Possibly the best movie I have ever experienced.

Rating: 10/10 (15 June 2001)

You know, somebody commented how, if Ridley Scott could make ancient Rome seem real, why couldn't Baz Luhrmann do the same for 1900's Paris? Let me ask one question--when you read a love story, do you think of the handsome prince and the beautiful princess in their fairy tale castle, or do you think "Boy, I wonder how they run the plumbing in that thing?"
There's three responses to that question. 1. "I don't read love stories." If that's your answer, stay away from Moulin Rouge. 2. "Well, princes and princesses still need to use the facilities, right?" Again, stay away. If you answered "And the castle probably has beautiful tapestries, and the stars always shine directly overhead", then get to the theater now. You won't want to miss this.
Moulin Rouge is a story. We experience the story, just as (in many ways) our imaginations would allow us to experience a story we are read. The imagery is beautiful, captivating, and totally unrealistic. We are immersed in the story, not the nitty-gritty details of the setting. What we see is not Paris, 1900. What we see is what we feel.
Let yourself be captivated. Let yourself be mesmerized. Let yourself feel this story. If you can do that, it will touch your soul.