 |
|
|
|
Moulin Rouge . . . the words roll off my tongue like honey. In French the words mean “Red Mill.” Red of course being the color of the harlot. The Moulin Rouge was an upperclass whorehouse/club/bar/theater in the olden days. Still, there is an exotic appeal in the name. The more I read about this artistic masterpiece, the more intruiging it became. Although there are mixed reviews, I fell in love with this movie even before I saw it in the theater. The trailer had me hooked, as well as the knowledge that it was a remake of a classic film. I had never seen the original Moulin Rouge movie, so curiosity inspired me to research it on the internet. I went to the website: www.clubmoulinrouge.com to check it out. The trailer is there, along with several sound clips, short movies, stills, and historical background information. On the website, I discovered that not only was this a remake of an old movie, it was based on a true place. The Moulin Rouge DOES exist. Pricy and expensive, it is not accessible to just anyone. As Ebert so aptly put it: “The tragedy of the Moulin Rouge is that by the time you can afford a better seat, you've outgrown the show.” |
|
I don’t think I will
ever outgrow the show. This movie was a masterpiece. An artist’s
swirl of paint, color, and light. Several scenes are fast paced,
hard to follow with the eyes, and yet you have to remember something about
the character’s eyes you are looking through. He is high from
drinking absinth.
What the heck is absinth? Absinth is a bitter green alcohol, which had a sort of cult following amongst the Bohemians. Absinth also contained elements of the poisonous herb wormwood and had rumored hallucinogenic qualities. It became so popular in nineteenth century Paris as to change “cocktail hour” to be called l'heure verte, or green hour. The art world will be pleased to know that Henri Raymond Toulouse Lautrec Montfa, a painter of 19th Century Paris, who in fact painted the original movie poster for the Moulin Rouge, was a character in this remake. To see more of his art go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_de_Toulouse-Lautrec Adding to the appeal of the movie, was the song Lady Marmalade. Originally sung by Patti Labelle, now remade by Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil’ Kim, and Mya. “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?” Do you want to sleep with me this evening? The call of the wild bohemian courtesans. Oh baby yes! Drugs, Sex, Alcohol, Dancing, Art, and Music . . . hmmm I think the Moulin Rouge sounds like one hell of a party house! Count me in!!!~  |