The
musical Moulin Rouge may tempt older filmviewers
to attend in the expectation of seeing a remake of the classic
film Moulin Rouge (1952), based on the novel
of the same title by Pierre La Mure starring José Ferrer as
Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, an artist who drew sketches of
risqué dancers, circa 1900. However, such expectations will
be dashed when the musical features John Leguizamo as Toulouse
Lautrec, and the music consists of rock classics. The musical,
directed and cowritten by Baz Luhrmann, focuses on Christian
(played by Ewan McGregor), an English writer who wants to
sharpen his creative energies by participating in the sinful
life of night clubs in the Montmartre section of Paris so
that he can write about "truth, beauty, freedom, and love,"
though his sophomoric concept of love dominates his attention.
Upon attending the Moulin Rouge nightclub, he sees beautiful
Satine (played by Nicole Kidman) sing passionately. Although
men heap gifts upon her for the privilege of being with her
in private, she chooses Christian as her nighttime companion.
However, the Moulin Rouge’s proprietor Zidler (played by Jim
Broadbent) has arranged for her to have a rendezvous with
the Duke of Worcester (played by Richard Roxburgh), who is
very displeased. To Satine’s surprise, Christian wants friendship,
not sex, unaware that she is a prostitute; his celibacy so
surprises her that she falls in love with him, and he with
her. To produce Christian’s story on the Moulin Rouge stage,
starring Satine, Zidler desperately needs funds, and the Duke’s
checkbook is deep. so Zidler tries to arrange yet another
assignation between Satine and the Duke. But the Duke is repeatedly
disappointed and becomes insanely jealous to the point of
putting out a contract on Christian. Naturally, our hero Christian
does not die so that there will be a happy ending, but Satine
dies of tuberculosis so that there will be sadness as well.
The film’s tagline is "An experience you won't forget." I
expect that those who saw the earlier version will want to
forget this version, and those who did not will groove on
the rock music. MH
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want to comment on this film
