|
Cross LA BOHÈME with CABARET,
throw in a little bit of RENT,
and you might almost begin to
describe Baz Luhrmann's visually
opulent, fast-paced, funny,
heartrending MOULIN ROUGE. The
film, which premiered as the
opener to the 2001 Cannes Film
Festival, is a musical set in
1899 Paris at the notorious
Montmartre cabaret club, the
Moulin Rouge. Directed by Baz
Luhrmann (WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S
ROMEO AND JULIET, STRICTLY BALLROOM),
the movie stars Nicole Kidman
as the high-kicking courtesan,
Satine; Ewan McGregor as the
sensitive poet, Christian; and
John Leguizamo as the flamboyant
artist and matchmaker, Toulouse-Lautrec.
Luhrmann's use of eclectic lighting
and saturated color, the fast
zooms and quick cuts of his
camera, and his magnificent
costumes and sets perfectly
capture the excess and freneticism
for which the Moulin Rouge was
famous. Beautifully led by McGregor
and Kidman, the flawless supporting
cast brings to life the culture
of belle époque Paris with magical
realism. Above all, the anachronistic,
energetic contemporary soundtrack
is what drives MOULIN ROUGE,
with popular songs by L'il Kim,
Christina Aguilera, David Bowie,
and Beck--as well as Kidman
and McGregor adding their own
superb vocals.
|
Posters,
Prints 
