Thematic concerns in "Moulin Rouge"

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"Moulin Rouge" the scandalous, and over the top film co-written by Baz Luhrmann is set in the 1900's a time when upper and lower class were largely divided. Although, the beginning of the movie starts in black and white it quickly becomes splashed with color and excitement. The main characters Cristian and Satine become the films main attraction when the forbidden love blossoms. "Moulin Rouge" embodies the theme of the forbidden love of two people from two completely different worlds, and two very different perspectives on love, and the obstacles that come with it. Cristian, a British writer who has not yet made it, and Satine a popular prostitute and star of " spectacular! spectacular!" were opposites who attracted after a false first meeting. The duke, a wealthy and powerful man with a title Satine longed for gets mistaken for Cristian when Satine takes him to the beautiful elephant bedroom and she learns that he is a poor writer who left his bourgeoisie father to pursue his dreams and Satine's true colors show when she falls in love with the man she thought to be the duke. But when she finds out that Cristian is not what she had first thought she makes known the fact that she is money hungry. She makes it clear that money trumps love in her moral compass. Cristian on the other hand ignores that she is a prostitute and falls deeply for her. From the start the love between the young writer and the burlesque dancer is complicated and frowned upon. Forbidden love is the most intense and explosive love because the heart wants what it can not have. The love between Cristian and Satine was doomed from the moment it began.

The constant struggle Cristian and Satine go through is their roles in society. Upper class and lower class were...

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...emotions. With obstacles and power struggles the love between Christian and Satine is doubtful. Love ends up coming on top in the end and the materialistic things seem to vanish in the presence of the two lovers. The film creates a contrast between the right way to look for love and the wrong way. Forbidden love is unstoppable and Cristian and Satine embody this. Even death could not break the bond these two shared. The power struggle between upper class and lower class and the naïve and cynical outlook on love are the most important themes in this film and will forever be a spectacular and unique showcase of love.

Moulin Rouge. Dir. Baz Luhrmann. Perf. Nicole Kidman as Satine Ewan McGregor as Cristian. 20th Century Fox, 2001. DVD.

Works Cited

Moulin Rouge. Dir. Baz Luhrmann. Perf. Nicole Kidman as Satine Ewan McGregor as Cristian. 20th Century Fox, 2001. DVD.

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