Love is like oxygen. Love is a many-splendored thing. Love lifts us up where we belong. All you need is love.
On May 9th 2001, Moulin Rouge! had its world premiere, opening the Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for Palme d'Or, which ultimately went to Nanni Moretti's The Son's Room. Two weeks later, the movie was released in Australia, and opened in North American theatres on this day, 25 years ago.
Directed by Baz Luhrmann, Moulin Rouge! is the final instalment of Luhrmann's Red Curtain Trilogy, following Strictly Ballroom (1992) and Romeo + Juliet (1996). The story behind this third movie blends three different operas and operettas: La Bohème, based on Henri Murger's novel La Vie de la Bohème; La Traviata, based on Alexandre Dumas fils' novel La Dame aux Camélias; and Jacques Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld, based on Greek mythology, interwinding multiple plotlines inspired by all these stories.
Moulin Rouge! follows Christian (Ewan McGregor), a depressed writer [and musician] who is still grieving the death of the woman he loved. Through his writing, he transports us back to 1899, when he stepped off a train from London and arrived in Paris. Newly settled in Montmartre—the village of sin, according to his father—he hopes to join the Bohemian movement and write about truth, beauty, freedom, and love, which he believes in above all else. Although there is only one problem: he has never been in love.
After meeting Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (John Leguizamo) and his troupe, Christian begins helping them write their new show, Spectacular Spectacular, in the hope of getting it produced at the Moulin Rouge, owned by Harold Zidler (Jim Broadbent, who based his performance on Luhrmann). Their plan is simple: dress Christian in their finest suit and pass him off as a famous English writer so that he can impress Satine (Nicole Kidman) with his poetry. In return, Satine would convince Zidler to let Christian write the show. However, Zidler has other plans. He intends for the wealthy, powerful, and unscrupulous Duke of Monroth (Richard Roxburgh) to seduce Satine in exchange for financing what would transform the Moulin Rouge into a legitimate theatre—a real show, in a real theatre, for a real audience. And for Satine, it would mean finally achieving her dream of becoming a real actress rather than remaining a courtesan.
That night, Satine "mistakes" Christian for the Duke and attempts to seduce him by dancing with him. For Christian, it's love at first sight—and honestly, who can blame him? After the Duke interrupts them, Satine claims that she, Christian, and the Bohemians are rehearsing Spectacular Spectacular. With Zidler's help, Christian and the Bohemians quickly improvise a story for the Duke. Impressed by what he just saw, he agrees to invest in the production, but only if Satine and the Moulin Rouge are turned over to him. However, things do not go as planned. As rehearsals progress, Christian and Satine fall deeply in love, with their feelings for one another only growing.
To me, Moulin Rouge! is one of the best musicals ever put on screen, and I adore everything about it. From the performances, the musical numbers, the soundtrack, the costumes, to the production design, everything contributes to perfectly create the theatricality we’re looking for from a movie of the Red Curtain Trilogy, a cinematic style rejecting realism in favour of theatrical techniques designed to remind the audience that they are witnessing a staged performance.
The first time I watched it, I was completely blown away, and every time I revisit it, it feels just as magical. It never fails to amaze me and always leaves me with the biggest smile on my face, until the tears start running down my face. Not only is Christian and Satine’s love story as tragic and heartbreaking as can be, but it also reminds us that pain and beauty come from one place. Their love story is messy, passionate and all-consuming—it’s the kind of love that makes you believe that nothing else in the world matters. And what makes it even more devastating is knowing that it was never meant to last. Moulin Rouge! understands that the most beautiful things in life are often the most fragile, and that loving someone so deeply also means opening yourself up to unimaginable pain. It’s devastating, but that’s also what makes it so beautiful.
"All my life, you’ve made me believe I was only worth what someone would pay for me!"
But above all else is Satine’s story, which in itself is profoundly sad to watch. Satine was dying, and yet she was still forced to perform and work for Zidler and the Moulin Rouge. She was exploited as a source of profit, with little regard for her own life, her freedom, or what she truly wanted. She was denied the right to love whoever she chose, which alone was already devastating. Meeting Christian led her to believe that something different might exist and that she could be loved for who she truly was, and that love could actually be real, not just transactional. After a lifetime of being told otherwise, of being reduced to something she was expected to sell rather than feel, that realisation became both beautiful and unbearably tragic. And this feeling is further intensified by the film’s dreamlike construction, which shapes the way we experience Christian and Satine’s story.
The film was shot largely at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia, and therefore has no filming locations. The Parisian landscapes were created digitally, giving the film a dreamlike atmosphere that complements the fact that Christian and Satine's story is told through flashbacks drawn from his writings. This setting ultimately adds another layer to the story, creating dimension and immersing us in Christian's recollection of the events, allowing us to experience the story through his perspective. In doing so, it makes us feel as though we are stepping directly into his memories and imagination, experiencing the story as a grand, romantic [and tragic] fairy tale brought to life.
The fast-paced cuts and editing, and the energetic musical numbers make the movie all the more interesting and fun to watch, though they can be overwhelming for some viewers. But for people with an attention deficit, like me, it's perfect. And I think that's partly why I love this movie so much: it's entertaining for all 128 minutes—you simply can't look away. The production design and costumes also contribute to that same effect. Designed by Catherine Martin [who also worked as the production designer] and Angus Strathie, Moulin Rouge! features some of the most beautiful and iconic costumes I have ever seen in a movie. Corsets, feathers, rhinestones… all spectacular [spectacular].
Another standout element of Moulin Rouge! is its soundtrack, which features songs (and parts of songs) from the mid-to-late 20th century, despite the film being set in a completely different era. Throughout the movie, we hear Nat King Cole’s "Nature Boy," "Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend" from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), Madonna’s "Material Girl," The Beatles’ "All You Need Is Love," Dolly Parton’s "I Will Always Love You," Elton John’s "Your Song," and even The Police’s "Roxanne." Baz Luhrmann revealed, in the DVD commentary, that he was inspired by the Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice. According to the myth, Orpheus was a musical genius far surpassing anyone in his world, which is part of why these contemporary songs were chosen: to present Christian as a musical and literary genius ahead of his time in the eyes of the other characters.
The movie also features one of my favourite love songs of all time, "Come What May" (the only completely original song in the film), which was originally written by David Baerwald for Romeo + Juliet (1996). The song is heard twice in the film, and both sequences never fail to bring tears to my eyes. Even just listening to it carries such a visceral emotional weight that is almost overwhelming, perfectly capturing the film’s operatic sense of love and loss.
And that’s without even mentioning the performances in this movie, which are, for the most part (not looking at you Richard Roxburgh), absolutely incredible. Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor are obviously my favourites, embodying love and pain so convincingly that you can feel both emotions all at once. Their chemistry is undeniable and carries the emotional weight of the story with ease. And even seeing them together off-screen now and then, you can feel they share the same effortless connection that made their performances so compelling in Moulin Rouge!. But to me, Nicole Kidman is the true star of the movie, the real-life sparkling diamond! In every performance she gives, Kidman dives into it completely, giving herself body and soul to the characters she portrays, bringing to life their quirks, their joys and their sorrows like no one else can. To Satine, she brings a blend of vulnerability, magnetism and playful charm that makes her one of her most iconic and unforgettable characters. And although she admittedly said she was nervous to sing for this role (because, yes does her own singing in Moulin Rouge!), she delivers some of the most beautiful vocals in a musical: heartfelt, playful and powerful. Not only is she a brilliant actress, one of her generation’s best, but she is also a gifted singer.
25 years later, Moulin Rouge! is just as good, not only as a spectacle, but also as a tragedy draped in glitter and music that remains as moving and heartbreaking today as it was when it was first released.
Moulin Rouge! is available to watch on Disney+ in Canada.
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