Moulin Rouge !

Luhrmann's attempt to be original at all costs is perhaps a little too obvious, but nevertheless Moulin Rouge is a riveting, visually and musically impressive film. Nicole Kidman has never looked better and Ewan McGregor has a beautiful voice. (13/04/2003)

In the first fifteen minutes or so I was already saying that it is unbearably over-styled, tasteless, bullshit… and wasn’t far from turning it off. But then – and I didn’t notice exactly when it happened – I realised how much I was enjoying it. I don’t think I ever had such a total change of opinion while watching a film. I can’t provide a sufficiently reasonable explanation why I’m giving five stars to this piece of kitsch, but I just can’t help it. (21/08/2009)

Although the makers if this tried to remain on the brink of bearable and laughably bombastic kitsch soft porn, all too often this slips into a stupid, noisy (I don’t think there is one second of silence here or no scenes where someone isn’t jumping around, screaming, whistling etc.) patchwork full of cuts, certainly worthy of an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. However, once in a while it calms down and looks good, and so for instance during the tango or the live scene with Satine and Krystian, all of these criticisms move aside, because at these times Moulin Rouge is simply flawless. A shame that there aren’t more similarly powerful moments in this movie, but on the other hand there aren’t that few of them really. (28/12/2006)

Sometimes I tell myself that it's hardly possible for there to exist such a precisely balanced border between deafening noise and indescribable beauty. A highly romantic affair, in which a tremendous amount of tension lies hidden, led by my favorite film scene of all time: The hiding of the main couple, ingeniously built up to the perfect Because she doesn't love you! moment. The pinnacle of cinematography and the most emotionally captivating affair. Thank you, Mr. Luhrmann, for the best film I have ever seen. (23/12/2004)

A film based on quality music and actors and a love story. Full of color, lights, costumes, and enough dancing to leave you cross-eyed. The presentation is truly artistic and the story moving. Although I don't like pure romance, I have to admit that I shed a tear here. Moulin Rouge! is one of a kind. (26/04/2011)

A musical fairy tale about paying homage to the film century. The experience is, of course, deeper if one consciously perceives all the sources of inspiration. Viewers who only suspect something will only grope on the surface. The film features everything from de Toulouse-Lautrec, Méliès, Violetta, Monroe, Madonna, and Queen. Thank you, absinthe fairy. (04/02/2009)

You can expect many things from this film, but you’ll get something different. First of all, it’s worth mentioning the beautiful songs and the amazing performances; I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many likeable actors together. The opening part, playing on a very bold and fun note, blew me away, with its unique costumes, sets, choreographies, and then Nirvana's “Smeels Like Teen Spirit” kicks in – just a blast. The rest of the film is also conducted in the most original spirit and is a feast for the eyes and ears, but I didn't like the more romantic, sometimes a bit depressing part so much. It was still an enjoyable show, but the crazy beginning made a stronger impression. 80% (28/02/2012)

I've kept Moulin Rouge in my cupboard of unwatched films for a relatively long time and I'm glad I had the opportunity to see this musical classic on the big screen for the first time, where its qualities stood out all the more. From the very first minutes, we are thrown into a slightly maddening carousel of events interwoven with colourful costumes and sets, amazing singing and dancing sequences, and especially strong and convincing performances of a tragicomic nature. Of the ensemble cast, I was most impressed by Jim Broadbent and Nicole Kidman, who gave unforgettable and supremely plastic creations. I must also praise the plethora of interludes referring to various legendary songs, which surprisingly fit perfectly into the scenes, and the visuals and cinematography referring to different periods or genres of cinema. A film that is a feast for the senses and forms an unmissable gem within its genre. (13/11/2018)

An absolutely breathtaking spectacle from an editing standpoint, culminating in the incredible "Roxanne" sequence, which is an audiovisual work of art in its own right. For a generally commercial musical with an average shot length of around a second, Luhrmann has my sincere respect, but I guess that's where it ends. Most of the time, the whole concept was a walk through hell – creepy characters, horrible developments, incredibly stupid humor (three penis jokes, hohoho) or horrible plots and subplots built on mistaken identity and allegories. The film exploits each of these endlessly, and even this is not enough, so that after one of the plots is over, the film turns around and repeats it again (Satine and Christian breaking up)! Then, if during the musical numbers you also feel as if you've fallen asleep under a broken jukebox after a bottle of absinthe, with the top 20 most played songs playing over and over again, I welcome you to the therapy of "Moulin Rouge tried to beat me to death." During our first class, your therapy assignment will be to throw the camera through the spinning blades of the mill. We have 30 attempts at this, so you don't have to feel bad about it. The movie sure didn't feel bad about it. (01/11/2018)

Baz Luhrmann has an amazing ability to turn Moulin Rouge into an unusually intense, emotional, "original", (non-)kitsch spectacle that is just very hard not to succumb to. And I loved the grace with which Moulin Rouge teeters on the edge between total kitsch and riveting emotional spectacle. The choreography, the sets, the costumes, the music, the boldness and inventiveness of the direction, the hauntingly beautiful Nicole Kidman... plainly and simply the prototype of a film that can provide an intense emotional experience from beginning to end. A year earlier, Lars von Trier also made a wannabe musical "his own way", which I coincidentally also gave full marks. The difference is that I was still quite nauseous for a few days after Dancer in the Dark and to this day I have no desire for a second viewing. With this film, I know I will want to watch it again very soon and I definitely won't be nauseous in the "Trier" sense :-) (08/08/2013)

Je crois que j’ai vu ce film pour la première fois à la télévision à l’âge de quinze ans, et comme il se doit à cet âge sentimental, j’ai fondu en larmes. Le lendemain, j’avais déjà la bande originale en MP3 et pendant les six mois qui ont suivi, je n’ai rien écouté d’autre. Près de quinze ans plus tard, ayant vieilli d’autant, j’ai eu l’occasion de voir Moulin Rouge sur grand écran dans le cadre de l’offre musicale du festival LFŠ 2018. Mon amour pour ce film est manifestement indéfectible, car même si je l’avais déjà vu une cinquantaine de fois, je me suis amusé comme jamais. L’ambiance dans l’auditorium était incroyable et il était clair que j’étais entourée de fans partageant les mêmes opinions. J’en veux pour preuve les applaudissements qui ont suivi la scène avec « Like a Virgin ». Un autre moment incroyable a été celui où le duc, jusqu’alors naïf et aveugle, réalise que Christian et Satine sont amoureux : beaucoup de gens dans le public ont alors sursauté d’horreur, et j’ai pensé qu’il y avait des chanceux qui n’avaient pas encore vu le film et que cela me rendait un peu jalouse. J’ai adoré cette aventure colorée, kitsch et pompeuse, j’en ai savouré chaque instant, chantant chaque chanson dans ma tête, tapant du pied sur chaque rythme, riant aux scènes loufoques et versant une larme à « Your Song », quand, aux premières secondes de la magnifique interprétation de Christian, Satine se tait enfin et que le Paris nocturne s’illumine. De quoi faire encore l’éloge ? Le parfait mélange de chansons, brillamment interprétées ? Les grandes performances des acteurs, qui sont à la fois émouvantes et divertissantes ? Les superbes chorégraphies de danse ? Les costumes et les décors ? J’aimerais pouvoir donner une note encore plus élevée, car Moulin Rouge est parfait et spectaculaire à tous points de vue, et j’ai hâte de le revoir. (04/09/2018)

The first half hour or so of the movie is perhaps the biggest mixture of bizarreness and gaudiness in the history of film. Although I generally don't mind kitsch in movies, here it was a bit too much for my taste. The only saving grace of the movie are its two leads, McGregor and Kidman, and great songs. Otherwise it’s disappointing, perhaps also because I was expecting a lot more. (11/02/2016)