MOULIN ROUGE
Australia, 2001, 130 minutes, Colour.
Nicole Kidman, Ewan Mc Gregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh, Garry Mc Donald.
Directed by Baz Luhrmann.
Moulin Rouge is a flamboyant entertainment. Baz Luhrmann might have popularised the phrase 'strictly ballroom', but the only thing he is strict about is being absolutely flamboyant.
The setting is the famous Montmartre club at the end of the 19th century. Toulouse Lautrec (John Leguizamo) is there, more interested in putting on a show than in painting. Luhrmann wanted to make a musical. He and his co-writer made the decision to use songs from last century to show character, drive plot and indicate the themes of romantic love.
I liked Moulin Rouge but was glad a friend was sitting beside me to signal some of the writers of the songs that I recognised but had no idea of the authors: Sting... Freddie Mercury; though I knew Elton John and his Song for Guy (overused for my taste) and Madonna's Like a Virgin that gets one of the funniest parodies with a mustachioed Jim Broadbent leading hiss-the-villain Richard Roxburgh.
Though there are some quiet moments in the film, mainly between Nicole Kidman and Ewan Mc Gregor on the roof of the cabaret, the film is a swirl of movement, dance, colour. It is a painting come alive. It is a two hour rock video. Many audiences will be delighted with the extraordinary detail of Catherine Martin's production, set and costume design. Others will be delighted but may be winded by running to keep up with all that is there, overwhelmed by the detail. Critics have referred to 'an onslaught of images', the opening 20 minutes are 'a harrowing sensory assault'. Luhrmann is referred to as 'a magician with a hatful of resplendent tricks, meant to transport the viewers into a uniquely cinematic land that disdains naturalism and embraces expressionism.' That sounds about right.
Some critics dismissed Moulin Rouge as having nothing to say. What Luhrmann has his characters 'say' are the lyrics of 20th century songs whose range is from The Sound of Music to the Beattles. For many this may seem trite. But, combine them with a movie palette, an anthology of music, an ironic treatment of the Orpheus myth and the La Boheme- Camille- La Traviata tradition, the film has many things to say about love, commitment and death. It is just not using intellectual analysis.
And here is where critics divide on Moulin Rouge. One was negative 'Some may dig Luhrmann's deconstructionist, irreverent style, but the movie is too gimmicky and pleased with its irreverence to connect emotionally with the audiences. He has constructed a monument to artifice, and anything real or emotional would get in the way'. On the other hand, another praised the cast who make the story 'touching'. And a third comments, 'Moulin Rouge will be accused of having no heart. But the truth is just the opposite. The movie has so much heart that the poor overworked organ explodes in every scene'.!
Whatever the comments, it is safe to say that Luhrmann has created an exotic musical costume romance in a Paris of the imagination.
1. The impact of the film: visually, musically, dramatically?
2. The film's reliance on the cinema tradition: the range of songs quoted, the range of films alluded to? The American musicals, the post-war lavish colour melodramas, the Indian musicals, Italian exaggeration and satire like that of Fellini etc?
3. The importance of the musical score: the selection of songs of the latter part of the 20th century? Their music and melodies? Their lyrics relating to the particular characters and the events? The use of musicians like Elton John, Sting, Freddie Mercury? The popular hits from the musicals? The Sound of Music? Popular songs from the movies - Up There Where We Belong? The dramatisation of such songs as Like a Virgin and Roxanne? The classical music? The communication of character and plot through music?
4. The symbol of the Moulin Rouge: Toulouse Lautrec and the 1952 film? The updating for the 21st century? The Moulin Rouge and Montmartre, the bohemian lifestyle, penniless authors in their garrets, the overtones of the Camille story and the courtesan dying of consumption? The club itself, its patrons, sex and exuberance, the Can-Can? Costumes, decor? The lavish end of the century? The wanting of respectability, the transition from club to theatre?
5. The narrative and the use of Nature Boy to introduce and end the film? The focus on Christian? His father warning him about the dangers and immorality of Montmartre? His looking for life and love? His writing the story at his typewriter? The narrative, his own perception of Satine and himself? His use of lyrics - the quotations from All You Need Is Love etc? Finishing in his garret with Satine dead?
6. The character of Christian? The encounter with Toulouse Lautrec, the actor falling through the roof? His audition and his singing The Sound of Music? The group taking him on, going to the Moulin Rouge, setting him up with Satine? Her mistaking him for the duke? Their dancing? In her room - the parody of passionate lovemaking? The arrival of the duke, the slapstick of her trying to conceal him? The irony of their doing an audition and rehearsing the play? The group, Zidler? The setting up of the duke to invest in the spectacular? The group singing to the duke? His wanting to know the story - and Christian making up the story of himself and Satine and the duke in the context of an Indian love story? The rehearsals, Christian spending time with Satine, composing their secret love song? Avoiding the duke? The duke finally understanding what was going on? Putting out the contract to kill Christian? Satine's rejection? His depression, the melancholy return, giving her the money on the stage, the attempted killing? The finale and the romance? The sadness of her dying in his arms? Her promise that he would write their story?
7. Satine, the elegant courtesans of Montmartre? Her performances, her singing? On the roof with Christian? In her room, the lovemaking, the duke, the slapstick? The rehearsals? Her twisting the duke round her finger? His finally understanding the truth? Her wanting to leave, love for Christian, learning about her consumption? Telling him to go away, the final performance? Dying in his arms?
8. The duke: the satiric presentation of the aristocracy? His foolishness? At the club, with Toulouse Lautrec, coming to Satine's room? Asking about the story, persuaded to invest? His preparation of the dinners and suppers for Satine? Her being absent? His being at rehearsals? The dancer indicating to him the truth? Christian's slip of the tongue in revealing the true nature of the plot? His wanting his own ending? The pressures on Zidler, the security of the Moulin Rouge? The final performance, contracting to kill Christian? The farce of the performance, the gun going through the air? His final rejection?
9. Toulouse Lautrec and the tradition about him, bohemian lifestyle, being a dwarf? Art, the nightclubs, the spectaculars? His commentary on the events? His love for Satine, helping Christian, the show having to go on? The finale with him in the heights, swinging down to prevent the killing? His associates, the musicians, the composer? Their contribution? The beginning with Audrey and the writing of the play, Audrey going out in a huff?
10. Zidler, his appearance? Running the Moulin Rouge? Songs and dances? Improvising when necessary during the play? His love for Satine, helping Christian, relying on the duke, the contract and the security of the Moulin Rouge? The pressures on Satine, telling her about her death? The song and dance routines - especially the parody of Like a Virgin? His other songs? The sadness at the end? Marie as his assistant, her care for Satine?
11. The members of the troupe: the green fairy and her song at the beginning? The dancers? The men at the Moulin Rouge? The "grotesques"? Their performances?
12. The basic plot: gathering together all the stereotypes and clichés of the 19th century ultra-romantic stories? Camille and La Traviata? Combined with the joie de vivre of the French and the Can-Can? The songs interlaced and getting their meaning from these contexts?
13. The overall impact of the visuals: the artificial settings, the curtain opening and shutting? The conductor even with the 20th Century Fox fanfare? The deliberate set design, the lavish production design, the costumes? A flamboyant swirling of colours? Editing and pace? An exuberant experience?
