Bohemian rhapsody, spectacular spectacular

Rating: 8/10 (22 January 2005)

I fell in love with Baz Luhrmann as a director when he released "Romeo and Juliet", and brought a timeless classic to life for a new generation. I was struck by his inventive genius -- I mean, who else would have thought of using the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart as emblems identifying the Montagues and the Capulets? Yet even that did not prepare me for the bedazzling display of manic energy and glorious excess that is "Moulin Rouge". I saw it again recently on television, and realized just how busy the film is -- almost too much to absorb, a constant assault on the senses.
Yet all is not noise and cacophony. There is harmony, too. Take, for instance, the sequence where "Lady Marmelade" and "Entertainer" are seamlessly woven together in a way I have not seen since the Big Band sound merged with soft rock in "Xanadu".
Ewan McGregor (as Christian) is the heart and soul of the film, the troubadour of "truth, beauty, freedom, and love". He turns out to have a wonderful singing voice. Who knew? And he is able to deliver the hackneyed clichés with a perfectly straight face, genuine emotion, and touching naivety that makes you want to believe every word.
Nicole Kidman (as Satine) pulls off the amazing feat of making you completely forget Marilyn Monroe ever sang "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend". Kidman makes the number all her own. She is the counterpoint to McGregor's lovesick swain -- a turn-of-the-century Material Girl.
But the true genius of "Moulin Rouge" lies, not in its visual appeal, not in the acting skill of its principals and supporting cast, but in its bitingly satirical commentary on modern-day popular culture, seen through the lens of turn-of-the-century Paris.
Luhrmann uses Christian and Satine as vehicles for an incisive examination of the cynicism and materialism of modern-day society, masked by the false romanticism of popular music and literature. Luhrmann slyly weaves classic song lyrics into the film's dialogue. Once the pleasant shock and surprise of recognition wears off, we realize just how corny they are -- or, more to the point, how jaded we have become.
"Moulin Rouge" is a movie with a message, and that message is best captured in the words of Sir Paul McCartney: Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs. And what's wrong with that?