I know it is such a stupid girl thing to like the movie Moulin Rouge. Hear me out, though. It's for that very reason that it took me ten years to finally watch it. I didn't want to be like all the rest. I can't help but assume that popular things are stupid. Every once in awhile, however, I am proven so very wrong. Whitteny (my roomie/best friend, for those of you just tuning in) has a huge collection of movies and one day I got bored enough to give it a chance...I did not regret it. How? Why? Your questions will be answered. But first! a Whitteny quote: "It's like drinking maple syrup...which is amazing." - Whitteny on Jack Daniels Honey. (Should maybe have been followed with, "We elves stick to the four main food groups...")
Beauty, freedom, truth, and love, the Bohemian sentiments that Ewan McGregor's character dreamily sighs after in the beginning of the movie, are some of my own ideals. I will admit I am quite the hippie in a lot of ways (though I like to put my ideals into every-day action rather than pointless protests or weed-fueled rants). I want to believe in epic love stories, and so it is difficult for me to resist one; especially when it is so creatively written. When Christian (McGregor) starts out, he doesn't know anything about real life. He seeks experience and an artist's satisfaction in the gritty town that houses the whorehouse/entertainment hall called the Moulin Rouge. Amidst the glitz and the glamour, he remains pure of heart, even when he immediately falls in love with the most infamous courtesan, Satine. He teaches her that playing pretend is never as satisfying as real love. It's your classic "prove that love exists" sort of story, but with so much more to offer. Such as...
1- Excellent musical mash-ups with satirical themes and excellent original scoring as well. I always wish that more movies were musicals in the way of the classics--like Singing in the Rain, White Christmas, and (to a lesser extent) Some Like it Hot. Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is at one point sung by a group of tuxedo'd men who visit the brothel (perfect parallel). There's even a new-agey, Indian-sounding version of "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend." Countless good songs are put together in such a creative and whimsical way--my favorite being "Your Song" by Elton John--a beautiful (albeit, perhaps a bit sappy) tune that I might not have ever heard otherwise, accompanying the scene where the ill-fated lovers first meet. An intense and storied tango is danced to a gravelly cover of "Roxanne" by The Police, featuring an actor with a drinking problem and a bitter prostitute. Then there's this lovely medley:
2- It is a movie that makes fun of itself, while embracing itself. The characters who embrace the Bohemian ideals are naive, impractical, and often somewhat ridiculous. One even describes himself as "only a drunken, vice-ridden gnome whose friends are pimps and girls from brothels," but then goes on to say: "but I know about art and love if only because I long for it with every fiber of my being." They're hipsters in some ways, fools in another, and yet--like all of us, they have something to offer. Part of the way it makes fun of itself is in the overdone nature of everything: too-bright colors, dramatic numbers, silly situations (such as when Satine, believing she is seducing a duke, is embarrassingly overt at her temptation techniques).
3- The actors are magnificent. I was actually never a fan of Nicole Kidman until this film, but she was perfect in the role. Delicate and pitiable, embittered and remorseful--she did it well. The real star, however, is Ewan McGregor, in my opinion. His voice is warm, innocent, and steady, and his look was perfect for the role.
5- The bad guy gets a big ol' punch to the face. Come on, now. Even John McClane would dig that enough to love this film.
In conclusion...
SIR ELTON JOHN, FOLKS. SIR. ELTON. MOTHERFREAKIN'. JOHN.
See, I've always liked this movie. Never saw it when it first came out since I was ten when it came out and I was more concerned with Street Sharks, but I saw it in high school and I loved it. May have been the mindset I was in when I saw it, but it's still a fine movie.
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