Moulin Rouge! (2001)
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A poet and a cabaret star find themselves entangled in a dangerous romance within the vibrant, decadent world of a turn-of-the-century Parisian nightclub.
The story
In 1899, a British poet named Christian arrives in the Montmartre district of Paris to join the Bohemian movement. He meets Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and his troupe of performers who are creating a play called Spectacular Spectacular. After helping them complete the play, the group goes to the Moulin Rouge, where Christian hopes to impress Satine, the star performer and courtesan. Satine's goal is to convince the club's proprietor, Harold Zidler, to let Christian write the show. However, Zidler is secretly negotiating with the wealthy and unscrupulous Duke of Monroth, who intends to take control of the club in exchange for funding.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1899, a poet named Christian falls for Satine, the star of the Moulin Rouge. While they fall in love, the proprietor, Harold Zidler, faces pressure from the Duke of Monroth to hand over the club. To protect the production, Zidler forces Satine to appear to be in a relationship with the Duke. Despite her illness, Satine and Christian share a secret song of love. On opening night, the Duke demands a different ending for their play. After a series of dramatic events, including a rescue from the Duke's advances, the truth of their love is revealed during a final performance. Following the show, Satine dies in Christian's arms, and he spends the next six months writing their story to ensure their love lives on.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 128
- Production countries
- Australia; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Baz Luhrmann
- Writers
- Baz Luhrmann · writer; Craig Pearce · writer
- Cast and characters
- Nicole Kidman · Satine; Ewan McGregor · Christian; John Leguizamo · Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec; Jim Broadbent · Harold Zidler; Richard Roxburgh · The Duke of Monroth
- Genres
- musical; romantic drama
- Themes
- forbidden love; artistic passion; sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- opulent; melodramatic; passionate
- Premise and plot tags
- period piece; musical; romance
- Content notes
- prostitution
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews, praised for its direction, cast performances, soundtrack, and production values. It was a commercial success and was highly regarded by critics and audiences alike.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 66 · scale: 100 · review count: 35; Rotten Tomatoes · score: 75% · scale: 100% · review count: 259
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Production Design · Won; Academy Award · Best Costume Design · Won; Golden Globe Award · Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy · Won
- Production trivia
- The film was the first musical to receive a Best Picture nomination since 1991.; The character of Satine was based on the French can-can dancer Jane Avril.; The film's production was delayed to allow more time in post-production.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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