Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Director:

Baz Luhrmann

Writers (WGA):

Baz Luhrmann (written by) &
Craig Pearce (written by)

Release Date:

1 June 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

No Laws. No Limits. One Rule. Never Fall In Love.

Plot:

A poet falls for a beautiful courtesan whom a jealous duke covets in this stylish musical, with music drawn from familiar 20th century sources.

Plot Keywords:

Duke | Moulin Rouge | Courtesan | Bohemian | Writer

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 66 wins & 82 nominations

Cast

Nicole Kidman	...	Satine
Ewan McGregor	...	Christian
John Leguizamo	...	Toulouse-Lautrec
Jim Broadbent	...	Harold Zidler
Richard Roxburgh	...	The Duke
Garry McDonald	...	The Doctor
Jacek Koman	...	The Unconscious Argentinean
Matthew Whittet	...	Satie
Kerry Walker	...	Marie
Caroline O'Connor	...	Nini Legs In The Air
Christine Anu	...	Arabia
Natalie Jackson Mendoza	...	China Doll (as Natalie Mendoza)
Lara Mulcahy	...	Môme Fromage
David Wenham	...	Audrey
Kylie Minogue	...	The Green Fairy

Also Known As:

Moulin Rouge (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content.

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

Australia | USA

Language:

English | French | Spanish

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:L | Malaysia:18SX | Philippines:PG-13 | USA:PG-13 (Approved No. 37977) | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Chile:TE | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIA | Hungary:14 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | Greece:K-13

Filming Locations:

Fox Studios, Moore Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Angel Studios

Trivia:

The production was over-running in its shooting schedule and had to be out of the Fox Studios in Sydney to make way for Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002). This necessitated some pick-up shots being filmed in Madrid.

Goofs:

Continuity: Christian's accent changes slightly throughout the movie.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Toulouse-Lautrec: [singing] There was a boy, a very strange enchanted boy...

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Saturday Night Live: Lara Flynn Boyle/Bon Jovi (#26.19)" (2001)

A stunning, visual feast

At the risk of sounding overly bombastic, "Moulin Rouge" is the best film I've seen all year, perhaps the best one I've seen in over a year. It is operatic in the best sense of the word, being at once massively outlandish and deeply personal. It is clear that a lot of people took career risks in choosing this film, and although "Moulin Rouge" may not rack up a huge box office, I think this film will become a classic alongside his other two films "Strictly Ballroom" and "Romeo + Juliet."

In the showing of "Moulin Rouge" I saw last week, at least 5 people walked out. At the same time I heard audience members audibly gasping at the films visuals and talking back to the screen. The source of these strong reactions? Baz Luhrmann's confidence in his garish cinematic vision and the commitment his actors have in him. The cast fills their roles with relish, even when the entire scene totters on the edge of overkill--but oddly enough, it is the focus that sets "Moulin Rouge" apart from other films these days. Whereas some actors sleepwalk through their roles as they collect their paychecks, everything about "Moulin Rouge" is done in earnest.

This movie is the anti-"Pearl Harbor," because instead of being a hodgepodge of market-tested ideas, "Moulin Rouge" presents a bold vision and dares the audience to accept or reject it. I, for one, accepted it with delight. A telling comparison: Luhrmann has Nicole Kidman and Ewen MacGregor sing the film's love song. Very daring. For "Pearl Harbor" Michael Bay chose Faith Hill. Very safe. Too safe. Can you imagine Ben Afleck belting out "There You'll Be"?

"Moulin Rouge" glitters with such bold decisions. It is a sumptuous feast for ear and eye featuring gorgeous costumes, intricate sets (Nicole Kidman's boudoir in a gigantic elephant is a case in point), and outlandishly choreographed dance numbers are paraded with frenetic relish. And the music, the MUSIC! As you probably know by now, Luhrmann has thrown into his period piece a collage of musical snippets from, among many bits, "The Sound of Music," Madonna, The Police, and Elton John. In most cases, no one song gets performed without intersplicing. Witness Luhrmann's audacity: the opening number includes a melding of Labelle's "Lady Marmalade" with Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." And here's the spooky part: it works.

The entire movie plays this way, and for the most part it works. Most surpising is that "Moulin Rouge" has a solid, deeply sincere emotional core. Although the film professes to be about love, I'd add that it is equally about loss. The Moulin Rouge is a playground where adults pretend they are children with the added spice of sensuality.

All the performances are excellent, but the hidden gem is Jim Broadbent as Zidler. Broadbent for years has been doing majestically understated supporting work, from "Brazil" to "Enchanted April" to "Topsy-Turvy." In "Moulin Rouge" he manages to be both repulsive and endearing. His spirited rendition of "Like a Virgin" is classic. Too bad it's not on the soundtrack.

Expect to be overwhelmed by "Moulin Rouge" in the most unexpected, delightful ways. It will make you wonder why other films can't or won't dare to be that bold.