An Analysis of Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge(2001) is an Oscar winning master piece from director Baz Luhrmann. It followed the success and recognition of Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Strictly Ballroom (1992). All three films were recognized for Luhrmann’s characteristic style. His films feature stylistic choices such as blue and red lighting, the use of rapid cuts and vibrant, period accurate costume. To analyze Luhrmann’s use of the four elements of the stylistic system, I will consider two specific scenes from the film, namely El Tango De Roxanne and the first meeting between the Duke, Christian and Satine. Although they both feature singing and dancing, the mood evoked by each contrasts completely.
Every film uses the stylistic system to structure a narrative that is based on a combination of the visual and audile rather than either in isolation. The four elements of the stylistic system are sound, cinematography, editing and mise-en-scene. Mise-en-scene can be further broken down into four different categories, namely setting, movement of figures, lighting and costume and make up. I will comment on the film in the context of the musical genre and then analyze the use of the stylistic system in Moulin Rouge by considering each element in the context of the two scenes.
Until the early 1900s, theatre was the most popular form of entertainment for the masses. Musical theatre was especially popular with its exciting costumes, sets and a multiplicity of performance art; acting, dancing and singing. The Jazz Singer (released in 1927) was the beginning of an innovation in the cinematic world. “The immediate impact of The Jazz Singer: lots of movie musicals”. (Cohan, 2002, pg 4)Modern film musicals have come a long way since then. Two types of musical cinema have come about; straight musical and backstage musical. Straight musical refers to musical films like Grease where the film is a story (usually a romance) in which the characters sing and dance to tell the story. “The myth of spontaneity
Every film uses the stylistic system to structure a narrative that is based on a combination of the visual and audile rather than either in isolation. The four elements of the stylistic system are sound, cinematography, editing and mise-en-scene. Mise-en-scene can be further broken down into four different categories, namely setting, movement of figures, lighting and costume and make up. I will comment on the film in the context of the musical genre and then analyze the use of the stylistic system in Moulin Rouge by considering each element in the context of the two scenes.
Until the early 1900s, theatre was the most popular form of entertainment for the masses. Musical theatre was especially popular with its exciting costumes, sets and a multiplicity of performance art; acting, dancing and singing. The Jazz Singer (released in 1927) was the beginning of an innovation in the cinematic world. “The immediate impact of The Jazz Singer: lots of movie musicals”. (Cohan, 2002, pg 4)Modern film musicals have come a long way since then. Two types of musical cinema have come about; straight musical and backstage musical. Straight musical refers to musical films like Grease where the film is a story (usually a romance) in which the characters sing and dance to tell the story. “The myth of spontaneity
References: Bordwell and Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction. Eighth Edition. (2008) McGraw-Hill, New York. Cohan, S. (Ed.) Hollywood Musicals: The Film reader. (2002)Routledge, London. pg 1-4: Introduction by Cohan, S. pg 35-55: Essay by Jan Feurer. Luhrmann, B. Moulin Rouge (2001).