DILLON ON FILM

Moulin Rouge!: 25 Years On

Baz Luhrmann’s delirious romantic musical is still “spectacular, spectacular”

Credit: 20th Century Fox

Warning: Contains spoilers

Moulin Rouge! (2001) was released in the UK on the Friday immediately after the terrorist attacks on the 11th of September 2001. After the shock and horror of that tragic day, and the heaviness of its immediate aftermath, my wife and I headed to the cinema that weekend to watch Baz Luhrmann’s opulent musical extravaganza, feeling very much in need of romantic escapism. The film delivered in spades. We laughed, we cried, we loved the music, and we were so taken with it that we went to see it again the following day. Despite the heartwrenching finale, its simple, unashamedly on-the-nose message, delivered with copious amounts of surreal, heartfelt entertainment value, was the tonic we needed exactly at that moment to revive our spirits: “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return.”

It’s a line from the Nat King Cole song covered by David Bowie and Massive Attack that bookends the film, which brings me neatly onto another reason this film particularly struck a chord (pun ruthlessly intended): the soundtrack. Luhrmann’s genius in revising various classic tracks, sometimes radically and indeed hilariously, whilst throwing in a few new tunes (such as ‘Come What May’), made this a key film for Generation X. I know Luhrmann’s offbeat, gaudy, over-the-top style puts off some viewers. I will acknowledge that I’ve yet to come across anyone prior to Generation X who loves this film (most of the classic tracks are from the 70s, 80s, and 90s). However, to my mind, Luhrmann’s considerable talents have never been put to greater use. I love all his films (even those that critics sniffed at), but for me, Moulin Rouge! sits at the top of an extremely impressive pile.

What tracks does Luhrmann use? An eclectic mixture that oughtn’t to work as a cohesive whole yet, somehow, does. LaBelle’s ‘Lady Marmalade’ is given a hugely memorable makeover by Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink Thunderpuss, for instance. I think Nicole Kidman’s take on ‘Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend’ is as memorable as Marilyn Monroe’s performance in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), however sacrilegious that may sound to some. There’s even a Bollywood version of that song later in the film, because by that point, because Luhrmann has cheerfully broken so many other narrative, musical, and directorial rules, the audience simply shrugs and goes along with it. At least, that was my reaction.

Credit: 20th Century Fox

Elsewhere, ‘Because We Can’ by Fatboy Slim is a showstopper. Bono, Gavin Friday, and Maurice Seezer contribute a new version of T. Rex’s ‘Children of the Revolution’. Elton John’s ‘Your Song’ gets used as Ewan McGregor’s bohemian writer Christian serenades Nicole Kidman’s courtesan Satine at the titular Parisian nightclub. Actually, in that scene, there’s a hilarious moment in which the pair communicate purely using song lyrics; something that had my wife and me in stitches, as this was something I had done for many years (normally after a few drinks).

I should probably say something about the plot, which involves, initially, a case of comic mistaken identity that escalates into a full-throttle love story. Unfortunately, though talented, Christian is penniless, whereas the Moulin Rouge’s Master of Ceremonies, Harold Zidler (Jim Broadbent), is keen for Satine to ingratiate herself with the Duke of Monroth (Richard Roxburgh). His funds for a play will mean the transformation of the nightclub into a lavish theatre and secure financial success for all. Will these plans be scuppered by the ill-advised passions of Christian and Satine?

The rest of the story, I daresay, you can predict. Indeed, Luhrmann telegraphs the ending clearly throughout, cheerfully chucking spoilers into his own film at many stages, because what matters is the experience of how it happens, rather than what happens. Also, we’re so caught up in the electrifying chemistry of the two leads that it hardly matters. I was completely emotionally invested in their romance, desperately hoping for the comedy of errors misunderstandings to resolve satisfactorily, even if I knew a tragic end was inevitable.

Credit: 20th Century Fox

Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman both act and sing their hearts out. These are my favourite performances from both. Neither were they professionally trained singers, but both had intense vocal coaching before shooting. I think the results speak (or rather sing) for themselves. They also look like they’re having so much fun, but at the same time, there’s genuine passion in their love story, and the outcome is so desperately sad that my youngest spoke of being “traumatised” and “bereft” after we recently watched the film together. Sometimes, a melodramatic, blunt instrument can work wonders, and Moulin Rouge! never fails to bring a tear to my eye.

However, I acknowledge that part of the reason for my intense emotional attachment to this film is the memories it stirs within me. Memories of escaping to the cinema with my wife, and of our own early romantic years. The music is also something of a time machine. After all, when a film casually throws in snippets from Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ one second then DeBarge’s ‘Rhythm of the Night’ the next, in between radically reimagined takes on The Police’s ‘Roxanne’ and Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’ (the latter being particularly hilarious, sung by Broadbent and male backup singers), the nostalgia factor is irresistible. It even features an apt use of one of my favourite Queen songs, ‘The Show Must Go On’. Also, look out for a cheeky cameo by Kylie Minogue.

Even though Luhrmann does ridiculous things, such as a handgun thrown into the air suddenly becoming massive and bouncing off the Eiffel Tower, the inherent fantasia of proceedings somehow makes it work. Here, I must also give full credit to cinematographer Donald M McAlpine, production designer Catherine Martin, and the costumes, also by Martin and co-designer Angus Strathie. Jill Billcock’s often frenetic editing keeps things moving like a rollercoaster, but she and Luhrmann also ensure that the film breathes when it needs to. It’s also worth acknowledging the contributions of Craig Armstrong’s score, which is deployed during some of the most heartstring-tugging moments.

Credit: 20th Century Fox

Twenty-five years on, Moulin Rouge! remains an absolute blast. It’s a ludicrously overcooked, massively self-indulgent piece of work, and by rights it should have been a disaster. Instead, it’s magnificent, and the film I’d have wanted to win Best Picture that year, were it not for *The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) (which didn’t win either). My only regret is that rewatching on television never has quite the same visual impact. To be fully appreciated, Moulin Rouge!* really needs to be seen at the cinema, for the opening orchestra conductor 20th Century Fox logo gag alone. It really is, as Christian puts it, “spectacular, spectacular”.

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