the answer evident from the start of the picture which is told by the bereaved Christian in retrospective – yet is a testament to the films incredible energy that knowledge of the outcome does not detract from the viewers enjoyment.
The film is a musical and in an ironic twist of fate it is this that stops it becoming cheesy. The near defunct musical genre is notoriously saccharine but here – with the characters singing versions of contemporary pop songs – the tunes eclipse the sentimentality of the story. Much of the lovers romance is made up of them singing songs to each other and some vomit inducing lines on the validity of love are swiftly counteracted by the pair launching into joyously silly covers of songs such Bowie’s ‘Heroes’.
If this all sounds utterly ridiculous that is because it is. The entire film is commendably deranged bouncing from one madcap set piece to the next with aplomb. This is not to say that it can only be enjoyed for its style and inventiveness, for despite the constant reminders that Lurhmann is not taking his film too seriously, one does become increasingly involved in the love story and is saddened by the self consciously tragic ending.
Technically it is superb and one is constantly aware of the effort Lurhmann is making to make every frame of the film look striking. He is aided in this by strikingly garish set and costume design, and the immense energy of the cast, who seem to be enjoying themselves throughout, especially during the humorous early scenes. Kidman and McGregor are both endearing and Jim Broadbent is characteristically scene-stealing as the club's proprietor Harold.
However, the film is slightly overlong (the audience collectively shuffled in their seats when Elton Johns ‘Your Song’ was reprised for the 3rd time) and the sheer silliness of it does occasionally become trying. But there is always some new idea to regain the viewer's interest - just when you start to tire of the highly choreographed lunacy Kylie Minogue appears or a Nirvana song is covered and your faith in Lurhmann’s beautifully filmed chaos is restored.