Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love
Moulin Rouge Paints Paris Red

Over the years, I have been accused by some for being too lenient in rating the movies I see. But in the four years I have been reviewing movies, I have been somewhat stingy about giving out a perfect grade. If memory serves, I've only given a perfect 10 four times. Moulin Rouge makes five.

Combining a visual bombardment of image and color with a beautiful arrangement of music and song, Moulin Rouge could quite possibly be the best film I have seen in years. Even as I watched it, I felt like a child watching a film for the first time. Filled with wonder and excitement, I realized that this is an excellent example of what film can do, and what the medium can achieve in the hands of a skilled director.

Written and directed by Baz Luhrmann (Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet), Moulin Rouge is a feast for the film lover. Set in Paris at the end of the 19th century, the story is a myth and a fairy tale, utterly unreal. This is not a period piece, but a raucous interpretation of a time and place through a funhouse mirror reflection. This isn't how the Moulin Rouge once was. This is better.

Blending a larger-than-life setting with archetypal characters, Luhrmann does not tell a traditional story. Instead, he hits the audience with so much stimuli that the experience becomes almost visceral. One swims in the landscape he projects onto the screen. With numerous camera tricks and quick-paced editing, Luhrmann pulls the audience through the looking glass, so that we, like the characters, feel the frantic pace of the events around us.

In the story, a young writer named Christian (Ewan McGregor) goes to Paris in search of the ideals of the bohemian lifestyle: freedom, truth, beauty and love. He quickly finds himself among a company of actors, including the artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (played by John Leguizamo). If the opening of the film hasn't convinced everyone that this is something different, all illusions of normalcy are shattered when Christian breaks into a rousing rendition of "The Sound of Music."

Convinced that Christian's poetry is the key to success, the actors seek out the lovely Satine (Nicole Kidman), a courtesan and the star attraction at the Moulin Rouge. In a case of mistaken identity, Christian finds himself alone with her, hoping that he can convince her to be their ally on a new play called "Spectacular! Spectacular!"

And so the stage is set, wherein color, setting, and music take over this make-believe Moulin Rouge in a stunning tableau that leaves the audience breathless. Those with a good grasp of popular music from the 1970s and '80s will enjoy the medley of love songs sung by McGregor and Kidman. Not to mention the fabulous rendition "El Tango de Roxanne" done by McGregor, Jose Feliciano & Jacek Koman.

The film is filled with a wonderful cast, including Koman, Richard Roxburgh, and Jim Broadbent as Mr. Zidler, the owner of the Moulin Rouge. Kidman and McGregor are both excellent, and manage very difficult roles. Yes, they even sing. And I'm not exaggerating when I say I was pleasantly surprised by their talent.

While the story is often like a fairy-tale, with the singing and dancing, it is a compelling and tragic love story. This sense of tragedy, foretold in the opening moments of and foreshadowed throughout, becomes the soul of the film. Without this at its heart, Moulin Rouge would just be so much eye-candy. But this film has everything, including my heartiest recommendation.

MY RATING: 10 out of 10.

RATED: PG-13
RUN TIME: 126 min.