Moulin Rouge

Moulin Rouge is at times frenetic, gaudy, dirty and dismal.  Other times, it is simply a standard tale of star crossed lovers, trying to find romance where they might otherwise be none, and bravely confronting the forces that would doom their love for each other.

The film is inventive in its music, using very familiar lyrics and melodies in ways that may not have been the original intent but seem to work well.  One that I enjoyed was Roxanne (the song by the Police) set to a tango rhythm and belted out by a raspy voiced Argentinian (Jose Feliciano is credited on the CD).  Another twist on a familiar tune was the club owner singing Madonna's Like a Virgin, while mimicking the part of a blushing bride.  This one was thankfully not on the sound track.  While it works in the movie, there isn't much reason to want to hear the song out of that context.

The story is that of a young man who has forsaken the good life in England to travel to the Moulin Rouge and pursue the life of a Bohemian.  He wants to write and explore passions.  Soon after arriving, he gets involved with a small troupe of performers, led by Toulouse Latrec, who are rehearsing a play that they just can't seem to get.  The young writer injects some new life into their efforts and it is decided that he should be the playwright.  The key is to get him in good with the folks at the Moulin Rouge, particularly the owner and the star performer.

While they try to arrange a meeting at the club, a mix-up occurs where the playwright is mistaken for a count, who also has designs on ********* and is seen to be the financial rescuer of the Moulin Rouge.  It isn't long before Kidman and McGregor click, but the count is jealous and possessive, so theirs cannot be an open love affair.

I'll leave it at that.  There are depths of character that make you care about whether they succeed or fail, and there are enough other principles to really flesh out the ensemble.  I enjoyed the look of the film, the pacing, the characters, the music, and the story which was the most standard element of the production.

If you like music and musicals, color and some over the top style, I think you'll enjoy Moulin Rouge as much as I did.

8-6-2001