Ever Glorious: The Front Line Letters of the Crookenden Brothers, 1936 -46
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The Crookenden brothers - Henry, Napier and Spencer - were born into a military dynasty. Their...
Summer Farms: Seasonal Exploitation of the Uplands from Prehistory to the Present
John Collis, Mark Pearce and Franco Nicolis
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Summer farms occur throughout the world where there are rich pastures that can only be utilised for...
Time, Space & Material: The Mechanics of Layering in Architecture
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This book examines the application of the principle of layering in architecture, its mechanics,...
A Seeker After Truths: The Life and Times of G. A. Studdert Kennedy ('Woodbine Willie') 1883-1929
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Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy became one of the most famous army chaplains of the First World War,...
The Art of Joy
Anne Milano Appel and Goliarda Sapienza
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Goliarda Sapienza's The Art of Joy was written over a nine year span, from 1967 to 1976. At the time...
Athens from 1920 to 1940: A True and Just Account of How History Was Enveloped by a Modern City and the Place Became an Event
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During the short interwar period of the early 20th century, Athens entered into a process of...
Smashbomb (4683 KP) created a post in Smashbomb Council
Dec 3, 2020
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Moulin Rouge! (2001) in Movies
Apr 15, 2020
Yes...it's that good.
Set at the turn of the century (the 19th to the 20th century) during the Bohemian Revolution in Paris, MOULIN ROUGE tells the tale of the...you guessed it...the Moulin Rouge theater/club where a young writer (Ewan McGregor) gets pulled into the lives of the artists and others trying to make a living, falling in love with a young courtesan, Satine (Nicole Kidman) all under the watchful eye of Harold Zidler (Jim Broadbent).
But it is not the story, but the telling of the story that sets this film apart. It is chaotic, wild, colorful, sexy, grimy, loving, alcoholic and spectacular - all things that not only describe this film, but the Moulin Rouge itself. Directer Baz Luhrman really shines in his vision of this picture that juxtaposes colorful sets and costumes, unique characters and songs and dance and music that tells the tale in a a unique way.
Oh...did I mention that most of this music is MODERN music? From Elton John's YOUR SONG to Roger's and Hammerstein's THE SOUND OF MUSIC to LADY MARMALADE to the ingenious use of Sting's ROXANNE (in a tango scene no less), this film is an amalgam of song that fits each scene perfectly. At what first seems incongruous, upon further viewings, the songs are slyly picked to accent the emotions and dramatic purpose of each scene.
As for the acting, McGregor and Kidman are beautifully cast (pun intended) as the young lovers. Their good looks radiate across the screen and I thought they had great chemistry. John Leguzamo and the other "Bohemians" pop in and out and are uniquely outrageous without being annoying. Richard Roxburgh's antagonist, "the Duke", came across in this viewing as not nearly as annoying as I have found him to be previously. Maybe there is more to this character/performance than meets the eye.
But it is Jim Broadbent's portrayal of the Master Shoman, Harold Zidler, that steals this film for me. He is a cunning and ingenious showman who (more than once) proves that he will stop at nothing for the "show to go on", but there are many notes to Zidler, at once in control and at the same time trying to KEEP control of events spiraling out of his control that actually shows a desperate man doing whatever he can to survive.
Add all these ingredients up and you have a film that gets deeper and richer with each subsequent viewing. I have yet to get tired of this film - and I am looking forward to the next time I immerse myself into this world.
Letter Grade: A +
10 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Henri Matisse: A Second Life
Book
Henri Matisse by Alastair Sooke - an essential guide to one of the 20th century's greatest artists...
Smashbomb (4683 KP) Dec 7, 2020
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) Dec 7, 2020