Sunday 16 February 2014

Moulin Rouge


And talking of Nicole Kidman I cannot believe i have not done a proper review before of Moulin Rouge 2001 the musical with Ewan McGregor and Jim Broadbent and about which I have something of what can be described as a history although I never visited the existing theatre club on any of my visits to Paris. The history is also in the form firm of the bohemian lifestyle which i hankered and never achieved, even in later life as artmanjosepgrech.

 
Now to the film which includes more well known tracks and several other musical films   put together,



"Nature Boy" – Toulouse
"The Sound of Music/Children of the Revolution" – Christian, The Bohemians, and the Green Fairy
"Lady Marmalade"/"Zidler's Rap (The Can-Can)"/"Smells Like Teen Spirit" – Zidler, Moulin Rouge Dancers, and Patrons
"Sparkling Diamonds"/"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"/"Material Girl" – Satine and Moulin Rouge Dancers
"Rhythm of the Night" – Valeria
"Your Song" – Christian
"The Pitch (Spectacular)" – Zidler, Christian, Satine, The Duke, and Bohemians
"One Day I'll Fly Away" – Satine
"Elephant Love Medley" – Christian and Satine
"Greek" – Satine
"Like a Virgin" – Zidler, The Duke, and Chorus Boys
"Come What May" – Christian, Satine, and Cast of Spectacular Spectacular
"El Tango de Roxanne" – The Argentine, Christian, Satine, and Moulin Rouge Dancers
"Fool to Believe" – Satine and Zidler
"The Show Must Go On" – Zidler, Satine, and Moulin Rouge Stagehands
"Hindi Sad Diamonds" – Nini Legs-in-the-Air, Satine, and the Cast of Spectacular Spectacular
"Come What May (Reprise)" – Satine and Christian
"Coup d'État (Finale)" – Cast of Spectacular Spectacular
"Nature Boy (Reprise)" – Toulouse


The following is a partial list of songs featured in the film along with the artist that popularized them.

"Nature Boy" – Nat King Cole, covered by David Bowie and remixed by Massive Attack for the soundtrack.
"The Sound of Music" – Mary Martin (and later by Julie Andrews) (from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical of the same name, featuring overdubbed theremin played by Bruce Woolley)
"The Lonely Goatherd" – also from The Sound of Music (but heard as instrumental)
"Lady Marmalade" – Labelle, covered for the film, by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa, Missy Elliott, and Pink)
"Because We Can" – Fatboy Slim
"Complainte de la Butte" – Georges Van Parys and Jean Renoir covered by Rufus Wainwright
"Diamond Dogs" – David Bowie covered for the film by Beck.
"Galop Infernal (Can-can)" – Jacques Offenbach (tune for Spectacular, Spectacular)
"Gorecki" – Lamb
"Roxanne" – The Police (Title in film: "El Tango de Roxanne", combined with music "Tanguera" by Mariano Mores)
"Tanguera" – Mariano Mores (Title in film: "El Tango de Roxanne", combined with music "Roxanne" by The Police)
"Chamma Chamma" – Alka Yagnik (Incorporated in the film song titled "Hindi Sad Diamonds"; originally performed by Alka Yagnik in the 1998 Hindi film China Gate, composed by Anu Malik.


Elephant Love Medley
The following is a list of songs featured in the medley, along with the names of the writers and singers of the original.
"Love is Like Oxygen" by Sweet – Andy Scott and Trevor Griffin
"One More Night" by Phil Collins – Phil Collins
"Pride" by U2 – U2
"Heroes" by David Bowie – David Bowie
"I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton and later Whitney HoustonDolly Parton
"Your Song" by Elton John – Elton John and Bernie Taupin




The "Elephant Love Medley" also contains additional original lyrics that are unattributed


.In the year 1900, a depressed British writer named Christian begins writing on his typewriter ("Nature Boy"). One year earlier, Christian moved to the Montmartre district of Paris to become a writer among members of the area's Bohemian movement. He encounters performers led by Toulouse-Lautrec; his writing skills allow them to finish their proposed show, "Spectacular Spectacular", that they wish to sell to Harold Zidler, owner of the Moulin Rouge. The group arrives at the Moulin Rouge as Zidler and his "Diamond Dog Dancers" perform for the audience ("Lady Marmalade/Zidler's Rap (Can Can)/Smells Like Teen Spirit"). Toulouse arranges for Christian to see Satine, the star courtesan, in her private quarters to present the work, unaware that Zidler is promising Satine to the wealthy and unscrupulous Duke of Monroth, a potential investor in the cabaret ("Sparkling Diamonds" medley).




Satine mistakes Christian for the Duke, and dances with him before retiring to her private chamber with him to discuss things privately ("Rhythm of the Night), but soon learns he is just a writer; by this time Christian has fallen in love with her ("Your Song"). The Duke interrupts them; Christian and Satine claim they were practicing lines for "Spectacular Spectacular". With Zidler's help, Toulouse and the rest of the troupe pitch the show to the Duke with an improvised plot about an evil maharajah attempting to woo an Indian courtesan who loves a poor sitar player ("The Pitch (Spectacular Spectacular)"). The Duke backs the show on the condition that only he may see Satine. Satine contemplates on Christian and her longing to leave the Moulin Rouge to become "a real actress" ("One Day I'll Fly Away"). Christian goes back to Satine to convince her that she loves him ("Elephant Love Medley"). As the cabaret is converted to a theatre, Christian and Satine continue seeing each other under the pretence of rehearsing Satine's lines. The Duke becomes jealous and warns Zidler that he may stop financing the show; Zidler arranges for Satine to dine with the Duke that evening, but she falls ill from tuberculosis ("Górecki"). Zidler makes excuses to the Duke, claiming that Satine has gone to confession ("Like a Virgin"). Zidler learns that Satine does not have long to live. Satine tells Christian that their relationship endangers the show, but he counters by writing a secret love song to affirm their love ("Come What May").




As the Duke watches Christian rehearsing with Satine, Nini, a jealous performer, points out that the play is a metaphor for Christian, Satine and the Duke. Enraged, the Duke demands the ending be changed so that the courtesan ends up with the maharajah; Satine offers to spend the night with the Duke to keep the original ending. At the Duke's quarters, Satine sees Christian on the streets below, and realizes she cannot go through with this ("El Tango de Roxanne: "Roxanne/Tanguera"). The Duke tries to rape her, but she is saved by Le Chocolat, one of the cabaret dancers, and reunited with Christian, who urges her to run away with him. The Duke tells Zidler he will have Christian killed if Satine is not his. Zidler reiterates this warning to Satine, but when she refuses to return, he finally informs her she is dying ("A Fool to Believe"). Satine tells Christian they can no longer see each other as she will be staying with the Duke ("The Show Must Go On"). Christian tries following her, but is denied entry to the Moulin Rouge, and becomes depressed, even though Toulouse insists that Satine loves him.




The night of the show, Christian sneaks into the Moulin Rouge, intending to pay Satine to return his love just as the Duke paid for her ("Hindi Sad Diamonds"). He catches Satine before she steps on stage and demands she tell him she does not love him. Suddenly they find themselves in the spotlight; Zidler convinces the audience that Christian is the disguised sitar player. Christian denounces Satine and walks off the stage. From the rafters, Toulouse cries out, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return", spurring Satine to sing the song Christian wrote to express their love. Christian returns to the stage, joining her in the song. The Duke's bodyguard tries to kill Christian, but is thwarted, while the Duke's own attempt is stopped by Zidler. The Duke storms out of the cabaret as Christian and Satine complete their song ("Come What May (Reprise)", "Coup d'État (Finale)").
After the curtain closes, Satine succumbs to tuberculosis. She and Christian affirm their love before she dies. A year later the Moulin Rouge has closed down, and Christian is writing the tale of his love for Satine, a "love that will live forever" ("Nature Boy (Reprise)").

I went to see the 1952 film with Jose Ferrer as Henri Toulouse Lautrec when I just become a teenager, Later I discovered some Wallpaper made up of Lautrec Posters which was a great delight. I saw the film in Sutton in a packed theatre with noisy teenagers which ruined the experience. I have the DVD but still watch the film anytime its is shown on TV.



 


 
 

 


 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment