It's A Little Bit Funny

It is possible that my complete dependence and love of music is the main reason why...but the fact is that I absolutely LOVE Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! It is actually one of my favorite movies ever...(Shhh...you can actually hear my pop culture cred plummeting...oh well.) It is one of those movies that seems to have no middle ground as people either love it or hate it. Those who hate it don't just hate it...they seem to loathe it on the same level that I have come to loathe the little bitch who was crying on 60 minutes last night. (Naturally I didn't watch but I saw the highlights and all I have to say is Bullshit Bullshit Bullshit.) Nevertheless...I love this movie.

I remember seeing the previews for this movie while living in Las Vegas and having little desire to see it...in spite of the Luhrmann name on it. I only endedup seeing it because the movie that I wanted to see was sold out. Funny how things end up working out...something wonderful can come out of a pretty shitty situation. Anyway...I was gave in for one reason...it was a Baz Luhrmann flick. Even before this movie...Baz was (still is) my #2 movie man so I paid my $8.50 just to get in to go see what would become one of the most "spectacular" movies I have ever seen.

I was hooked in .2 seconds as the Fox Productions logo rolled out and the crazy little conductor started rocking out to the theme. (You will only understand this if you have seen the movie as Wikipedia makes no reference to it.)

SPOILER ALERT!

The plot was your typical love story...young man (Christian played by Ewan McGregor) falls in love with the beautiful but unobtainable and morally questionable woman (Satine played by Nicole Kidman). He wins her over and they love in secret...as the truth of their love would ruin their lives and lives of those around them. His jealously becomes unbearable...and they are discovered so she must break his heart in order to save him. As often the case in movies...true love conquers all and they are briefly reunited only for her to die in his arms at the end. All the while...their story is narrated by wonderful songs and filmed in cinematic greatness.

Okay so I said that it was the music that made me love the movie...so let's talk music. Here are the highlights...

- Early in the movie...Christian breaking out into the Sound of Music. It was so unexpected because of the song choice, because of the perfect fit for the plot, and because I never knew that Ewan could sing.

- The Moulin Rouge mix which included Lady Marmalade and Smells like Teen Spirit. It was also completely unexpected and under any other circumstances probably would have been like oil and vinegar. In this case...it was the perfect mix for the scene. The dancing was amazing...the costumes mesmerizing. I wanted to get up and dance along in the movie theater aisle.

- Christian serenading Satine with Your Song was probably the most romantic scene in movie history. I think that every woman in the theater fell in love with Christian at that moment. The dream-like sequence that accompanied the song was straight out of my heart. The dancing...the fireworks...the Eiffel Tower (my feelings regarding France aside).

- The Elephant Medley: This is where a lot of people are lost on the movie. I suppose on some level I understand why this made most music snobs cringe. Fortunately I am music lover and therefore thought that the mix was perfectly orchestrated and therefore all is well. It had everyone from Kiss to Frank Sinatra to U2 to Chris Isaak to Paul McCartney, ending with Elton John's Your Song. I think that it was the ripping off of All You Need is Love that really got the haters pissed but whatever. How Wonderful indeed....

- El Tango de Roxanne: The passion during this scene still gives me the chills. Ewan completely oozes with sexy emotion as he sings the line "Why does my heart cry? Feelings I can't fight! You're free to leave me but just don't deceive me." My heart still races when I watch this even though I know what is going to happen.

- The Show Must Go On...though the critics and disagree about the stars in this movie...I admit that this was Nicole Kidman's moment in this movie. As she put on her 'game face' and went to go break Christian's heart...I remember shedding a few tears for her. "Inside my heart is breaking, my make-up may be flaking but my smile still stays on." The situation is understandable and the scene tugged at the heartstrings.

- Hindi Sad Diamonds: The dancing...the song...the plot. Truly wonderful.

- The End Medley: See above line...truly wonderful. It was the quintessential good guys winning in the end...with song and dance! It was exciting and wonderful to see/hear Christian singing "My Gift is My Song" and Satine singing "I'll Fly Away" as the rest of the cast rejoices around them. Victory was theirs and for a split second I actually forgot that Satine was sick. (Damn it...I ended up bawling my eyes out and sometimes still do when I watch it for the hundredth time.)

The only two songs that were not 'borrowed' from another artist that were memorable were "One Day I'll Fly Away" and "Come What May". I can relate to the first one but I am not going to go into that song. It is the second song that I want to share.

So in the movie Satine is worried that Christian's jealously is growing too strong and that they need to end their affair...as she knows what she must do and knows that it will destroy the young man's heart. As she tries to end things, Christian desperately tries to talk her out of it. In the end, he tells her that he will write a song for just them that will remind them of their love when they are apart. Of course she gives in and the result is Come What May. Come What May is your typical love theme. I doubt that I would give it any though if it had been the theme to a less spectacular movie. It is what it is and I truly enjoy it. I enjoy it very much...but no line.

So as I reread this post...I realize that I have not even begun to capture the greatness of this movie. (I am running on two hours of sleep so cut me break.) Hopefully the highlights are enough to make you go watch it on your own if you haven't already seen it. Trust me...I dragged about a dozen people to go see it in the theater and then made about three dozen more people watch it with over and over once it came out on DVD. Out of everyone that I forced to watch it, only two hated it....so your odds are good for enjoyment.

I will close by asking you to consider this....how could a movie not be good with Nicole Kidman, Richard Roxburgh, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Kylie Minogue as "the green fairy" and John Leguizamo as a drawf? Think about it.