Clearly a movie that wants to evoke a reaction of any kind, whether it be love or hate, Moulin Rouge does nothing by halves. It is a whirlwind of sound and imagery that wants nothing less than to suck you into its world of Truth, Beauty, and most of all love. And beneath the pageantry, the breathtaking visuals, and the songs, that is what this movie is; a love story. Whether the viewer falls in love with this story will, I believe, be a matter of extreme personal taste. One thing is for sure, even if you hate this film, I don't see how you could be bored with it.
Based on the opera La Bohème, Moulin Rouge tells the story of Christian, a young Englishman who moves to Paris to become a writer and live at the center of turn of the century bohemia, Montmartre, more specifically, right next door to the heart of Bohemia, the nightclub Moulin Rouge.
Upon his arrival, he meets the impressionist painter Toulouse-Lautrec who draws him into writing the script and the songs for a play that Toulouse, along with his cronies from the Moulin Rouge, is trying to produce. Before his position can be confirmed, however, Toulouse informs him he must present his work to the show's star, Satine. What follows is a good old case of mistaken identity, wherein Satine believes Christian to be the duke who she must seduce to secure backing for the show. By the time she realizes the truth, it is too late. The courtesan and the songwriter are in love.
The rest of the movie deals with their attempts to prevent the duke from discovering their love so that he will continue to back the show, in the belief that on opening night, Satine will be his.
Although centered around the time of the impressionists, this movie tends towards the surreal, but no more so than most musicals, which are all a little surreal. Many people have referred to this movie as a music video. I think that is simply because there have been so few musicals of late that videos are all we have to compare this movie to. And while the film style is definitely modern, this movie is no more out there or strange than say the last 20 minutes of An American in Paris. It's hard enough for movie musicals to be taken seriously and when you add modern music to the film, they are taken even less seriously, and for no good reason. There is no law that says musicals have to be filled with old standards. But honestly, if you go to this movie expecting it to be filled with songs like the current number one song Lady Marmalade, you will be disappointed. There are more ballads in this film than there is hip-hop. Almost every song, from Roxanne to Like a Virgin has been transformed into a heightened show tune. Despite the camera angles, the quick zooms, and the computer-generated shots, this movie has not strayed so far from the old musicals.
Movie stars that can sing are a rare commodity these days in Hollywood, but fortunately for this film, both of the leads are quite good, Ewan McGregor particularly. He sings his songs as if he's been doing it for years. Nicole Kidman on the other hand, while a good singer, tends more for prettiness than for power when it comes to her vocalizations. Still, in this day and age, when the only actors who sing are on Broadway, these two are quite amazing.
Dreamlike in its visuals, this movie is a world apart from anything else out there right now. I've heard it referred to as a difficult movie. I don't think it's difficult at all. It's different, but only in the visuals. If you're a fan of musicals, the plot will sound familiar; the setup for the songs will seem perfectly normal. People are hung up on the songs and the fact they are modern. That has nothing to do with what makes this movie different. It's the overall style of the movie which makes it different. It's definitely a case of, you have to see it to believe it.
Did I love or hate this movie? You can probably tell by my drift so far, that I loved it. Did I think it was perfect? By no means. This movie works best during the dramatic scenes. There is some good humor, but those scenes tend to drag on just a little too long. The Emcee singing Like a Virgin is funny, but we don't need to hear the whole song. There are a few other scenes that could have likewise been trimmed, but not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of this movie.
In my mind there are two sets of people who will watch this film. The ones who feel a surge of emotion when Toulouse yells, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return.", and those who groan when they hear him say it. There were both types in the theatre when I saw it, and I am proud to say that I was one of the former.
Final analysis, perhaps not for the amateur moviegoer, Moulin Rouge delivers a visual feast accompanied by beautiful songs, replete with a tragic love story. All it asks in return is a little open-mindedness. Give this movie a chance.
