Moulin Rouge! Movie Review (2001)

A dazzling fever dream, Moulin Rouge!, about a poor writer who falls in love with a courtesan in France, is full of amazing music, colors, and style.

I watched this movie when it first came out in theaters in 2001, but I only saw it that once. Then, when a version of Moulin Rouge! got produced on Broadway in 2018 and toured in Chicago last year, I saw it with my family. The production on stage is a juke-box musical, including hit after hit from the radio, but I didn’t remember that quite being the case in the film from 25 years ago. It felt like it was time to watch it again.

Moulin Rouge! is about Christian, a poor writer who believes in love over all other things. He has arrived in France to be part of the Bohemian scene. Having been introduced to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and his band of performers in wild fashion, he agrees to help them complete a play. They then devise a ploy for Christian to show off his talents to the main courtesan, Satine, at the Moulin Rouge cabaret so that she will convince the owner of the theater, Harold Zidler, to give them work. Unbeknownst to the troupe, the Moulin Rouge is suffering financially, and Zidler has asked Satine to seduce the rich Duke of Monroth on the same night, so that he might fund the theater.

Moulin Rouge! is a lavish kaleidoscope of visuals and stylistic choices that are often over-the-top and also completely satisfying. Directed by Baz Luhrmann in a style all his own, it feels like sensory overload, but lands as an artistic experience that makes you feel like you are watching a live-action painting. It is someone’s reality, but you’ve never been invited into it before, so everything is jaw-droppingly exquisite.

The film opens on a theater stage, with a conductor and large curtains parting, signaling that this will be a performance. Again, this film was made long before the Broadway show, so it’s unmistakable how Luhrmann originally viewed this masterpiece.

There are many bits of familiar music scattered throughout the film, including “The Sound Of Music,” “Like A Virgin,” and “Your Song,” but the absolute standout piece is “Roxanne.” At a point in the movie where Satine is expected to seduce the Duke, while Christian wallows in jealousy, a dancer discusses what it is to feel all of the feelings while knowing your love is selling her body a la “Roxanne.” When you watch the movie, keep an eye out for this gut-wrenching scene. The dark visuals, cracking tango, and layered gravely/tenor voices are spectacular. I bookmarked it on YouTube so that I can revisit it often. (Who knew that Ewan McGregor could sing like that??)

Moulin Rouge! is like watching Mardi Gras circus acts with theatricality, and I am here for every moment of it. Between the music, the voices, the visuals, and the frenetic energy, this is a unique way to show that the show must always go on.

Runtime: 127 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: PG-13

Languages Spoken In The Film: English

Should You Watch It? Yes

Did I Cry? I did not

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Available: Free on Netflix, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms