Title: Moulin Rouge

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Reviewed by: David Brant, Empire Magazine

The great thing about the advent of DVD and home cinema is that you can reassess theatrically viewed films without the loss of the stimulation for ears and eyes. Some films are just too dense too rich to be fully understood at first glance. Others are so damn silly and post-modern cold critics like us can use one viewing to "tut tut" the plagiarism of it all, whilst a second viewing one can enjoy the film for what it is and stop analysing it.

Moulin Rouge comes in the second category and stuffy critic in me says it�s a mess!!! The plot is paper-thin, the characters are the cartoon variety and the film is hyperactive and inconsistent in tone. That was until an enjoyable but irritating second viewing, which meant I would have to return to friends and family that loved the film and apologise for slagging it so.

Please don�t misunderstand me, all my criticism is very fair and I take back nothing. I also acknowledge the film is a rip-roaring romp, wonderfully entertaining and exuberant if only one can stop the stuffy critic in me blabbering on. As a huge fan of Luhrmann�s reinterpretation of "Romeo and Juliet" I went into the cinema with great anticipation for Moulin Rouge and initially I was hugely disappointed. My problem with the film is it has no calm, no stillness. Between the kinetic camerawork and gunfights in "Romeo and Juliet" there was also a great deal of clarity and calm to let the romance in the story grow.

Moulin Rouge has none of this - every scene is edited like an action film. One of the most memorable scenes in modern cinema is that of Leonardo Di Caprio�s Romeo walking into the tomb where Juliet lies, lit with seemingly hundreds of candles and florescent crosses. What is so wonderfull about it is its marriage of collaborators - Catherine Martin�s production design, Craig Armstrong�s music and a director in Luhrmann that took time to acknowledge both, not rushing the scene but slowly building it to an emotional intensity rarely scene in modern movies.

I�m sure Catherine Martin�s Oscar winning design for Moulin Rouge is no less impressive, but it would of been nice for Luhrmann to let his camera linger long enough over it to be seen. It�s as if Luhrmann in an effort to better his earlier films has forgot the heart that made those movies breathe.

Luhrmann would probably argue that the romance in Moulin Rouge breathes thanks to the love songs that his protagonists sing. This may have been the case if they were not such a mishmash of mediocre medleys. Musically the movie is more interesting when ditching the love songs for something a little less fluffy - the best sequence being that of the tango version of "The Police�s - Roxanne". But even this scene becomes cluttered, Luhrmann trying to visualise too many stories when the symbolism of the hot sweaty tango was more than enough.

Deep down I knew I liked elements of the film and was excited about viewing it again on DVD. Already knowing what I didn�t like about it I could relax and think about what had drawn me back. Well, as the lovers Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman are amazingly good considering the extreme tone shifts thrust upon their characters. Donald McAlpine�s cinematography captures such beauty in short shots that maybe Luhrmann�s use of editing is actually what fascinates. I find myself constantly rewatching the film to grab at frames of beauty before they vanish, to be replaced by another stunning shot, another, another.

As part of the extras there is also the chance to see the full glory of the tango scene without the unnecessary editing for stories sake. The commentaries on the DVD are also gratifying in that Luhrmann acknowledges the lack of originality and theatricality of it all - more fool me for not realising the post-modern guffaw of It all, I�m sorry, isn�t it enough I�ve apologised to those close to me without the ignominy of the whole of the Empire reading fraternity laughing at me, Ed? You wont print this right??? In the words of the late great Dick Emery who�s campness Luhrmann would appreciate, Moulin Rouge "Oooo you are awful, but I like you!"

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