Moulin Rouge!

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Moulin Rouge!
Directed by	Baz Luhrmann
Produced by	Baz Luhrmann Fred Baron Martin Brown
Written by	Craig Pearce & Baz Luhrmann
Starring	Ewan McGregor Nicole Kidman Jim Broadbent Richard Roxburgh John Leguizamo
Music by	Craig Armstrong
Cinematography	Donald McAlpine
Editing by	Jill Bilcock
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	May 9, 2001
Running time	127 min.
Language	English / French
Budget	$52,500,000 (estimated)
IMDb profile

Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 Academy Award winning musical film directed by Baz Luhrmann. It tells the story of a young British poet/writer, Christian, who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge cabaret, actress and courtesan, Satine. It uses the colourful musical setting of the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, France.

Some plot details, specifically the poor artist and his dying lover, bear relation to the Giacomo Puccini opera La bohème (which Luhrmann has also directed several times), including references to the "Bohemian" subculture. The storyline is also similar to the myth of Orpheus, which tells of the muse retrieving his love from the Underworld, and the famous "Can can" music comes from one of the operatic versions of Orpheus and the Underworld. Otherwise, the plot resembles that of Giuseppe Verdi's opera La traviata (and its source, the novel The Lady of the Camellias) in great detail. Luhrmann is said to have been inspired to make the movie after watching Dil Se (1998) by director Mani Ratnam.

The film was nominated for eight Oscars, and won two; for art direction and costume design. It was shot at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia.

Due to the film's international success, it has been widely credited with revitalizing the musical genre, setting the stage for films such as Chicago, Rent and The Phantom Of The Opera^{[citation needed]}.

In 2006 Moulin Rouge! ranked #25 on the American Film Institute's list of best musicals.

Contents 1 Description 2 Principal cast 3 Plot summary 4 Release and reception 5 Awards 6 Soundtrack 7 Distinctions 8 Trivia 9 External links

[edit] Description

Moulin Rouge! is a cinematic musical that has a storyline and structure that is said to be inspired and influenced largely by Italian grand opera: exuberant music, colourful visuals, elaborate sets and costumes. It also has some elements of Bollywood films such as a simple story line with a simple conflict, a melodramatic heroine and two-dimensional characters, with the added touch of an India-inspired and very "Bollywood-style" play within a play, "Spectacular Spectacular", which itself may have been based on an ancient Sanskrit play The Little Clay Cart. In addition to the Bollywood influence, Baz Luhrmann has revealed in the DVD's voice-over commentary that he drew from the ancient Greek tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus was a musical genius far surpassing anyone in his world; the film-makers chose to replicate this by using songs from the mid-to-late 20th century, many decades after the film's 1899 setting. In this way, Christian would appear to the other characters to be an innovative musician and writer.

The film takes well-known popular songs and modifies them to fit into a tale of a turn-of-the-20th-century Paris cabaret, blending swirling camera motion, loud music, and dancing. Some of the songs it samples include "Chamma Chamma" from the Hindi movie China Gate, Queen's "The Show Must Go On" (arranged in an opera format), David Bowie's rendition of the Eden Ahbez jazz standard "Nature Boy", "Lady Marmalade" by LaBelle (the Christina Aguilera/P!nk/Mýa/Lil’ Kim cover having been commissioned for this film), Madonna's "Like a Virgin" and "Material Girl", the titular song of "The Sound of Music", and one of the few film uses of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. The film uses so much popular music that it took Luhrmann almost two years to secure all the rights to the songs.

[edit] Principal cast

• Nicole Kidman as Satine
• Ewan McGregor as Christian
• Jim Broadbent as Harold Zidler
• Richard Roxburgh as The Duke
• John Leguizamo as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

[edit] Plot summary

The theme of the movie is love and its age-old conflict with wealth, materialism and jealousy. The main character, Christian (Ewan McGregor), is a British poet/writer who comes to Paris at the height of the Bohemian movement—a city of artists, parties, and absinthe. He falls in love with the principal singer of the Moulin Rouge cabaret, Satine (Nicole Kidman), who unknowingly suffers from a terminal case of consumption.

Satine is a worldly and beautiful courtesan who believes that diamonds are a girl's best friend. She wants money and not love from her gentlemen clients, yet she dreams of leaving the show to become a real actress. Through mistaken identity, Satine believes Christian is a wealthy and powerful Duke who will invest in the cabaret's new show, keep everyone employed, and make her a star. While meeting him in the Elephant Room for a tryst to seal the deal, Satine is at first taken with Christian's poetry (a version of Your Song by Elton John) but is shocked to realize he's actually a penniless Bohemian poet.

The real Duke arrives and catches them together. Christian's quick wit and Satine's charm fool the Duke into believing that they were rehearsing their new show, "Spectacular Spectacular." Christian, with the help of Satine and the Bohemians, quickly improvises the show's plot: an Indian-themed musical extravaganza. The Duke is impressed and agrees to support the show, but he quickly reveals that he is a violently jealous man who will shut down the Moulin Rouge if he does not get Satine all to himself. Nevertheless, he accepts that she will be busy with rehearsals and in close contact with Christian, the writer.

Christian and Satine fall madly in love, while Harold Zidler, the Moulin Rouge's manager and a father figure to Satine, struggles to keep the Duke interested in the show even though Satine has not yet spent the night with him. At last the Duke realizes he is being cuckolded, he tells the cast that the ending of the play will be changed to his liking. At hearing this, Satine finally agrees to spend the night with the duke, in exchange for allowing Christian's original ending to be in the play. Christian becomes overrun with jealously, but Satine insists that she is doing it for his play and that she still loves him. That night, Satine has dinner with the duke, while being offered everything she has dreamt of. But when the Duke realizes that Satine would never love him and will always love Christian, he tries to take Satine by force. After she escapes, Satine and Christian plan to run away. When Satine asks Christian about the play, he tells her that the play doesn't matter to him as long as they can be together. The Duke threatens to kill Christian and at Zidler's urging, Satine tells Christian she never loved him, hoping he will leave town and escape the Duke's wrath.

At the show's debut, Satine, now aware that she has only a short time to live, performs wearily. Christian, unwilling to give up on her, confronts her backstage. When she tries to drive him off again, he takes the place of the show's hero, throws money at her feet to "pay his whore," and storms off publicly. Although she is dying and his life is in danger, Satine calls him back by singing their secret lovers' song, and they are reconciled in full view of the audience and the Duke. The Duke attacks Christian physically, but Zidler unexpectedly drives him off so that love can prevail. The show ends. The audience wildly applauds what they perceived as a good drama, but privately, backstage, Satine is overcome by her illness and dies in Christian's arms. Moments before she dies, she makes Christian promise that he will live on without her (Christian insists that he cannot live without her), and write their story.

A year later Christian finally writes their story and ends it by saying "The greatest thing you will ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return".

[edit] Release and reception

Production on the film began in November 1999 and was completed in May 2000, with a budget of just over $50 million. Production generally went smoothly, with the only major problem occurring when star Nicole Kidman injured her knee while filming one of the more complicated dance sequences. Originally set for release on December 25, 2000 as a high profile Oscar contender, 20th Century Fox eventually moved the release to early summer so director Baz Luhrmann would have more time during post production. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 9, 2001—making it the festival's opening title. A limited release on May 18, 2001 followed, and the film was released to theaters nationwide on June 1, 2001.

The film was an instant success in limited release, grossing $185,095 in only two theaters opening weekend. Representatives from the studio said that many audiences even burst into applause during the screenings. The numbers continued to increase over the Memorial Day weekend, with the film making $254,098. When it expanded into over 2500 theaters, it made $14.2 million in its first weekend of wide release. It had great word of mouth and managed to have sturdy legs throughout the summer season, eventually grossing over $57 million domestically. It had a brief re-release in October 2001 for Oscar consideration, with Luhrmann stating that his intent was to get Kidman and McGregor nominated.

The movie was even more successful overseas. It broke box office records in Australia where it was given a rare theatrical re-release at the end of 2001, and managed to find a stable audience in almost every country. It eventually made over $120 million internationally, resulting in a total of over $177 million worldwide.

[edit] Awards

Academy Awards record
1. Best Costume Design
2. Best Art Direction-Set Decoration
Golden Globe Awards record
1. Best Picture - Musical or Comedy
2. Best Actress - Musical or Comedy (Nicole Kidman)
3. Best Original Score
BAFTA Awards record
1. Best Supporting Actor (Jim Broadbent)
2. Best Film Music
3. Best Sound

When awards season rolled around, the film was still fresh in people's minds due to the high-profile DVD release in December 2001. It was selected by the National Board of Review as the best film of 2001 over many other contenders. After that, it picked up six Golden Globe nominations including Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (for Nicole Kidman), Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (for Ewan McGregor), Best Original Score, Best Director (for Baz Luhrmann) and Best Song ("Come What May"). It won three including the coveted Best Picture trophy. A few weeks later, it received 13 nominations at the BAFTA Awards, making it the most nominated film of the year for that ceremony. It took home three, including Best Supporting Actor for Jim Broadbent.

When Oscar nominations were announced, the film received eight nominations including Best Actress in a Leading Role (Nicole Kidman) and Best Picture. The film was not nominated for Best Director (Baz Luhrmann); commenting on this during the Oscar ceremony, host Whoopi Goldberg remarked, "I guess Moulin Rouge! just directed itself." It took home two Oscars when the winners were announced for Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction. At the lower-profile MTV Movie Awards, Kidman took home the Best Actress trophy and Kidman and McGregor took home Best Musical Sequence.

It should be noted that "Come What May" (the only original song in the film) was disqualified from nomination for an Oscar because it was originally written (but unused) for Luhrmann's previous film William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and not written expressly for Moulin Rouge! [1]

[edit] Soundtrack

The following is a partial list of songs featured in the film along with the artist that popularized them.

• "The Sound of Music" - Mary Martin (and later by Julie Andrews) (from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical of the same name)
• "The Lonely Goatherd" - also from The Sound of Music (but heard as instrumental)
• "Lady Marmalade" - Labelle (and later by All Saints and by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa and P!nk)
• "Because We Can" - Fatboy Slim
• "Nature Boy" - Eden Ahbez (and later by Nat King Cole)
• "Complainte De La Butte" - Georges Van Parys, Jean Renoir
• "Rhythm of the Night" - Debarge
• "Material Girl" - Madonna
• "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
• "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" - Carol Channing (later, and notably by Marilyn Monroe)
• "Diamond Dogs" - David Bowie (and later by Beck)
• "Galop Infernal (Can-can)" - Jacques Offenbach (tune for Spectacular, Spectacular)
• "One Day I'll Fly Away" - The Crusaders, later Randy Crawford among others
• "Children of the Revolution" - T. Rex
• "Gorecki" - Lamb
• "Come What May" - Ewan McGregor & Nicole Kidman (written by David Baerwald)
• "Roxanne" - The Police (Title in film: "El Tango De Roxanne")
• "The Show Must Go On" - Queen
• "Like a Virgin" - Madonna
• "Your Song" - Elton John

Elephant Love Medley

• "Love Is Like Oxygen" - Sweet
• "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing" - Frank Sinatra
• "Up Where We Belong" - Buffy Sainte-Marie, Will Jennings and Jack Nitzsche for An Officer and a Gentleman (later a hit for Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes)
• "All You Need Is Love" - The Beatles
• "Lover's Game" - Chris Isaak
• "I Was Made For Lovin' You" - Kiss (and later by Paulina Rubio)
• "One More Night" - Phil Collins
• "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" - U2 (misquoted)
• "Don't Leave Me This Way" - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes (later Thelma Houston, The Communards, among others)
• "Silly Love Songs" - Paul McCartney and Wings
• (Repeated) "Up Where We Belong"
• "Heroes" - David Bowie (and later by The Wallflowers)
• "I Will Always Love You" - Dolly Parton (and later by Whitney Houston)
• "Your Song" - Elton John

Two soundtrack albums were released, with the second coming after the first one's massive success. The first volume featured the smash hit single "Lady Marmalade", performed by Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mýa and P!nk.

Track listings are as follows:

MOULIN ROUGE - Music From Baz Luhrmann's Film (Vol. 1)

1. "Nature Boy" performed by David Bowie
2. "Lady Marmalade" performed by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa and Pink
3. "Because We Can" performed by Fatboy Slim
4. "Sparkling Diamonds" performed by Nicole Kidman, Jim Broadbent, Caroline O'Connor, Natalie Mendoza and Lara Mulcahy
5. "Rhythm Of The Night" performed by Valeria
6. "Your Song" performed by Ewan McGregor
7. "Children Of The Revolution" performed by Bono, Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer
8. "One Day I'll Fly Away" performed by Nicole Kidman
9. "Diamond Dogs" performed by Beck
10. "Elephant Love Medley" performed by Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor
11. "Come What May" performed by Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor
12. "El Tango De Roxanne" performed by Ewan McGregor, Jose Feliciano and Jacek Koman
13. "Complainte De La Butte" performed by Rufus Wainwright
14. "Hindi Sad Diamonds" performed by Nicole Kidman and Cast
15. "Nature Boy" performed by David Bowie and Massive Attack

MOULIN ROUGE - Music From Baz Luhrmann's Film (Vol. 2)

1. "Your Song" performed by Craig Armstrong
2. "Sparkling Diamonds (Original Film Version)" performed by Nicole Kidman, Jim Broadbent, Caroline O'Connor, Natalie Mendoza and Lara Mulcahy
3. "One Day I'll Fly Away (Remix)" performed by Nicole Kidman
4. "The Pitch (Spectacular Spectacular)" performed by Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent and Richard Roxburgh
5. "Come What May (Original Film Version)" performed by Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor
6. "Like A Virgin" performed by Jim Broadbent and Richard Roxburgh
7. "Meet Me In The Red Room" performed by Amiel
8. "Your Song (Instrumental)" performed by Craig Armstrong
9. "The Show Must Go On" performed by Jim Broadbent, Nicole Kidman and Cast
10. "Ascension/Nature Boy" performed by John Leguizamo and Craig Armstrong
11. "Bolero (Closing Credits)" composed by Steve Sharples and performed by Craig Armstrong

[edit] Distinctions

Award wins:

• Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
• Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Nicole Kidman)
• Academy Award for Art Direction-Set Decoration (Catherine Martin & Brigitte Broch)
• Academy Award for Costume Design (Catherine Martin & Angus Strathie)
• Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score - Motion Picture (Craig Armstrong)
• Producers Guild of America's Award for Best Picture
• National Board of Review's Award for Best Picture

Award nominations:

• Academy Award for Best Picture
• Academy Award for Best Actress (Nicole Kidman)
• Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Donald McAlpine)
• Academy Award for Film Editing (Jill Bilcock)
• Academy Award for Makeup (Maurizio Silvi & Aldo Signoretti)
• Academy Award for Sound (Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Roger Savage, Guntis Sics)
• Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture (Baz Luhrmann)
• Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Ewan McGregor)
• Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song - Motion Picture (David Baerwald - song "Come What May")
• Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media

[edit] Trivia

• Tim Wheeler, of the rock band Ash, auditioned for the lead role of Christian which led him to write the track "Orpheus".
• The film is dedicated to Baz Luhrmann's father, Leonard, who died just as filming was about to begin.
• The production was overrunning in its shooting schedule and had to be out of the Fox Studios in Sydney to make way for Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones (in which Ewan McGregor also starred). This necessitated some pick-up shots being filmed in Madrid.
• Kylie Minogue makes a cameo as "the Green Fairy", appearing in Christian's hallucinations as he drinks. Originally the character's portion of the film was intended to be longer and use Ozzy Osbourne's voice to replace Minogue's as the absinthe drives Christian deeper into hallucinations. The only remnant of Osbourne's voice is the scream the Green Fairy utters as her eyes turn red and the camera pulls into the Moulin Rouge.
• Placido Domingo voices the operatic Moon.
• The film version of Sparkling Diamonds is a fusion of Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend and Madonna's Material Girl. The two songs were already linked previously as Madonna's original Material Girl music video directly paid tribute to Marilyn Monroe's performance of Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend.
• Ewan McGregor and Jim Broadbent both also starred together in the British film, Little Voice.
• The set and costume style was an inspiration for the music video of the band The Killers for their hit-single Mr. Brightside
• The band Panic! at the Disco was also inspired by the costumes worn in the movie, creating the band's anachronistic clothing style.
• Nicole Kidman wasn't interested in doing the musical until she heard Baz Luhrmann would be directing it.

[edit] External links

• Moulin Rouge! official website
• Moulin Rouge! at the Internet Movie Database
• Craig Armstrong (Composer & Arranger for Moulin Rouge)

• Moulin Rouge! Style and Beauty Page

Preceded by Almost Famous

Golden Globe: Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy 2001

Succeeded by Chicago