“Moulin Rouge!” is a musical built around the idea that pop songs are timeless and that love can only exist in extremes. The movie wants to be a celebration of romance, but it keeps leaning on the wrong kind of excess. It is a film about passion that mistakes volume for feeling.
Trailer, via 20th Century Studios.
The Story
Christian (Ewan McGregor) is a writer who moves to Paris hoping to find inspiration. He falls in love with Satine (Nicole Kidman), a courtesan at the Moulin Rouge who pretends to be a commoner named Henriette. Harold (John Leguizamo) is the pimp who controls the club, and he wants Satine for himself. Christian writes a book about the experience, and the story is told through the songs he picks to describe it.
Kidman’s Performance
Nicole Kidman carries the film. She plays Satine with a mix of fragility and strength that makes her believable as both a performer and a woman caught between two men. Her scenes with McGregor are the best parts of the movie, even when the script around them is weak.
The Songs
The songs are the reason most people see this film. They are mostly pop hits from the past thirty years, arranged to fit the story’s mood. Some of them work better than others.
- “Nature Boy” — a slow, sad opening that sets the tone well
- “Like a Virgin” — a fun, silly moment that feels out of place
- “Ride Like the Wind” — a quiet song that shows McGregor’s range
- “Diamonds Are Forever” — a bold, over-the-top number that fits the Moulin Rouge setting
- “Lady Marmalade” — a strong performance from the cast
What Works
The energy is real. The dancers are sharp. The costumes are bright. The set design is elaborate. All of this is directed with confidence, even when the story underneath is thin.
What Doesn’t Work
The plot is thin. Christian’s book is a device for explaining why the songs are playing, but the story itself doesn’t earn the songs. The ending rushes through a resolution that feels rushed and unsatisfying after everything that came before it.
The film also leans too heavily on spectacle. Big dance numbers and bright colors can cover a lot of mistakes, but they cannot fix a story that does not care enough about its characters.
The Musical Form
The film borrows from classic Hollywood musicals, but it is not a remake of any of them. It is closer to a modern pop concert than to a traditional story told in song. That choice is fine, but it means the film has to work harder to make its emotional points.
Comparing the Numbers
| Song | Mood | Fit |
|---|---|---|
| “Nature Boy” | Sad | Sets the tone well |
| “Like a Virgin” | Silly | Out of place |
| “Ride Like the Wind” | Quiet | Shows McGregor’s range |
| “Diamonds Are Forever” | Bold | Fits the Moulin Rouge setting |
| “Lady Marmalade” | Strong | A standout performance |
The Final Word
“Moulin Rouge!” is a film with ambition and style. It knows how to use music to create atmosphere, and it knows how to make a scene look beautiful. But it never quite connects emotionally. The story stays shallow while the songs get deeper.
This is a film to watch once, for the spectacle and the songs. It is not a film to return to, because the problems are too large to ignore.
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