{"id":2974,"date":"2017-04-21T03:24:51","date_gmt":"2017-04-21T03:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/?p=2974"},"modified":"2018-08-30T20:23:13","modified_gmt":"2018-08-30T20:23:13","slug":"theatre-in-film-moulin-rouge-2001","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/theatre-in-film-moulin-rouge-2001\/","title":{"rendered":"Theatre in Film: Moulin Rouge! (2001)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-header-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h3>Theatre in Film: <em>Moulin Rouge!<\/em> (2001)<\/h3>\n<font size=\"2\" color=\"grey\"><span style=\"border:1px solid ;-webkit-border-radius:50%;-moz-border-radius:50%;border-radius:50%;-moz-box-shadow: 0 0 3px rgba(0,0,0,.3);-webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 3px rgba(0,0,0,.3);box-shadow: 0 0 3px rgba(0,0,0,.3);margin-right:25px;float:left;\" class=\"fusion-imageframe imageframe-glow imageframe-1 hover-type-none author-image\"><a class=\"fusion-no-lightbox\" href=\"http:\/\/performerstuff.com\" target=\"_self\"> <img src=\"http:\/\/mgs.performerstuff.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/authorimage.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"img-responsive\" style=\"-webkit-border-radius:50%;-moz-border-radius:50%;border-radius:50%;\"\/><\/a><\/span><p>Written by Ashleigh Gardner<\/p>\n<p>April 14, 2017<\/p>\n<\/font><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Welcome to Part VIII of Theatre in Film, our weekly feature on a film that depicts a life in the\u00a0theatre. In Part VIII, we feature films where characters in the\u00a0theatre\u00a0must overcome a struggle in their personal lives while also managing the world of performance. This week, we feature the smash hit from 2001,\u00a0<em>Moulin Rouge!<\/em><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: left;\"><i>Moulin Rouge!<\/i> (2001)<\/h4>\n<br><div align=\"center\"><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2PpgPxjzbkA?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/div><br><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Director: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Baz Luhrmann<br \/>\n<\/span><b>Starring: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh, David Wenham<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: left;\">What happens:<\/h4>\n<br><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A young writer named Christian (Ewan McGregor) who is suffering from depression moves to Paris to take part in the artistic culture of the Montmarte district. While attending a show at the Moulin Rouge with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Henri_de_Toulouse-Lautrec\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Leguizamo\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">John Leguizamo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) and meets the enchanting Satine (Nicole Kidman). He is instantly attracted to her, and the owner of the Moulin Rouge, Harold Zidler (Jim Broadbent) arranges for Christian to see her after the show. Satine and Christian begin an intense love affair which is complicated by the Duke of Monroth (Richard Roxburgh), the man whom Satine is promised to. In addition to the complicated love affair between Christian and Satine, Christian and Henri\u2019s theatre troupe is creating an extravagant show called <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spectacular Spectacular<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to be performed at the Moulin Rouge &#8212; a story about an evil maharajah who woos a beautiful courtesan in love with a poor sitar player. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the Duke becomes suspicious of Christian and Satine\u2019s frequent \u201crehearsals\u201d, he demands that Satine stay away from Christian or the Duke will stop financing the show. In addition, a jealous chorus girl points out to the Duke that the evil maharaja is a metaphor for the Duke. The Duke tells Zidler that he will have Christian killed if Satine is not promised to the Duke. On the night of the show, Christian accidentally walks onstage with Satine during an argument and they are illuminated by the spotlight, and when Christian is almost killed by a guard, Zidler steps in and saves him. Satine succumbs to her long-suffered tuberculosis and dies onstage, telling Christian to write their story.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: left;\">Why it matters:<\/h4>\n<br><p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among all of Baz Luhrmann\u2019s films, this one is an absolute favorite among theatre people. Its extravagant scenery, costumes, and energetic songs make it a memorable film, especially for those who have experienced that kind of extravagance on the stage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, Ewan McGregor\u2019s character, Christian, draws on the universal experience of playwrights creating shows that contain stories they are emotionally attached to. Writing, like acting, is a very personal art. In some plays, if not in every play, playwrights will utilize their own experience to inform the plot and characters of their scripts. Just like actors may use emotional recall to inform the way they play a character, writers use personal history to craft plots, characters, and settings because of multiple reasons. It may be that the playwright is fond of a particular place they find familiar, or that they\u2019re having a difficult time processing an event that is either close to them or globally significant, or that they\u2019re trying to figure out the answer to a question through a story.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though Christian\u2019s idea is improvised with the help of Henri\u2019s theatre troupe, it\u2019s a solid plot and it never changes, suggesting that Christian accepts, enjoys, and lives vicariously through the script he subsequently writes &#8212; a script he finds himself emotionally attached to.<\/span><\/p>\n<br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">This film is the fifth film in\u00a0Part VIII. See below for the other films\u00a0in Part VIII.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/theatre-in-film-birdman-or-the-unexpected-virtue-of-ignorance-%ef%bb%bf2014\/\"><em>Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)\u00a0(2014)<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/theatre-in-film-a-life-in-the-theatre-1993\/\"><em>A Life in the Theatre\u00a0<\/em>(1993)<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/theatre-in-film-the-last-metro-1980\/\"><em>The Last Metro\u00a0<\/em><\/a>(1980)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/theatre-in-film-the-tall-guy-1989\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><i>The Tall Guy\u00a0<\/i>(1989)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Want to start with\u00a0<strong>Part I<\/strong>? Begin with\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><em><a href=\"http:\/\/mgs.performerstuff.com\/?p=133\">42nd Street\u00a0<\/a><\/em>(1933)<\/strong><\/span>.<br \/>\nMiss\u00a0<strong>Part II<\/strong>?\u00a0Check out\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/theatre-in-film-series-the-band-wagon-1953\/\"><strong><em>The Band Wagon<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<strong>(1953)<\/strong><\/a><\/span>.<br \/>\nNeed a refresh for\u00a0<strong>Part III<\/strong>? Start with\u00a0our feature on\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/theatre-in-film-series-all-that-jazz-1979\/\">All That Jazz\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/strong><strong>(1979)<\/strong><\/span>.<br \/>\nHow about a recap from\u00a0<strong>Part IV<\/strong>? Jump into\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/theatre-in-film-a-chorus-of-disapproval-1989\/\"><strong><em>A Chorus of Disapproval\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong>(1989)<\/strong><\/span>.<br \/>\nCheck out\u00a0<strong>Part V<\/strong><em>,\u00a0<\/em>and start with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/theatre-in-film-an-awfully-big-adventure-1995\/\"><em><strong>A<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">n Awfully Big Adventure\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>(1995)<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.<br \/>\nStart reading\u00a0<strong>Part VI<\/strong>\u00a0with\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/theatre-in-film-camp-2003\/\">Camp\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/em><strong>(2003)<\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><hr \/>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: left;\"><em><strong>Ashleigh Gardner<\/strong>\u00a0received her AA in Theatre\/Drama\/Dramatic Arts\u00a0from Valencia College and\u00a0her Bachelors Degree in English Literature and\u00a0Masters Degree in Literary, Cultural, and Textual Studies from\u00a0the University of Central Florida. She is a playwright, an actor, and PerformerStuff.com\u2019s Editor.\u00a0<\/em><\/h5>\n<h5 style=\"text-align: left;\">Thumbnail image from\u00a0<em>Moulin Rouge!\u00a0<\/em>Copyright 20th Century Fox, 2001.<\/h5>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [...]","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3022,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[259,265],"tags":[72,10,88,92,105],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2974"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2974"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2974\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}