Moulin Rouge! (2001) (1 Viewer)

[Carlo_M]

It is one thing to say that you didn't like it enough to walk out on the movie, but it's another thing to make a generalization like "Very Predictable" without seeing the whole thing.

Speaking of predictability, isn't it said that there's only so many original stories? And that everything else is a retelling or mixing of those stories?

To me, it's not about originality or predictability. To be honest I can predict most endings whenever I watch them for the first time. But it's not about the ending, it's how we get there. For me at least.

 

[Vickie_M]

Speaking of predictability, isn't it said that there's only so many original stories? And that everything else is a retelling or mixing of those stories?

Yes, and especially this one, since it's a re-working of theater and opera conventions. Opera is full of "boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, something Major comes between them, everybody sings a lot, then the girl dies" stories. Sure it's a predictable storyline, but it's a solid chestnut, and the fun comes from the trappings surrounding the story. If Luhrmann's trappings were "predictable" then I'd like to know where the viewer bought his palantir because I want one too. No way could I have forseen a bunch of rich old greedy-for-sin geezers belting out "here we are now, entertain us" to the deviant denizens of the Moulin Rouge. I was practically on the floor in shock and laughter!!

One other thought on the use of popular music in the film...

Someone on another forum gave a short explanation to the concept of a "Pastiche opera." I know very little about opera, but Baz is a longtime opera fan and once I heard this definition, I realized that Moulin Rouge is a 21st Century Pastiche opera for film.

> Pastiche opera

> It was an opera genre in the 18th and 19th

> centuries that combined popular arias from

> several different operas into a new one;

> one with its own plot derived from

> the combination of the borrowed works.

A search of "Pastiche opera" on Google confirms this definition. Baz knew what he was doing, every step of the way.

 

[LisaH]

I knew from the moment I saw the conducting of the Fox music that I was going to love this movie - I wasn't wrong. Moulin Rouge was the #1 movie of 2001 for me - for the last couple of years actually.

 

[Mikael Soderholm]

my wife and I watched 1/2 the movie and turned it off. ...
VERY predictable.

So, how do you know if your prediction was correct if you only saw half the movie ?
I'm so glad I caught this at a theater, I very rarely go these days...
Although I had an idea what I was about to see, I was absolutely floored. It was like being inside a fireworks show for two hours, and when it ended, all I could say was 'One more time, please!'
I have watched it several times at home since (it is a great DVD) and it is still just as powerful.
My expericene was similar to Dana's, when they were in the elephant, suddenly I started hearing Bowie's "Heroes" (one of my favorite songs by my favorite artist) inside my head and BANG, there it was

I couldn't beleive my ears (nor eyes). Powerful stuff!
And Nicole, WOW, how can you not love this woman.
I know a movie can not become a classic until it has had time to age and mature, but I do think Moulin Rouge will become one.

 

[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

I mentioned this in a previous post as well, but Moulin Rouge actually comes closer to ballad opera than pastiche opera. Ballad opera took modern popular songs out of bars and off of street corners and used them in conventional stories.

Sadly, I doubt that Luhrman is aware of this. He doesn't mention it in any of the disc's material that I've seen, and he's way too full of himself to know about it and not tell us that he knows about it.

 

[Tino]

:b :star: :star: :star: :star:

That about sums up the wonderful emotions that Moulin Rouge brought out in me.

 

[Adrian D]

My wife wanted to watch this really bad, and finally I gave in. So, we rent the DVD, get home, open the case, and instead of Moulin Rouge, it was "A Knight's Tale". I was sort of relieved, because I didn't want to watch this "girly" flick. Anyway, Knight's Tale was horrible. So, a couple of weeks later, my wife rents Moulin Rouge again (free of course), and I'm still dreading it. We are watching it, and I can't believe it, but I REALLY like this movie. I didn't do a check on my nads or anything, but it really caught me by suprise. One of the best flicks that I've seen in a while.

 

[Craig Brandstetter]

Ah come on. You know you guys that liked it questioned your manhood just a little.
BTW, that wink was ment to be a "you know what I mean wink" and not a "you look mighty cute in those tight jeans wink.

Seriously though, I could see how somebody that "liked musicals" might hate Moulin Rouge. It's really not a typical musical.
-Craig

 

[Ron-P]

I hate threads like these I just watched Moulin Rouge, again, last night, for like the 19th time. Now I want to watch it again tonight.
Peace Out~

 

[Vickie_M]

Tino, LOVE the smilies! That's the best use of smilies I've ever seen. All I can say is...ditto!

Andrew:

Sadly, I doubt that Luhrman is aware of this. He doesn't mention it in any of the disc's material that I've seen, and he's way too full of himself to know about it and not tell us that he knows about it.

I can't comment, as I haven't listened to any of the commentary on the DVD, or seen/read any interviews with Luhrmann concerning the film. Not even the extras on the DVD. Yet. (I know, I know, but the movie sucks me in and there goes the time!)

 

[Vickie_M]

:frowning:
I just read on Alex Fung's web page that Craig Armstrong's score for Moulin Rouge is NOT ELIGIBLE for an Oscar nomination! I knew the song "Come What May" was not eligible, but I thought the score would be. I hadn't heard this about the score before. Damn!
Link Removed

 

[Bruce Hedtke]

Count me in as one who also flat out loved the film. The first 20 minutes completely blew me away and I was catching my breath the rest of the film.

Vickie, that's a shame. I know it played heavily off modern music, but that doesn't mean it wasn't done in an original manner. I thought it was a brilliant touch.

Bruce

 

[Dana Fillhart]

I'm angry too, but I actually predicted the exact reason that MR's score might be inelibible.
It's a shame, I absolutely *love* the end credits song. *Sigh*...at least I can root for Shore's score for LotR:FotR, and Eithne's song, May It Be, with a clear conscience.
--
Dana

 

[ScottH]

Man, I just don't get the praise everyone gives this movie. I can't think of any specific quality about the film that made me not like it, other than the fact that I was bored out of my mind for two hours. The only reason I watched it all the way to the end was in hope that a good ending would at least keep me from walking away with a bad taste in my mouth...that didn't happen. As a musical, Hedwig And The Angry Inch was MUCH better.

 

[Rod Melotte]

You and me ScottH. I love musicals and have been in 5 in my life. Just didn't do it for me. The story was just lame. Costumes were nice but little else moved me. I liked the idea but they didn't pull it off FOR ME!

Is it a good movie? Sure but it SURE should not get so much praise. I think it does because it dared to bend the rules and was actually different then a standard movie.

Thus - it's a good thing it was made. I hope there will be more of it's kind. I think the public is ready for more musicals.

 

[MartyD]

For me another great feature of this movie was the many levels of it. First you have yourself as the audience in a theater, then you have the movie opening with a scene in a theater where the conductor conducts the orchestra and the curtain opens. Next level is the actual foreground story with the writer and finally you have the play that is performed in the story. To top it off, there is playfullness between these layers as things that happen in the story echo in the play and vice versa. Aside from all the other wonderfull things happening in this movie, this was just what convinced me that this was pure magic. Not that it had not been done before but the way it is used here just brings everything together perfectly.

Great, great movie.

 

[mark_d]

Just watched this for the second time last night with the father-in-law. MartyD hit the nail on the head. Pure magic. And better the second time around.

As I said to the in-law afterwards, I will sit through hours and hours of shit in the hope that I'll witness (experience?) a magical, electrifying moment like the medley on the elphant.

Funnily enough, the last movie to hit the spot dead on like this was Unbreakable, another movie that pretty much defines the term "you'll either love it or hate it".

Escapism is what I'm into, and escapism gets no better than Moulin Rouge. Best film I've seen in a long, long while.

Mark

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Pure magic is a good description. As for the closing credit score, the second CD (due out next Tuesday) lists them as:
Closing Credits - Bolero
So maybe Craig didn't write the music??? Bolero, huh? I still can't wait for the CD!
As for the magic of MR, you get it or you don't. Like lots of movies. But one thing is for certain, it isn't a churned-out piece of Hollywood crap just looking for your money! This summer, that was worth a lot to me
Take care,
Chuck

 

[Dana Fillhart]

I think Bolero is a particular class of music -- Italian class, I think. And while I don't think the piece is unique in general, I think Armstrong gave it his own flavor.
I gotta do a little research on it, seeing as I love the song so much.
/me puts on headphones, starts up "Bolero", cranks up the volume...

 

[Scott Weinberg]

On the DVD commentary, Baz states that the end credits music is indeed entitled "Bolero" and that it was written by a guy named Steve Sharples.
Hey Dana! My computer crashed last week and I lost the file! :frowning: