Camp musical fun from director Baz Luhrmann

Rating: 9/10 (10 May 2020)

This musical opens in 1900 with Christian, a writer, working on a script based on his own experiences in Paris in the past year. We then move back a year and see his story. He is a young British writer who has moved to Paris to experience the Bohemian lifestyle; particularly that at the titular Moulin Rouge theatre. He starts writing for a group who are preparing a play. When he goes to the Moulin Rouge he is quickly attracted to courtesan Satine. She has been promised to a wealthy duke but following a misunderstanding mistakes Christian for the duke... by the time the truth is revealed she has fallen for Christian. When they are caught together they explain that they were merely rehearsing the play... a story of love that mirrors their situation. The group works to create the play described, all the time trying to keep the duke in the dark. There is another concern Christian is unaware of; Satine is unwell.
If you want a feel of late nineteenth century Paris and the music performed there you are likely to be disappointed; the songs are reworkings of modern songs so expect to hear versions of songs from the likes of Queen, Madonna and Bowie. The musical numbers are impressive with huge numbers of extras as well as our central performers. The story may be cliché but it is effective and provides a good reason for the various musical numbers. The cast does a fine job; most obviously Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor as Satine and Christian but also the likes of Jim Broadbent and Richard Roxburgh as theatre owner Howard Zidler and The Duke, amongst others. This certainly won't be for everybody but if you like over-the-top camp it is a lot of fun.