Why Moulin Rouge remains a divisive masterpiece 25 years after its release

This is the latest instalment in our From the Vault feature series, in which we reflect on culturally significant movies celebrating notable anniversaries. Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge turns 25 this month and remains as divisive as when it first came out. The film is so gleefully over the top that you wonder why the title’s official stylisation – Moulin Rouge! – is limited to just one exclamation mark. Blending Bollywood, Broadway, old Hollywood and MTV stylings, the final part of the Australian director’s Red Curtain Trilogy – following Strictly Ballroom (1992) and Romeo + Juliet (1996) – is a postmodern love letter to cut-and-paste cinematic camp. Whether you love it, hate it or find yourself veering deliriously between the two, it is an experience you are unlikely to forget. Luhrmann and his long-term co-writer Craig Pearce, you sense, would not have it any other way. Set in Montmartre, Paris – also the backdrop for Amélie (2001) – in 1900, it tells of the doomed romance that blossoms between penniless writer Christian (Ewan McGregor) and Moulin Rouge dancer/courtesan Satine (Nicole Kidman). Or as Luhrmann, pitching the role to Kidman, put it: “I have a role. She sings, she dances and then she dies.” A mere plot précis hardly does justice to the film’s exuberant style. The soundtrack blends pimped-out pop songs (Bowie, Madonna, The Police), original compositions (most notably “Come What May”) and musical mash-ups – “Elephant Love Medley” alone combines works by The Beatles, U2 and Dolly Parton, among others. Meanwhile, McGregor, Kidman and company – including Jim Broadbent, John Leguizamo and a Kylie Minogue cameo – sing, dance and emote their way to fever pitch. McGregor and Kidman share genuine chemistry, which easily covers any gaps in McGregor’s vocal ability. Apparently, Leonardo DiCaprio (star of Romeo + Juliet), Ethan Hawke and Heath Ledger all read for Christian – with the latter deemed too young. Hole frontwoman Courtney Love also auditioned for Kidman’s part, granting rights to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” – something it is hard to imagine her late husband Kurt Cobain agreeing to. During filming in Sydney, McGregor started working on Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones at the same studio, so cast members would frequently see him wandering about with his lightsaber. Kidman broke her ribs – twice – and tore cartilage in her knee during her “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” number. “I kept dancing,” she said. “I thought I had pulled a muscle.” At times, viewers may feel similarly punished. Luhrmann’s direction is so hyperactive that there is never enough time to take anything in. From the exquisite costumes to the vibrant choreography, it all gets squeezed into the same weightless swirl. While there is something undeniably intoxicating about the endless jazz-handing in Moulin Rouge, it is also exhausting – the film is so desperate to hold your attention, it forgets to keep your interest. The best moments, then, are the quiet ones, with Christian and Satine declaring their feelings as the lights dance in their eyes. Kidman’s rooftop solo, “One Day I’ll Fly Away”, is particularly affecting. Upon release, audiences fell in love too, with the film grossing US$179.2 million worldwide and racking up eight Oscar nominations, ultimately winning two: best art direction (now best production design) and best costume design. Two soundtrack albums followed, with the first containing the international smash hit “Lady Marmalade”, performed by Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink. The film was later adapted for the stage – perhaps its most natural home – in 2018 and spoofed by the Muppets, who offered up their very own Moulin Scrooge. Today, the film is best remembered for two things. Firstly, it marked the emergence of Kidman as a genuine star. Her marriage to Tom Cruise had just finished, and Satine, as Luhrmann told cinema.com, “shows her as audiences have never seen her before. If this was a circus high-wire act, she walked the wire without a net.” One of those Oscar nominations was deservedly hers, and she would go on to win the award the following year for The Hours. “It’s just gorgeous,” she said of her time on Moulin Rouge. “It’s such a great thing to share. I always say this: when you get to share something like that together, it’s yours forever.” But it remains, perhaps, a bittersweet marker for Luhrmann, whose work has rarely captured the public imagination in the same way again. He received mixed notices for 2008’s Australia (also starring Kidman) and 2013’s overengineered The Great Gatsby, although 2022’s Elvis found more favour with critics. At the film’s end, Christian declares it to be “a story about a time, a story about a place, a story about the people. But most importantly, a story about love.” For better or worse, it feels like a story about Luhrmann and his irrepressible style. “I don’t know if there can be such an experience again,” McGregor told GQ magazine. “The scale of it. I love Baz because he dreams big.” You can say that again. Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook

Why Moulin Rouge remains a divisive masterpiece 25 years after its release

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Whether you love it, hate it or veer deliriously between the two, Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 romantic musical is an experience you don’t forget

Whether you love it, hate it or veer deliriously between the two, Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 romantic musical is an experience you don’t forget