Review of Moulin Rouge

Introduction

With the Melie`s inspired prologue the viewer is whisked into a world of fantasy. A beautiful courtesan called Satine (Nicole Kidman) is accidentally introduced to a penniless writer called Christian (Ewan McGregor) She mistakes him for her latest lover the fabulously wealthy Duke. They fall in love and the stage is set for tragedy.

There follows a superb kaleidoscope of colour with lavish sets, garish faces and all the horror of the Paris underclass there to serve those with the money to buy them. From the moment the customers sing ` Entertain Us ` it is plain there can be no happy ending.

The story is very simple but it is beautifully dressed to make the tragedy of epic proportions.

Video

Anamorphic Widescreen presentation satisfies those who love the big screen. Baz Luhrmann has embraced the medium of DVD and is generous with the presentation. Painting with the camera Moulin Rouge lovingly reproduces the colour palette of the 1900 setting. There is an obvious nod to Toulouse La Trek. The reproduction of colour is superb. The theatrical makeup is shown in its pore enlarging glory. This is a film proud of its artificiality and takes the opportunity to fill the screen with colour.

Audio

The soundtrack alone is worth the price of admission. The five speakers are used to great effect. It`s worth annoying the neighbours just briefly to feel the full cinema sound. There are some excellent rock tracks and a belting performance of `Your Song` by Ewan McGregor.

Another excellent track is `Hindi Sad Diamonds`, which adds a touch of Bollywood the mix. And yes, Ewan singing `The Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Music`.

Features

There are quite a lot of extras included to list a few:
Production Commentary with Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin and Don McAlpine

Behind the Red Velvet Curtain Version: Interactive Feature that lets you Glimpse a Historical, Technical, and Artistic View of Moulin Rouge!

3 Music Videos: "Lady Marmalade," Lady Marmalade live MTV Performance and "Come What May"

Uncut Dance Sequences: See the Full Extent of the Choreography on Your Favourite Dance Numbers

Multi-Angles: Select Camera Angles for Tango, the Can-Can and Coup D`Etat
Trailers and more!
Offers 6 hours of bonus footage.

This is pretty good for the basic release. If only all distributors were so generous.

Conclusion

This was an exceptional experience in the cinema and what you bought your DVD player for! A touch nostalgic it harks back to the glorious period of musicals when everybody unashamedly started singing and dancing at the drop of a top hat.

The two stars are a revelation clearly enjoying the challenges of their roles. The support cast also throw themselves into it with great energy. If the rest of the film were rubbish it would be worth it to see Jim Broadbent performing the ultimate dance number ` Like a Virgin`.

The touch of the Director is all in this film. It is elaborately staged and may not appeal to those who prefer their drama more naturalistic but in a stylistic desert it offers very good value for money. What will Baz do next?