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Moulin Rouge

Threat advisory: Severe - Severe risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

Truth * Beauty * Freedom * Love

Moulin Rouge is a celebration of truth, beauty, freedom, but above all things, love - set in the infamous, gaudy and glamorous Paris nightclub, circa 1900. Director Baz Luhrmann brings together gorgeous period design and modern-era pop tunes to create a unique comic/tragic motion picture experience.

Satine (Nicole Kidman), the star of the Moulin Rouge and the city's most famous courtesan, is caught between the love of a young writer and another man's obsession. Christian (Ewan McGregor) is a writer who finds himself plunged into this decadent world where anything goes - except falling in love.

Theatrical propaganda posters

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Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

  • Film musical drama Paris courtesan romance writer 1900s bohemian artist pop song

Persons of interest

  • Ewan McGregor .... Christian
  • Nicole Kidman .... Satine
  • John Leguizamo .... Toulouse-Lautrec
  • Jim Broadbent .... Zidler
  • Garry McDonald
  • Richard Roxburgh .... Duke of Worcester
  • Fallon King .... Schoolgirl
  • Christine Anu .... Arabia
  • Caroline O'Connor .... Nini-legs-in-the-air
  • Keith Robinson .... Le Petomane
  • Natalie Mendoza .... China Doll
  • Deobia Oparei .... Chocolat
  • Lara Mulcahy .... Madame Fromage
  • Kiruna Stamall .... Petit Princesse
  • Fiona Gage .... Urchin
  • Craig Pearce .... Screenwriter
  • Baz Luhrmann .... Screenwriter
  • Baz Luhrmann .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

Intelligence analyst

Secret Agent Acid Thunder

Theatrical report

I liked Moulin Rouge a lot. I have not seen such an entertaining film since I was learning how to shave. This film goes up on my favourites shelf, and I cannot wait to see it for the second time.

The music that fell out of the 70s and 80s pop culture was twisted and became something of a farce. The true meaning in some of the songs were expressed as they were meant to (All you need is love) and others were interpreted as a joke (Smells like teen spirit). It was great fun.

There's a live show in Fox Studios Australia's backlot tour called Lights! Camera! Chaos! which was also directed by Baz. In the show, one of the lines made reference to Moulin Rouge and up until last night, no-one in the entire company of LCC knew what it meant. Last night was the revelation. Almost all of the company turned out for the preview last night, and the like/dislike was 80/20. That's good: there are all walks of life amongst them and they have tastes in film right across the board, and for 80% of them to like - not love - the movie, is great.

I thought Nicky was funny and that she played her role very well. For a film that lacked nudity, there was enough entertainment that suggested that all may be bared. Ewan was always playing the penniless gentleman and Richard kept to his upper-class mannerisms while playing the part of the villain to the fullest. Baz loves to make everything loud and full, and he spared nobody in making Moulin Rouge.

I suggests that everyone forget the part in the promotions where it says that Moulin Rouge is a musical and look instead to the part where is says that it's another masterpiece from Bazmark Productions.

Media intelligence (DVD)

  • Languages: English
  • Picture: Widescreen
  • Subtitles: English
  • Disc 1:
    • Feature Film
    • Commentary: Baz Luhrmann
    • Easter eggs
    • Multi-angle viewing
  • Disc 2:
    • Documentaries: Bazmark; Best of Toulouse and Dusby's dirt; Uncut dance sequences
    • Interviews: Baz Luhrmann and others
    • Music videos: Lady Marmalade; Because we can; Come what may
    • Trailers, TV spots
    • Stills gallery

Media intelligence (VHS)

  • Documentaries: Bazmark; Best of Toulouse and Dusby's dirt; Uncut dance sequences
  • Music videos: Lady marmalade; Because we can; Come what may
  • Trailers, TV spots

Security censorship classification

M (Adult themes, sexual references, low level coarse language)

Surveillance time

128 minutes (2:08 hours)

Not for public release in Australia before date

Film: 31 May 2001
DVD rental: 5 December 2001
DVD retail: 27 November 2002 - Red Curtain Trilogy box set
VHS retail: 27 November 2002 - Red Curtain Trilogy box set

Cinema surveillance images

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15 fabulous Moulin Rouge facts
  1. The story of Moulin Rouge stems from the Orphean myth of a young poet-musician who descended to the underworld in search of ideal love
  2. From the original concept of Moulin Rouge, the movie took four years to come to the final form on film
  3. The movie took 188 days to shot, and there were 650 extras in the movie and over 750 crew involved.
  4. In order to prepare the cast for the movie, Luhrmann held a series of workshops and rehearsals at the house of Iona, a sprawling Victorian mansion, where all Luhrmann's productions are developed and created
  5. The ten metre elephant used in filming, took over 8 weeks to build and only 2 days to destroy
  6. The hair Styles and costume silhouettes were inspired by the great divas of the forties and fifties
  7. There were over 60 make-up and hair crew on the movie
  8. There were over 85 flamboyant collared wigs designed and custom-made in Rome, Italy
  9. The dancers undertook over 480 hours of dance rehearsals
  10. Many of the undergarments worn by the dancers in the movie weighed over 15 kilograms, requiring dancers to wear braces worn on their shoulders to support the costume's weight
  11. Over 300 visual effects were used in the movie
  12. In order to play Toulouse-Lautrec, John Leguizamo had to have casts made of his knees, and then they added amputee prostheses of a knee and a foot; each one weighed 23 kilograms
  13. Nicole Kidman broke her rib twice whilst making Moulin Rouge, once during pre-production, and then again during filming whilst she was being dressed in a corset
  14. Nicole Kidman also sustained knee injuries during filming; to finish the movie, some shots were taken close up, as she was in a wheelchair with her leg up
  15. Cat Stevens' Father and son was the only song that was refused permission to be included in the movie, it was refused on religious grounds

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