Analysis of Movie Moulin Rouge
In this essay I will be analyzing in depth four scenes from Baz
Luhrmann's critically acclaimed Moulin Rouge that was released in
2000. I will be analyzing the opening sequence, the sequence in the
Moulin Rouge itself, the two dancing sequences 'Like a Virgin' and
'Tango Roxanne' and the final scenes of the film. Throughout this
essay I will be commenting on the filming techniques that Luhrmann
uses and what affects these have on the audience, also I will be
analyzing how the film is similar and different to typical Hollywood
Musicals.
There are many elements of film musicals, which are present in typical
Hollywood, and Broadway musicals. For example the synchronized dancing
can be seen in many musicals such as 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'
and 'Cabaret'. The musical films are a development from the dance
halls and silent movies and became very popular in the 1930's. This
popularity remained until the television boom in the 70's and 80's,
and also due to the fact that more realistic films were being released
and people saw the films as unrealistic and fantastical. Busby Berkley
was a film director and choreographer who built a reputation as dance
director of numerous Broadway shows and early musical films before
directing the Warner Brothers' backstage saga Forty-Second Street
(1933). Berkley perfected the still new technique of synchronizing the
filmed image to a pre-recorded soundtrack. As a result, microphones
were not needed during musical sequences, making fluid camera motion
and intricate editing possible. Berkley set cameras on custom built
booms and overhead views of geometrically arran...
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... of the dancing scenes the dancers are synchronized; also the men
in the Moulin Rouge wear the same. The fact that the 'baddy' of the
film is portrayed as being English is similar. The Moulin Rouge is all
about putting on a show which is what musicals are all about,
especially Broadway musical. There is a huge element of romance
throughout the film.
The film on the other hand is different to typical musicals as there
isn't a happy ending. Typical musicals end with, for example, the two
main characters getting married or driving off into the sunset,
however Moulin Rouge ends with the death of the main female character
and love interest, Satine. The sepia is different to typical musicals.
The prostitutes in the Moulin Rouge itself wear different clothing,
which isn't seen in musicals, which adds to the films diversity.
I chose to view and analyze the film The Boondock Saints. There were many different things I focused on while viewing the film. I decided to brake them down into the following categories: narrative, theatrical elements, cinematography, sound, and the overall experience. I will begin with stating my personal interpretations and understandings of the narrative.
Throughout the years, America has pursued the performing arts in a large variety of ways. Theatre plays a dramatic and major role in the arts of our society today, and it takes great effort in all aspects. Musical Theatre, specifically, involves a concentration and strength in dance, acting, and singing. This is the base that Musical Theatre is built upon. For my Senior Project, I helped choreograph multiple scenes in a community musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie”. Choreography is a way of expressing oneself, but it has not always been thought of for that purpose. Agnes de Mille’s expressive talent has drastically affected how people see choreography today. Agnes de Mille’s influence in the world of dance has left a lasting impact in the Performing Arts Department, and her revolutionary works are still known today for their wit, lyricism, emotion, and charm.
The popular dancing movie, Footloose, was directed by Herbert Ross in 1984. Craig Brewer, produced a remake of Footloose in 2011. Both of the original Footloose and the remake, have multiple differences that split them apart. Although they follow the same theme, the sequence of events that took place happened in different orders and well as some characters were not present in the remake as they were in the original. The acting, dancing, and setting were varied slightly but it followed the same trend as the original. Directors Herbert Ross and Craig Brewer, directed the same film, while Craig Brewer made the film more modern, while keeping the film following the same trend.
Since the beginning of film history, directors and writers have used historical events and true stories to create their films. Carl Theodor Dreyer directed one of these films, The Passion of Joan of Arc in 1928. Joan was beatified and canonized many years before the shoot. By then, the society considered Joan of Arc as an innocent martyr and a hero. Just like most people in his society, Dreyer was convinced that Joan of Arc was an innocent victim and that can be seen in the acting, his choice of shots, lighting and editing.
A female in film noir is typically portrayed in one of two ways; she’s either a dependable, trustworthy, devoted, and loving woman, or she’s a manipulative, predatory, double crossing, and unloving temptress. Noir labels the cold hearted and ruthless woman archetype as a Femme Fatale. A femme fatale is walking trouble, and she’s aware of it. This woman is gorgeous, refined, eloquent, and commands the attention of any room she’s in. When the femme fatale desires something, she pursues it. If there’s an obstacle in her way, she overcomes it. If she can’t handle it herself, all she needs to do it bat her eyelashes and the nearest man is all too willing to take care of it for her. In essence, the most dangerous thing about the femme fatale is her
The Bad and The Beautiful (1952) and State and Main (2000) are films within films that unmask Hollywood Cinema as a dream factory and expose the grotesque, veneer hidden by the luxury of stars. The Bad and the Beautiful, directed by Vincent Minnelli, is a black and white film narrated in flashback form. The films theatrical nature requires more close-ups than wide-screen shots to capture the character’s psychological turmoil. For example, Fred and Jonathan’s car ride is captured in a close-up to signify their friendship; however their relationship deteriorates after Jonathan’s deceit. While the camera zooms out, Fred stands alone motionless. Here, Fred is captured from a distance at eye-level and he becomes ostracized by the film industry and
Famous choreographer George Balanchine once said, “He is the most interesting, the most inventive, the most elegant dancer of our times” and noted dancer Rudolph Nureyev also said, “He was not just the best ballroom dancer, or tap dancer, he was simply the greatest, most imaginative, dancer of our time.” These famous dancers were referring to Fred Astaire, who has been known as one of the greatest dancers of all time. His light, artistic joyful style of dancing has impacted dance in an extremely unique way. Astaire used techniques in films as well as in dance that have shaped society. Astaire was mostly prominent throughout the 1930s during the Great Depression. Everywhere, Americans were looking for some joy in their lives, and Astaire was able to give them hope in a period of history that lacked optimism. Fred Astaire’s carefree dance movement style and techniques, specifically in the films Swing Time and The Gay Divorcee, help America through the Great Depression and signifies the importance of art in this time period.
Jeunet’s Amelie and Ham’s Tilly enter as outcasts; who long for acceptance and normalcy from the members of their societies. The use of settings in the novel and film are used as a visual representation of Tilly and Amelie’s isolation. Tilly is “detached” at the top of the hill but able to “[see] everything”, just as Amelie is in her high positioned apartment that overlooks the unfairness in Raymond Dufayel and Lucien’s lives. They experience detachment in different ways, with Amelie growing up “deprived of playmates”, never learning the social skills necessary to enter society, and Tilly being isolated, for being “the dangerous one” and sent away from the society at a young age. They are after the approval of everyone around them as the women
When I first watched Chicago at the movie theater, I was not fully satisfied. I wanted more, so I went back to get some and watched it six more times with different friends and family members! Last summer during a visit to my native Mexico City, I had the opportunity to watch drag queens perform several numbers from the movie-musical. They did an amazing job, without surpassing the outstanding performances of the actors in the film. Last year, I visited NYC for the first time and indulged in the rows of the Ambassador theatre experiencing Chicago, the Broadway musical, and because I had seen the movie many times before, I knew all the songs and dances by heart. I loved it, but it was actually the movie that influenced me to become a “Chicago fan.” The movie is based on the 1996 Chicago revival of the original musical version of 1975. It was thrilling knowing that the making of the musical into a mainstream production would increase its accessibility and widen its distribution into all the corners of the world; now there is no excuse for people not to experience Chicago, and though not everyone can go to Broadway to see it, just about anyone can indulge themselves in this dazzling movie in the comfort of their homes. In addition to a fantasy world of singing, dancing and Vaudeville, the film also provides a narrative that is explicitly presented through Roxie’s point of view, creating a counter human side to Roxie’s fantasy world so that the audience can easily identify and engage. Chicago is a must see film for anyone who likes to spoil themselves with an outstanding award-winning musical composed of a catchy plot, truly superb acting, commendable direction, and a clever soundtrack.
Sex, love, depression, guilt, trust, all are topics presented in this remarkably well written and performed drama. The Flick, a 2014 Pulitzer Prize winning drama by Annie Baker, serves to provide a social commentary which will leave the audience deep in thought well after the curtain closes. Emporia State Universities Production of this masterpiece was a masterpiece in itself, from the stunningly genuine portrayal of the characters of Avery and Rose, to the realism found within the set, every aspect of the production was superb.
How the film techniques used by Baz Luhrman to influence the portrayal and development of characters in the film Strictly Ballroom?
“Marie Antoinette” (2006) directed by Sofia Coppola is a drama/comedy, that is centered on the life of the notorious Queen of France, in the years leading up to the French Revolution. Coppola’s film style was very modern avant garde. The film focuses on Antoinette point of view throughout all her adventures and difficulties. She was the character with whom the viewer identified with the most, her observation were the most important (aside from the audience). Therefore there were many close ups and high lighting on her. The film also invokes the lesson that luxuries is not everything that it will not make you completely happy, which makes the audience feel somewhat sympathetic towards the queen. Coppola successfully achieves to use beautiful and extravagant cinematography to tell the story of the late Marie Antoinette. The mise-en-scene of the film that will be discussed is setting, costume, lighting and figure behavior.
The 2000s/ 2010s brought in a wave of movie musicals- adapted from the stage shows. These brought new audiences into the theatre world, and for the first time in 20 years, brought a love to some of the timeless musicals. With slightly altered songs to appeal to a newer audience, these films brought in much needed money into the industry, with films including: Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Rent, Hairspray, Mamma Mia, Fame- and many more. Together with this, musicals began to push the concept of the songs in them, with a wave of new styles being written. Rap musicals such as ‘Hamilton’ and ‘In The Heights’, Pop musicals including ‘Waitress’ and ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ and Rock musicals of ‘American Idiot’ and ‘Spring Awakening’. Together they pushed boundaries of a ‘traditional’ musical theatre sound, and brought in something never before seen. Due to the influence of ‘Rent’, controversial issues and themes began to be explored more, such as Teen suicide, Murder, Ethnic barriers and everything else, which brought with them, a world of opportunities. It was clear that musical theatre was once again showing for a promising
In today’s world, men and women are perceived equally by the society. In the past, authority and control define men while women are given the characteristic of helplessness. Men are able to get hold of high positions while women usually are subservient to them. In movies, we would usually see women portray roles that are degrading due to the stereotypical notions they associate with this gender group. Moulin Rouge, a movie set during the 1900s narrates the story of a courtesan woman, Satine, as she undergoes hardships to earn money, experiences love but unfortunately, due to her irrational choices, faces tragic consequences at the end. Satine is a symbol of how women are being treated by the society during the era before post-feminism, where men have superiority over women. As the plot develops, Satine transforms from a worthless prostitute to someone who is courageous and willing to face her fears in order to attain her aspirations. Psychoanalyst theory and feminist analysis are apparent throughout the film. The male gaze, fantasy and feminism are three topics that will be covered in depth in this essay through relating it to the movie.
...downfalls. Fagan in his own hope want the audience to look at dance without going through boredom or thinking dance as a medicine (Bramley 24:1997). The musical has allowed this particular component to make differences to such challenges from one dance to the next. This was possible due to Fagan’s approach to choreography that are different compared to another choreography that was designed to other Disney films turned musicals i.e. Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid. These two notable musicals have taken the stages of Broadway by storm. However, there is an ingredient missing to those shows that Taymor was able to capture from beginning to end with the Lion King. It was a risky challenge that Fagan radically took out of the negative into the positive with the use of vocabulary to approach the use of dance and movement as part of a highly successful musical.