A modern cinematic masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (27 August 2001)

Being a fan of silent cinema, it strikes me as odd that I liked so much this movie. Then again, there is a very good reason for this.
During the silent cinema golden era, visionary directors such as Fritz Lang, F.W. Murnau and others created bizarre interpretations of our world. They effectively expanded our perceptions by incorporating cinematic tricks, such as slanted angles, futuristic sets, chiaroscuro shots, and others.
Moulin Rouge should be grouped among these movie wonders.
This is cinematic art at its very best. The cinematography is fast, furious, and concise. Gripping. It locks your attention to the movie like no other I remember watching...
(From now on, the review is *Chock full of spoilers*). ... for example, the opening shot, which is a movie theater within a movie theater, projecting an old movie of an old Moulin Rouge, with a music director conducting an orchestra playing the 20th Century Fox fanfare. Marvelous. The ending shot, with the gun flying overhead the Moulin Rouge and crashing with the Eiffel Tower. The entire depiction of the Moulin Rouge is amazing. The genius of the main character singing "Your Song" to the prostitute. "Roxanne" by The Police as a tango. Sheer geniality.
Oh, and in case you are wondering, yes, there is a plot. And the ending is simply beautiful.
You cannot miss it. It is a shoo-in for a perfect ten. It gets a 9, though, because I don't know how it will stand the test of time.