The Bestest Film Ever Made??? (Moulin Rouge! (DVD))

Member Name: chris105

Product:	Moulin Rouge! (DVD)
Date:	02/04/02 (191 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: incredible concept, music, scenery, colours, costumes, need I say more?

Disadvantages: there can never (probably) be another so magnificent film, I'm biased, yes I am

Every so often a something comes along which we go absolutely uncontrollably ga-ga about. It could be a new gadget, a trendy (or not so trendy) restaurant, a revolutionary song, a mega-magnificent-fall-off-your-chair good book, a mind-blowing play, or - as in my case over the past few months - a film.

You know when you're in the ga-ga stage, as against "mere" infatuation for something new and exciting (also known as a "craze"), when the ga-ga-ism (with apologies to the painting school) lasts for over five months. Now let it be known that I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a film buff. I enjoy films, immensely, however I consume them as a gentile, in blissful ignorance of the trends and depths of the filmmaking industry. So when I say that MOULIN ROUGE, the film, I have watched for about 10 times, you should be amazed. Really you should. I don't usually watch a film twice, no matter how exceptional, let alone 10 times. For crying out loud...

I made my acquaintance with MOULIN ROUGE while on holiday last October. Inexplicably curious at this much-touted phenomenon, I had been dying to watch it, but was otherwise engaged and did not get round to having a sneak preview. So it was already doing the rounds in the cinemas when I finally got to see it (on the other side of the globe, I might add!). To say I was mesmerised from the first instant seems like the exaggeration that it would otherwise be.... otherwise, that is, than for this film.

MOULIN ROUGE marks the come-back of the musical genre in film. Basically, from my very limited knowledge of films, it seems the musical as a film style was stuck in 'The Sound of Music' and 'My Fair Lady' days. Charming, of course, but quaint by today's exigent standards. The musical film territory seems to have been claimed and cordoned off by the MTV generation of music videos. Film had concentrated on high-octave special effects and/or intense pathos
(with varying degrees of success and originality, one might add).

Until MOULIN ROUGE.

2001 and along comes Baz Luhrmann, director of highly-acclaimed and hardly conventional films. Discarding all the established conventions of what a musical should be like, he single-handedly brought to life, in an updated - nay, reinvented - form, this genre. Musical is back. With a bang... or rather, if you'll pardon the facile play on words, with a can-can...

The plot of MOULIN ROUGE doesn't bear close scrutiny, of course. It's your classic unattainable but achieved against all odds love situation: 'he' is penniless but charming, and falls for 'her' - who is glamorous and higher in the echelons of society (albeit within the confines of a parallel underworld society in this case). Their love is ambushed by all and sundry, and the affair proceeds in secret, while another more "worthy" suitor suspects zilch. Until things are brought to a heady climax, and one of the lovers has to make a life-changing decision. Oh yes, and finally tragedy threatens to strike. Amen.

That's it, really - the plot. But one does not fall in love with MOULIN ROUGE for the plot. It's good enough to hold water while the rest of the ship does its thing. Which it does marvellously. The direction, lighting, costumes, and camera-work should have, in a fair world, swept away everyone and everything at the Oscars. MOULIN ROUGE has been called "Romeo and Juliet meets MTV". The whole film is seen as one long breathless music clip. Fast-moving scenes, vibrant colours, exotic and sometimes erotic shots, extravagant costumes, impossibly kitsch decor - this, and much much more, is MOULIN ROUGE.

Scenes such as the first night when Satine (the showgirl) meets the Duke (the rich and devious suitor) and Christian (the penniless but love-struck poet) will remain in the history of the cinema, long after Russell Crowe is reduc
ed to reruns of B-grade sitcoms on syndicated TVs and 'Beautiful Mind' is the slogan for Pamela Anderson's latest makeover. The chaos and immorality of turn-of-the-century (19th-to-20th) Paris is perfectly brought out. Many people at the cinema where I watched it the first time just walked out at this point. I was falling in love.

At the same time, while music and colour are exploding all around, bedroom-farce situations worthy of Fawlty Towers are taking place. The boudoir scene, set - of all places - inside a giant elephant (!!!! - try and beat that!), is side-splittingly funny. Humour, music and tragedy are carried along hand-in-hand, without at any point losing their balance.

Unexplainably (or explainable probably by the snobbish attitude often shown at such occasions) MOULIN ROUGE, though nominated for an avalanche of Oscars, carried home only 2 minor ones. I would of course have given it Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, et al... but that's just me!


THE CAST
The 'her' of the situation, nightclub glamour-showgirl Satine, is played divinely by Nicole Kidman. I firmly believe that her turn as Satine will never be forgotten, and I for one have become a devoted fan and follower of this incredibly talented actress. Her penniless 'him' is none other than Ewan McGregor, he of (of all improbable combinations) 'Trainspotting'. They both sing their way through the film, incidentally, and although McGregor has been accused of "screaming, not singing", I think they both did a fine job (albeit assisted greatly by sumptuous orchestrations and deluxe backing vocals... one name for all: Placido Domingo!). Harold Zigler, the manager of the nightclub Moulin Rouge, is played by Oscar winner (best supporting actor in 'Iris') Jim Broadbent. And the devious hideous Duke is Richard Roxburgh.

Apart from these three main characters there's a plethora of other talents scatter
ed throughout the film. As I said, I'm no film buff, so I shan't give you statistics on each and every actor and make-up artist. Look them up if you want to. In this op I wanted to give you a taste of what I felt watching MOULIN ROUGE.


THE MUSIC
As in any musical, the music played and sung forms the backbone of the film. And in MOULIN ROUGE, with very few exceptions, the score is not original but adaptations/covers of famous "trashy" pop songs, incredibly blended into each other to form a coherent storyline. At one point, no less than three completely different songs are being sung contemporaneously. Unbelievable... Of course, for many the hilarious climax of this repartee is the Duke's interpretation of Madonna's cheesy 'Like a Virgin'. Brought the house down at one of the cinemas I watched it in. [no, not literally...] And walking out of the cinema, I guarantee (nearly - caveats and all that, you understand!) you'll be humming 'Come What May'...


But don't take my word for it. Rent it on video (it's out now) or DVD. You might hate it and ask for a refund. Or you might, like me, fall in love - irreversibly and for ever (and I don't use these phrases lightly).

Come what may...

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