Moulin Rouge
1952 Biography / Drama
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Credits
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Summary
In late 1800s, Henri Toulose-Lautrec gives up his aristocratic
birthright to live a Bohemian lifestyle in the popular haunts of Paris,
which include the Moulin Rouge, home of the French cancan.
Lautrec craves love but an accident in childhood has stunted his growth
and now he is regarded as a figure of fun. He takes a prostitute
Marie Charlet under his wing, but she repays him with insults and
abandons him. Lautrec’s mania for drink and hard work propels him
ever faster towards a premature death...Review
John Huston’s lavish portrayal of the life and loves of the
post-impressionist painter Henri de Toulose-Lautrec falls into the
pitfall of many a biopic - elaborating popular myth rather than
recounting the known facts and favouring spectacle over
substance. As a celebration of the work of Lautrec, the film has
much to commend it - the gaudy costumes and sets, together with the
smoky colour-saturated cinematography, perfectly evoke the vibrant work
of the great artist. However, as a serious account of the life of
Laurec, the film leaves a great deal to be desired.José Ferrer was an all-too obvious casting choice for the part of Lautrec. He had already cornered the market in playing grotesques, notably the title role in Michael Gordon’s Cyrano de Bergerac (1950). Unfortunately, in a performance that can best be described as wooden, Ferrer fails to go much beyond the stereotypical image of Lautrec and gives what is largely a slightly sick caricature, exaggerating his short stature by a good twelve inches whilst failing to convey any warmth or humanity. Having Ferrer play both Lautrec (on his knees) and his father is an extraordinarily bad piece of casting judgement and merely shows the limits of Ferrer’s range as an actor. Ferrer is not a particularly bad actor but his failings are exacerbated by what has to be one of John Huston’s worst screenplays. The banal self-referential observations on art are irritating to anyone who knows something about the subject, but these are nowhere near as off-putting as the lack of characterisation and clumsy attempts to evoke sympathy for the protagonists. Although immensely popular when it was first released, presumably on account of its stunning visuals, the film now feels dated and shallow. It was nominated for seven Oscars (including Best Picture and Best Director), but won only two - for Best Art Direction (Color) and Best Costume Design (Color). It would be easy to dismiss the film completely were it not for its remarkable opening sequence in the Moulin Rouge, which succeeds in catapulting the audience into the superficially glitzy world which lured and fascinated Toulose-Lautrec, like a moth drawn to the flame. © James Travers 2008 Write a review for this film... For World Cinema on DVD... 
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