I'm not really sure what inspired me to watch Moulin Rouge. Maybe Netflix recommended it to me. I didn't know anything about it except that it was a musical and I don't really care for musicals. But I watched it anyway. Besides the much singing, the movie was tragi-comic.
The filmmakers have indicated that the plot was informed by both the Orpheus myth and a Bollywood film they'd recently seen. The Bollywood influence accounts for the melodramatic acting and overblown scenarios. The connection to Greek mythology explains why the main character, Christian, (=Orpheus, played by Ewan McGregor) sings popular modern songs even though the setting is Paris in the late 1800s.[1]
Christian leaves a life of comfort to become a "bohemian artist" and discover true love. His quest leads him to a brothel, the titular Moulin Rouge (=Hades), where he meets Satine (=Euridyce, played by Nicole Kidman). He pits his love and music against the financial security offered by a rival for Satine, "The Duke". Thus Mouline Rouge is a little more complex than the Orpheus myth in that Satine has a choice whether or not to stay in the underworld.
My verdict: Too flashy and artsy for my taste. Near the beginning there is a completely pointless scene where several characters drink absinthe and hallucinate.[2] Despite updating a classical Greek myth, the plot was still predictable. Screenit, kids-in-mind, and the MPAA all missed that Nicole Kidman was briefly topless in one scene. Based on that alone I'd recommend that you avoid this movie.
Notes:
[1] That still bugged me, though—especially since they picked a few songs that I hate, like "Your Song" by Elton John.
[2] Though it's not absinthe, you should check out my recipe for Brazilian lemonade.
The filmmakers have indicated that the plot was informed by both the Orpheus myth and a Bollywood film they'd recently seen. The Bollywood influence accounts for the melodramatic acting and overblown scenarios. The connection to Greek mythology explains why the main character, Christian, (=Orpheus, played by Ewan McGregor) sings popular modern songs even though the setting is Paris in the late 1800s.[1]
Christian leaves a life of comfort to become a "bohemian artist" and discover true love. His quest leads him to a brothel, the titular Moulin Rouge (=Hades), where he meets Satine (=Euridyce, played by Nicole Kidman). He pits his love and music against the financial security offered by a rival for Satine, "The Duke". Thus Mouline Rouge is a little more complex than the Orpheus myth in that Satine has a choice whether or not to stay in the underworld.
My verdict: Too flashy and artsy for my taste. Near the beginning there is a completely pointless scene where several characters drink absinthe and hallucinate.[2] Despite updating a classical Greek myth, the plot was still predictable. Screenit, kids-in-mind, and the MPAA all missed that Nicole Kidman was briefly topless in one scene. Based on that alone I'd recommend that you avoid this movie.
Notes:
[1] That still bugged me, though—especially since they picked a few songs that I hate, like "Your Song" by Elton John.
[2] Though it's not absinthe, you should check out my recipe for Brazilian lemonade.
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