A Story About Beauty, Freedom, Truth, and Love

Rating: 10/10 (4 January 2005)

I love a lot of musicals and I have to say that Moulin Rouge is one of my favorites. Baz Luhrmann, director of "Strictly Ballroom" and "Romeo & Juliet" directed this 2001 hit. The movie has extraordinary sets and dazzling costumes, not to mention the brilliant performances by Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman, and the rest of the all-star cast. The music in the film is mostly from the 20th century; unlike the story, which takes place in 1899. Here are a few of the songs and their original performers. "Your Song"  Elton John, "Like a Virgin"  Madonna, "Roxanne"  Sting, "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend"  Marilyn Monroe, and "Nature Boy"  Nat King Cole. It also has one new song that was created for the movie. "Come What May" is probably my favorite out of all the songs. Not only is it an original, it is inspiring and tells the true story of the love between the two characters.
One song in the film is quite different from its original performance. This is "Your Song," originally sung by Elton John but performed by Ewan McGregor in the film. The beginning of the song actually starts out as poetry. He then breaks out into song right at "My gift is my song." It really catches your attention because he sings very fortissimo. John's version is a lot mellower and it moves a little smoother. The key stays the same in both versions, but the notes differ from time to time. It's quite different (the film's version) but it's a really well done rendition of "Your Song." It's one of my favorite songs in the film!
As mentioned earlier, the costumes are dazzling! Each costume helps to portray that character and their personality. The characters that are morbid and mysterious wore darker colors, unlike some of the exuberant characters that wore bright colors. The dresses are extraordinarily beautiful, each being very colorful and unique. The other costumes in the movie are great too! They are all very detailed, especially Nicole Kidman's dresses and outfits which had sequins, gems, and loads of other decor.
The dancing/choreography in this movie is astonishing! Every dance routine is unique and very detailed. It helps the story develop better and gives the viewer some idea of what the characters are feeling. One that comes to mind is the "El Tango De Roxanne" dance sequence. As the story unfolds, the characters portray it in their dance. They use sharp, crisp movements throughout the piece to exaggerate certain lines. If the song gets hectic, so does the dance. If it's slow and mysterious, the dance is too.
The plot is quite common as with most love stories. You know: boy meets girl, girl plays hard-to-get, another man wants girl, girl finally likes boy, they fall in love, other guy gets in the way of things, girl finally finds her way back to original boy, etc. Christian (Ewan McGregor) is a penniless poet who has traveled from London to France. He befriends a group of Bohemians, one of whom is Toulouse Lautrec (John Leguizamo). He also meets the woman of his dreams, Satine, a courtesan and star performer at the Moulin Rouge. Christian composes a play called "Spectacular, Spectacular" that ends up being pretty much about his experience in France. The Duke (Richard Roxburgh) wants Satine for himself and will do anything to get her, even if it means killing Christian. The two lovers always seem to outsmart the dimwitted Duke until they are finally found out. The story follows the two characters in their magical journey about beauty, freedom, truth, and above all things, love.
I definitely recommend this movie to anyone who likes musicals or even a good love story every now and then. It's a truly inspiring film with a lot of emotional ups and downs. The performances by Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman are outstanding! They really seem to have good chemistry, which makes the story more believable. Their voices also add to the fun and excitement of the film. The rest of the cast, including Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh, and John Leguizamo are extraordinary also.