''Moulin Rouge!'' (, ) is a 2001
jukebox musical romantic drama
Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...
film directed, produced, and co-written by
Baz Luhrmann. It follows an English poet, Christian, who falls in love with the star of the
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche.
In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Olympia (Par ...
,
cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
actress and
courtesan, Satine. The film uses the musical setting of the
Montmartre Quarter of
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
and is the final part of Luhrmann's ''
Red Curtain Trilogy'', following ''
Strictly Ballroom'' (1992) and ''
Romeo + Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare.
Romeo and Juliet or Romeo & Juliet may also refer to:
Ballets
* ''Romeo and Juliet'', a ballet score by Constant Lambert
* Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev), ''Romeo and Juliet'' (Prokofiev), a ...
'' (1996). A co-production of Australia and the United States, it features an
ensemble cast
In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that comprises many principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17
Structure
In contrast to the po ...
starring
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...
and
Ewan McGregor, with
Jim Broadbent,
Richard Roxburgh,
John Leguizamo
John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (, ; ; born July 22, 1960 or 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and film producer. He has appeared in more than 100 films, produced more than 20 films and documentaries, made more than 30 televisio ...
,
Jacek Koman, and
Caroline O'Connor in supporting roles.
''Moulin Rouge!'' premiered at the
2001 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the
Palme d'Or and was released in theaters on 25 May 2001 in Australia and on 1 June 2001 in North America. The film was praised for Luhrmann's direction, the performances of the cast, its soundtrack, costume design, and production values. It was also a commercial success, grossing $179.2 million on a $50 million budget. At the
74th Academy Awards, the film received eight nominations, including
Best Picture, and won two (
Best Production Design and
Best Costume Design). Later critical reception for ''Moulin Rouge!'' remained positive and has been considered by many to be one of the best films
of all time, with it ranking 53rd in the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's 2016 poll of the 100 greatest films of the 21st century. A
stage musical adaptation premiered in 2018.
Plot
In 1900 in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, Christian, a young writer depressed and grief-stricken about the recent death of the woman he loved, begins writing their story on his typewriter.
A year earlier in 1899, he arrives in the
Montmartre
Montmartre ( , , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement of Paris, 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Rive Droite, Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for its a ...
district of Paris to join the
Bohemian movement. He suddenly meets
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Count, ''Comte'' Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901), known as Toulouse-Lautrec (), was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, caricaturist, and illustrator whose immersion in the colour ...
and his troupe of performers who are writing a play called ''Spectacular Spectacular''. After Christian helps them complete the play, they go to the
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche.
In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Olympia (Par ...
where they hope Christian's talents will impress Satine, the star performer and
courtesan, who will in turn convince Harold Zidler, the proprietor of the Moulin Rouge, to let Christian write the show. However, Zidler plans to have the wealthy, powerful and unscrupulous Duke of Monroth sleep with Satine in exchange for potential financing to convert the club into a theater.
That night, Satine mistakes Christian for the Duke and attempts to seduce him by dancing with him before retiring to her chamber with him to discuss things privately, but eventually Christian reveals his true identity. After the Duke interrupts them, Satine claims that the two of them and the Bohemians were rehearsing ''Spectacular Spectacular''. Aided by Zidler, Christian and the Bohemians improvise a story for the Duke about a beautiful Indian courtesan who falls in love with a poor
sitar
The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. Khusrau K ...
player she mistook for a wealthy but evil
maharaja
Maharaja (also spelled Maharajah or Maharaj; ; feminine: Maharani) is a royal title in Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent of Sanskrit origin. In modern India and Medieval India, medieval northern India, the title was equivalent to a pri ...
. Approving the story, the Duke agrees to invest, but only if Satine and the Moulin Rouge are turned over to him. Later, Satine claims not to be in love with Christian, but he eventually wears down her resolve and they kiss.
During construction at the Moulin Rouge, Christian and Satine's love deepens while the Duke becomes frustrated with all the time he thinks Satine is spending with Christian working on the play. To calm him, Zidler arranges for Satine to spend the night with the Duke and angrily tells her to end her affair with Christian. She misses the dinner when she falls unconscious, leading a doctor to diagnose a fatal case of
consumption. She does try to end things by telling Christian that their relationship is endangering the production, but Christian writes a secret song to include in the show that affirms their unending, passionate love.
At the final rehearsal, can-can dancer Nini hints to the Duke that the play represents the relationship between him, Christian, and Satine. Enraged, the Duke demands that the show end with the courtesan marrying the maharaja, instead of Christian's ending where she marries the sitar player. Satine promises to spend the night with him after which they will decide on the ending. Ultimately, she fails to seduce the Duke due to her feelings for Christian, and Le Chocolat, one of the cabaret dancers, saves her from the Duke's attempt to rape her. Christian decides that he and Satine should leave the show behind and run away to be together while the Duke vows to kill Christian.
Zidler finds Satine in her dressing room packing. He tells her that her illness is fatal, that the Duke is planning on murdering Christian, and that if she wants Christian to live, she must cut him off completely and be with the Duke. Mustering all her acting abilities, she complies, leaving Christian devastated.
On the opening night of the show, in front of a full audience, Christian denounces Satine and vows to give her to the Duke before walking off the stage, but Toulouse-Lautrec cries out from the rafters, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." This spurs Satine to sing their secret song, causing Christian to change his mind. After Zidler and the company thwart several attempts by the Duke and his bodyguard to kill Christian, the show ends with Christian and Satine proclaiming their love as the Duke permanently storms out of the cabaret. The audience erupts in applause, but Satine collapses after the curtains close. Before dying in his arms, she tells Christian to write their story so she will always be with him.
Six months later, the Moulin Rouge has closed down and is in disrepair; Zidler, the Duke, the Diamond Dogs, and the Bohemians are gone; and Christian overcomes his grief by finishing his and Satine's story, declaring their love will live forever.
Cast
Production
Writing and inspiration
''Moulin Rouge!'' was influenced by an eclectic variety of comic and melodramatic musical sources, including the
Hollywood musical, "
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
,
cabaret culture, stage musicals, and operas." Its musical elements also allude to Luhrmann's earlier film ''
Strictly Ballroom.''
Giacomo Puccini's opera ''
La bohème
''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...
'', which Luhrmann directed at the
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...
in 1993, was a key source of the plot for ''Moulin Rouge!''.
Further stylistic inspiration came from Luhrmann's encounter with
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
films during his visit to
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
while conducting research for his 1993 production of
Benjamin Britten's opera ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream
''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
''. According to Luhrmann:
In the DVD's
audio commentary
An audio commentary is an additional audio track, usually digital, consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with a video. Commentaries can be serious or entertaining in nature, and can add informatio ...
, Luhrmann revealed that he also drew from the
Greek tragedy of
Orpheus and Eurydice. The filmmakers projected the Orpheus figure onto Christian by characterizing the latter as a musical
genius whose talent surpassed that of everyone else in his world. The film's use of songs from the mid- to late 20th century in the 1899 setting makes Christian appear ahead of his time as a musician and writer. ''Moulin Rouge!''′s plot also parallels that of the myth: "McGregor, as a poet who spouts deathless verse . . . , descends into a hellish underworld of prostitution and musical entertainment in order to retrieve Kidman, the singing courtesan who loves him but is enslaved to a diabolical duke. He rescues her but looks back and . . . cue
Queen's '
The Show Must Go On.'"
Commentators have also noted the similarities between the film's plot and those of the opera ''
La Traviata'' and
Émile Zola's novel ''
Nana''. Other cinematic elements appear to have been borrowed from the musical films ''
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
'',
''
Folies Bergère de Paris'', and ''
Meet Me in St. Louis''.
The character of Satine was based on the French
can-can dancer
Jane Avril. The character of Harold Zidler shares his last name with
Charles Zidler, one of the owners of the real Moulin Rouge. Satie was loosely based on the French composers
Erik Satie
Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (born 17 May 18661 July 1925), better known as Erik Satie, was a French composer and pianist. The son of a French father and a British mother, he studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, Paris Conservatoire but was an undi ...
and
Maurice Ravel
Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...
. Môme Fromage, Le Pétomane, and Le Chocolat share their names with performers at the actual cabaret.
Marlene Dietrich,
Greta Garbo and
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer, and Pin-up model, pin-up girl. She achieved fame in the 1940s as one of the top stars of the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of ...
were cited as inspirations for the film's "look."
Development
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (; ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for Leonardo DiCaprio filmography, his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received ...
, who worked with Luhrmann on ''
Romeo + Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare.
Romeo and Juliet or Romeo & Juliet may also refer to:
Ballets
* ''Romeo and Juliet'', a ballet score by Constant Lambert
* Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev), ''Romeo and Juliet'' (Prokofiev), a ...
'', unsuccessfully auditioned for the role of Christian.
Ethan Hawke
Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor, author, and film director. He made his film debut in ''Explorers (film), Explorers'' (1985), before making a breakthrough performance in ''Dead Poets Society'' (1989). Hawke starr ...
also read for the role. Luhrmann also considered younger actors for the role, including
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, he moved to the United States in 1998 to further develop his film care ...
and
Jake Gyllenhaal, before Ewan McGregor won the part.
Courtney Love auditioned for the role of Satine and gave approval for "
Smells Like Teen Spirit" to be used in the film.
Filming
Production began on 9 November 1999 and was completed on 13 May 2000, with a budget of $50 million.
It was shot on the sound stages at
Fox Studios in Sydney. Filming generally went smoothly, but Kidman broke her ribs twice when she was lifted into the air during the dance sequences. She also suffered from a torn knee cartilage resulting from a fall during the "
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" production song.
Kidman later stated in an interview with
Graham Norton
Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), known professionally as Graham Norton, is an Irish comedian, broadcaster, actor, and writer. He is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for the comedy chat show ''The Graham Norton Show'' (2007–present) ...
that she broke a rib while getting into a corset by tightening it as much as possible to achieve an 18-inch waist, and that she fell down the stairs while dancing in heels. The production overran its shooting schedule and had to be out of the sound stages to make way for ''
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'' (which also starred McGregor). This necessitated the filming of some
pick-up shots in
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
.
In the
liner notes
Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards.
Origin
Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
to the film's Special Edition DVD, Luhrmann writes that "
hewhole stylistic premise has been to decode what the Moulin Rouge was to the audiences of 1899 and express that same thrill and excitement in a way to which contemporary movie-goers can relate."
[ Both ]Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
and ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' compared the film's editing and cinematography to that of a music video and noted its visual homage to early Technicolor
Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...
films.
Music
Marsha Kinder describes ''Moulin Rouge!'' as a "brilliant," "celebratory," and "humorous" musical and aural pastiche due to its use of diverse songs. ''Moulin Rouge!'' takes well-known popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...
, mostly drawn from the MTV Generation, and juxtaposes it into a tale set in a turn-of-the-century Paris cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
.[Liner notes, Special Edition DVD] Kinder holds that keeping borrowed lyrics and melodies intact "makes it almost impossible for spectators to miss the poaching f songs
F, or f, is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet and many modern alphabets influenced by it, including the modern English alphabet and the alphabets of all other modern western European languages. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounc ...
(even if they cannot name the particular source)."
The film uses so much popular music that it took Luhrmann two and a half years to secure the rights to all of the songs. Some of the songs sampled include " Chamma Chamma" from the Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
movie '' China Gate'', Queen
Queen most commonly refers to:
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen (band), a British rock band
Queen or QUEEN may also refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Q ...
's " The Show Must Go On" (arranged in operatic format), David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
's rendition of Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...
's " Nature Boy", " Lady Marmalade" by Labelle (in the Christina Aguilera
Christina MarÃa Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
/ P!nk/ Mýa/ Lil' Kim cover commissioned for the film), Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
's " Material Girl" and " Like a Virgin", Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
's " Your Song", the titular number of ''The Sound of Music
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...
'', " Roxanne" by The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Within a few months of their first gig, the line-up settled as Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussi ...
(in a tango format using the composition "Tanguera" by Mariano Mores), and " Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
.
Luhrmann had intended to incorporate songs by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
and Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold more than 100 million records and has more than two billion st ...
into the film, but could not obtain the necessary rights from these artists. When Stevens denied consent for the use of " Father and Son" due to religious objections to the film's content, " Nature Boy" was chosen as its replacement.
Release and reception
Originally set for release on Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
2000, 20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
eventually moved the release of ''Moulin Rouge!'' to Summer 2001 to allow Luhrmann more time in post-production. ''Moulin Rouge!'' premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival on May 9, 2001, as the festival's opening title.
''Moulin Rouge!'' opened in the United States at two theaters in New York and Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
on May 18, 2001. It grossed US$167,540 on its opening weekend. The film then expanded to a national release on June 1, 2001. It generated $14.2 million, ranking in fourth place behind ''Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...
'', ''Shrek
''Shrek'' is a 2001 American animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, and written by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, and Roger S. H. Schulman, loosely based on the 1990 children's picture boo ...
'' and '' The Animal''. In the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, ''Moulin Rouge!'' was the country's number one film for two weeks before being displaced by '' A.I. Artificial Intelligence''. During its fifth weekend, it reclaimed the number one spot. The film remained so until it was dethroned by '' American Pie 2'' in its sixth weekend. ''Moulin Rouge!'' has grossed $57,386,369 in the United States and Canada and another $121,813,167 internationally (including $26 million in the United Kingdom and $3,878,504 in Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
).
''Moulin Rouge!'' received generally positive reviews from critics. Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
rated the film 3.5 stars out of 4, remarking that "the movie is all color and music, sound and motion, kinetic energy, broad strokes, operatic excess." ''Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'' praised McGregor's and Kidman's performances, stating that "both stars hurl themselves into the movie's reckless spirit, unafraid of looking foolish, adroitly attuned to Luhrmann's abrupt swings from farce to tragedy. (And both sing well.)" ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' wrote that "the film is undeniably rousing, but there is not a single moment of organic excitement because Mr. Luhrmann is so busy splicing bits from other films" but conceded that "there's nothing else like it, and young audiences, especially girls, will feel as if they had found a movie that was calling them by name." ''All Things Considered
''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...
'' commented the film was "not gonna be for all tastes" and that "you either surrender to this sort of flamboyance or you experience it as overkill."
''Moulin Rouge!'' holds a rating of 66/100 at Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
based on 35 reviews. At Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, the film holds a 75% "Fresh" approval rating based on 259 reviews, with an average score of 7.1/10. The website's critics' consensus reads: "A love-it-or-hate-it experience, ''Moulin Rouge'' is all style, all giddy, over-the-top spectacle. But it's also daring in its vision and wildly original." In December 2001, the film was named the best film of the year by viewers of '' Film 2001''. ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' ranked it #6 on its list of the top ten movies of the decade, saying, "Baz Luhrmann's trippy pop culture pastiche from 2001 was an aesthetically arresting ode to poetry, passion, and Elton John. It was so good, we'll forgive him for ''Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
.''" In 2008, ''Moulin Rouge!'' was ranked No. 211 on '' Empire's'' 500 Greatest Movies of All Time. Audiences polled by CinemaScore
CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data.
Background
Ed Mintz, who ...
gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.
Home Theater Forum rated the DVD release of ''Moulin Rouge!'' as the best DVD of 2001. Luhrmann had hand-picked the features and behind-the scenes footage for the two-disc DVD edition.
Analysis
Postmodern
Scholarly commentators have interpreted ''Moulin Rouge!'' as an exemplary postmodern film, citing its methods of aesthetic expression, symbolism, and ties to both fine art and pop culture as evidence. The film's music also contributes to its postmodern aesthetic. Notably, ''Moulin Rouge!'' combines mid-to-late 20th Century melodies and lyrics with a narrative set in '' fin de siècle'' France. Scholars Kathryn Conner Bennett and Marsha Kinder have argued that the use of famous popular songs in a new, original context requires audiences to reinterpret their significance within the framework of the narrative and challenge an assumption that music's symbolism is static.
''Moulin Rouge!'' also makes ample use of other postmodern filmmaking techniques, including fragmentation and juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is an act or instance of placing two opposing elements close together or side by side. This is often done in order to Comparison, compare/contrast the two, to show similarities or differences, etc.
Speech
Juxtaposition in literary ...
. As the film's protagonist, Christian is the primary source of ''Moulin Rouge!''s story line and many portions of the story are told from his point of view. However, the narrative is fragmented on several occasions when the film deviates from Christian's perspective or integrates a flashback. ''Moulin Rouge!'' also juxtaposes a play-within-a-film (''Spectacular Spectacular'') with the film's events themselves to draw parallels between the plot of the play and the characters' lives. This culminates in the "Come What May" sequence, which reveals the development of Christian and Satine's relationship alongside the progression of ''Spectacular Spectacular''s rehearsals.
Postmodernism is also evident in ''Moulin Rouge!''s homage to Western musicals, Bollywood masala films, and music video
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
s, as well as Luhrmann's film ''Strictly Ballroom''.
Accolades
''Moulin Rouge!'' received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress (Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...
), winning in two categories for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. It became the first musical film to receive a coveted Best Picture nomination since ''Beauty and the Beast
"Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales'').
Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
'' (1991). Despite the film's overwhelming success, Baz Luhrmann was notably excluded from the Best Director lineup; commenting on this during the Oscar ceremony, host Whoopi Goldberg remarked, "I guess ''Moulin Rouge!'' just directed itself." Additionally, the only original tune in the film, " Come What May" was disqualified from the Best Original Song consideration because it was originally intended, although unused, for Luhrmann's previous film ''Romeo + Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare.
Romeo and Juliet or Romeo & Juliet may also refer to:
Ballets
* ''Romeo and Juliet'', a ballet score by Constant Lambert
* Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev), ''Romeo and Juliet'' (Prokofiev), a ...
'' and not written expressly for ''Moulin Rouge!''. It tied with '' The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' for leading twelve nominations at the 55th British Academy Film Awards and resulted in three wins, including Best Actor in a Supporting Role ( Jim Broadbent). The musical also led the 59th Golden Globe Awards, alongside the drama '' A Beautiful Mind'', each receiving six nominations; it won three, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
Other notable ceremonies where it received much recognition included the American Film Institute Awards, the Australian Film Institute Awards, and the Satellite Awards. Various prestigious award bodies, such as the National Board of Review and the PGA Awards named it the best film of the year. It was the last musical film to win NBR's Best Film award until '' Wicked'' in 2024.
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...
recognition
* AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:
** " Come What May" – #85
* AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals – #25
Soundtrack
Musical numbers
* " Nature Boy" – Toulouse
* " Complainte de la Butte/ Children of the Revolution"
* "The Sound of Music
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...
" – Toulouse, Christian, and Satie
* "Green Fairy Medley" (The Sound of Music
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...
/ Children of the Revolution/Nature Boy) – Christian, The Bohemians, and the Green Fairy
* "Zidler's Rap Medley" ( Lady Marmalade/Zidler's Rap/Because We Can/ Smells Like Teen Spirit) – Zidler, Moulin Rouge Dancers, Christian and Patrons
* "Sparkling Diamonds" ( Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend/ Material Girl) – Satine and Moulin Rouge Dancers
* " Rhythm of the Night" – Moulin Rouge Dancers
* "Sparkling Diamonds" (Reprise) – Satine
* "Meet Me in the Red Room"
* " Your Song" – Christian
* "Your Song" (Reprise) – Satine
* "The Pitch" - ''Spectacular Spectacular'' – Zidler, Christian, Satine, The Duke, and Bohemians
* " One Day I'll Fly Away" – Satine and Christian
* " Elephant Love Medley" – Christian and Satine
* " Górecki" – Satine
* " Like a Virgin" – Zidler, The Duke, and Chorus Boys
* " Come What May" – Christian, Satine, the Argentinean and Cast of ''Spectacular Spectacular''
* " El Tango de Roxanne" – The Argentinean, Christian, Satine, The Duke, and Moulin Rouge Dancers
* "Fool to Believe" – Satine
* "One Day I'll Fly Away" (Reprise) – Satine and Zidler
* " The Show Must Go On" – Zidler, Satine, and Moulin Rouge Stagehands
* "Hindi Sad Diamonds" ( Chamma Chamma/ Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend) – Toulouse, Nini Legs-in-the-Air, Satine, and the Cast of ''Spectacular Spectacular''
* "Come What May" (Reprise) – Satine and Christian
* "Coup d'État"/"Finale" (The Show Must Go On/Children of the Revolution/Your Song/One Day I'll Fly Away/Come What May) – Christian, Satine, and Cast of ''Spectacular Spectacular''
* "Nature Boy" (Reprise) – Toulouse and Christian
Music sources
* " Nature Boy" – Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...
, covered by David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
and remixed by Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English trip hop collective formed in 1988 in Bristol, England, by Robert Del Naja, Robert "3D" Del Naja, Daddy G, Grant "Daddy G" Marshall, Tricky (musician), Adrian "Tricky" Thaws and Andrew Vowles, Andrew "Mushroom" ...
for the soundtrack.
* "The Sound of Music
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...
" – Mary Martin (and later by Julie Andrews
Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over eight decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...
) (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
''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...
'' (but heard as instrumental)
* " Lady Marmalade" – Labelle, covered for the film by Christina Aguilera
Christina MarÃa Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
, Lil' Kim, Mýa, Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...
, and Pink
Pink is a pale tint of red, the color of the Dianthus plumarius, pink flower. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, p ...
.
* "Because We Can" – Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known as Fatboy Slim, is an English musician and DJ who helped popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. His music makes extensive use of Sampling (music), samples from eclectic ...
* " Complainte de la Butte" – Georges Van Parys and Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. His '' La Grande Illusion'' (1937) and '' The Rules of the Game'' (1939) are often cited by critics as among the greate ...
covered by Rufus Wainwright
* " Rhythm of the Night" – DeBarge
* " Material Girl" – Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
* " Smells Like Teen Spirit" – Nirvana
Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
* " Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" – Introduced by Carol Channing, made popular by Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...
.
* " Diamond Dogs" – David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
covered for the film by Beck
Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970), known mononymously as Beck, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi mus ...
.
* " Galop Infernal ( Can-can)" – Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach (; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera ''The Tales of Hoffmann''. He was a p ...
(tune for ''Spectacular, Spectacular'')
* " One Day I'll Fly Away" – Randy Crawford
* " Children of the Revolution" – T.Rex (Covered by Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by the nickname Bono ( ), is an Irish singer-songwriter and activist. He is a founding member, the lead vocalist, and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Bono is known for his impassioned voca ...
, Gavin Friday
Gavin Friday (born Fionán Martin Hanvey, 8 October 1959) is an Irish singer and songwriter, composer, actor and painter, best known as a founding member of the post-punk group The Virgin Prunes.
Early life
Fionan Hanvey was born in Dublin an ...
, Violent Femmes, and Maurice Seezer)
* " Gorecki" – Lamb
* " Come What May" – Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...
(written by David Baerwald)
* " Roxanne" – The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Within a few months of their first gig, the line-up settled as Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussi ...
(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
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Within a few months of their first gig, the line-up settled as Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussi ...
)
* " The Show Must Go On" – Queen
Queen most commonly refers to:
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen (band), a British rock band
Queen or QUEEN may also refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Q ...
* " Like a Virgin" – Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
* " Your Song" – Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
* " 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
* " Love Is Like Oxygen" by Sweet – Andy Scott and Trevor Griffin
* " Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" by The Four Aces – Sammy Fain
Sammy Fain (born Samuel E. Feinberg; June 17, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American composer of popular music. In the 1920s and early 1930s, he contributed numerous songs that form part of The Great American Songbook, and to Broadway theatr ...
and Paul Francis Webster
* " All You Need Is Love" by The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
– John Lennon and Paul McCartney
* " I Was Made for Lovin' You" by Kiss
A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
– Desmond Child, Paul Stanley
Paul Stanley (born Stanley Bert Eisen; January 20, 1952) is an American musician who was the co-founder, frontman, rhythm guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss (band), Kiss from the band's inception in 1973 to their retireme ...
, Vini Poncia
* " One More Night" by Phil Collins – Phil Collins
Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
* " In the Name of Love" by U2 – U2
* " Don't Leave Me This Way" by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes and later Thelma Houston – Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert
* " Silly Love Songs" by Wings – Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
* " Up Where We Belong" by Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances featuring expressive body movements. Most of his best-known singles, such as
"Feelin' Alright ...
and Jennifer Warnes – Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie
* " Heroes" by David Bowie – David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
* " I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton and later Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
– Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...
* " Your Song" by Elton John – Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
and Bernie Taupin
Bernard John Taupin (born 22 May 1950) is an English lyricist and visual artist. He is best known for his songwriting partnership with Elton John, recognised as one of the most successful partnerships of its kind in history. Taupin co-wrote th ...
Jamie Allen contributes additional vocals to the "Elephant Love Medley". "Love Is Like Oxygen" and "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" are only spoken dialogue; they are not actually sung in the medley.
"Your Song" is performed by Ewan McGregor and Alessandro Safina, who contributes additional lyrics in Italian.
Two soundtrack albums were released, with the second coming after the first one's massive success. The first volume featured the smash hit single " Lady Marmalade", performed by Christina Aguilera
Christina MarÃa Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
, Lil' Kim, Mýa and Pink
Pink is a pale tint of red, the color of the Dianthus plumarius, pink flower. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, p ...
. The first soundtrack, '' Moulin Rouge! Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film'', was released on 8 May 2001, with the second, '' Moulin Rouge! Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film, Vol. 2'', following on 26 February 2002.
Stage adaptation
As early as November 2002, Luhrmann revealed that he intended to adapt ''Moulin Rouge!'' into a stage musical. A Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
casino
A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...
was the reputed site of the proposed show. Luhrmann was said to have asked both Kidman and McGregor to reprise their starring roles in the potential stage version.
In 2008, a stage adaptation entitled ''La Belle Bizarre du Moulin Rouge'' ("The Bizarre Beauty of the Moulin Rouge") toured Germany and produced a cast recording.
In 2016, it was announced that Global Creatures was developing ''Moulin Rouge!'' into a stage musical. Alex Timbers was slated to direct the production, and John Logan was tapped to write the book. ''Moulin Rouge!: The Musical'', starring Aaron Tveit as Christian and Karen Olivo as Satine, premiered on 10 July 2018 at the Colonial Theatre in Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
. The Broadway production opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on 25 July 2019. In May 2025, Boy George, Jordan Fisher, and Solea Pfeiffer were playing the roles of Zidler, Christian, and Satine, respectively.
In popular culture
The 2002 made-for-television movie, '' It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie'', features a Christmas-themed parody entitled "Moulin Scrooge", in which various scenes and musical numbers are re-enacted by Muppets. In ''Moulin Scrooge'', Christian is played by Kermit the Frog, Satine (named Saltine) by Miss Piggy, Toulouse-Lautrec by Gonzo and Zidler by Fozzie Bear.
The music video for " Mr. Brightside" by The Killers
The Killers are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After the band went through a number of short-term bas ...
was inspired by the film.
In the 2017–18 figure skating
Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympi ...
season, at the 2018 Winter Olympics
The 2018 Winter Olympics (), officially the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and also known as PyeongChang 2018 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held between 9 and 25 February 2018 in Pyeongchang County, South Ko ...
, Canadian skaters Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir performed two selections from ''Moulin Rouge!'', interpreting the story of Christian and Satine through "The Show Must Go On", "El Tango de Roxanne", and "Come What May". Their performance won the gold medal in the team
A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal.
As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to in ...
and the individual
An individual is one that exists as a distinct entity. Individuality (or self-hood) is the state or quality of living as an individual; particularly (in the case of humans) as a person unique from other people and possessing one's own needs or g ...
events. At this event, Virtue and Moir became the most decorated skaters of all time.
See also
* ''Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche.
In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Olympia (Par ...
'', 1928 film
* ''Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche.
In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Olympia (Par ...
'', 1952 film
Notes
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
''Moulin Rouge!''
at Oz Movies
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moulin Rouge!
2001 films
2001 musical films
2001 romantic drama films
2000s American films
2000s Australian films
2000s dance films
2000s English-language films
2000s historical drama films
2000s historical romance films
2000s musical drama films
2000s romantic musical films
20th Century Fox films
American alternate history films
American dance films
American historical drama films
American historical musical films
American historical romance films
American musical drama films
American romantic drama films
American romantic musical films
Australian alternative history films
Australian historical drama films
Australian historical romance films
Australian musical drama films
Australian romantic drama films
BAFTA winners (films)
Best Musical or Comedy Picture Golden Globe winners
Bohemianism
Cultural depictions of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
English-language historical drama films
English-language historical romance films
English-language musical drama films
English-language romantic drama films
English-language romantic musical films
European Film Awards winners (films)
Films about prostitution in Paris
Films about tuberculosis
Films about writers
Films adapted into plays
Films directed by Baz Luhrmann
Films featuring a Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe winning performance
Films scored by Craig Armstrong (composer)
Films set in 1899
Films set in 1900
Films set in the Moulin Rouge
Films shot in Madrid
Films shot in Sydney
Films that won the Best Costume Design Academy Award
Films whose art director won the Best Art Direction Academy Award
Jukebox musical films
Moulin Rouge!
Musicals set in cabarets
Postmodern films
Satellite Award–winning films