Come What May, I Will Love This Until My Dying Day

Rating: Null/10 (14 October 2006)

There are a few films that take movie-making to the pinnacle of artistic expression. Gone With the Wind, Citizen Kane, From Here to Eternity... all have rendered themselves immortal. I have a gut feeling Moulin Rouge will soon join them.
This film is not a depiction of realism. It is a depiction of love, a lush visual feast, and a treasure trove of two of the greatest acting performances of all time. Nicole Kidman gives all she has as Satine, the disillusioned courtesan who learns to love and wants only to be 'a real actress' and Ewan MacGregor is Oscar-worthy as her love, Christian the writer, who writes a musical using their story. His sobbing scene at the end alone should have won him an Academy Award. Their duets are heart-throbbing, their chemistry makes the atomic bomb look like a sparkler, and the secret glances they share have us all rooting for them. Their love is a story for all the ages.
This movie is not, nor does it set out to be, an accurate depiction of history. You want that, find documentaries, not a Hollywood movie. This movie was created to teach us a lesson. And, with stunning sets, lavish costumes, and the voices of angels, it does exactly that. This movie really does depict love as it should be... and as it can be. This is passion, fire, souls mating, single-minded, eternal love - and nothing is better than that.
I cannot find the words to express what this movie is. It is not in any way conventional, nor is it in any way original. But this is a fantastical blending of tales old as time and gorgeous 80's music to create the ultimate lesson: "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."