Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor sing, dance and scale the heights of passionate abandon in the year's most talked-about movie from visionary director Baz Luhrmann (William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, Strictly Ballroom). Enter a tantalizing world that celebrates truth, beauty, freedom and above all things, love.
From the opening moments of the film my eyes and heart were entranced with this wonderful musical of love. The music and set pieces are wonderful eye and ear candy. My favorite scene is the "Elephant Love Medley" where stars Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman singing a perfect collage (with their own voices mind you) of classic from the likes of U2, Dolly Parton, and David Bowie. The supporting cast is terrific and includes Jim Broadbent, John Leguizamo, and Richard Roxburgh. I can;t recommend this movie enough and am proud to give it a perfect 10/10.
"Moulin Rouge" arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the original aspect ratio of 2.40:1. While this may sound cliched, this Director Baz Luhrman approved transfer is in a word "perfect". From the rainbow of perfectly saturated colors that pop off the screen to the exquisitely rendered detail in the marvelous set pieces and costume design. There were no signs of color bleeding. Blacks were rich and contrast was spot on while exhibiting superb shadow detail. Granted there are a few instances of soft shots but they look more like artistic intent. Grain kept a natural film like appearance. I noticed zero signs of DNR or Edge Enhancement. For any serious videophile you need this stunning transfer in your collection.10/10
Audio is provided by a "Spectacular, Spectacular" DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Considering the film is a modern musical the music in the track needs to be lush and expansive bringing the viewer into the world of the characters and this track does achieves that with aplomb. Dynamic range was stunning with great clarity realized in the voices and instruments. LFE added a great heft when needed for the music cues and various sound effects throughout the film. Surround channels were almost constantly engaged with nicely placed and sometimes subtle effects. I enjoyed every minute listening to this track. 10/10
* Audio Commentary - Director Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Donald Mcalpine, and Craig Pearce.
* “Spectacular Spectacular” Picture-in-Picture Mode with Audio Commentary - Director Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Donald McAlpine, and Craig Pearce in the same standalone audio commentary tack plus several video features , fact tracks, and more. You can access parts of the Bazmark Vault by clicking enter when an icon appears on screen.
* A Word from Baz (HD,1min58sec) — The director discusses the film making its Blu-ray debut.
* A Creative Adventure (HD, 11min04sec) - A nice overview of the director's unique vision.
* The House of Iona (HD, 7min11sec) — The house where Baz and his cast and various crew members collaborate on the project is profiled here. It looks like an amazing place to work on the creative process.
* The Making of Moulin Rouge (HD port, 25min55sec) - A pretty good look at the making of the film with clips , interviews with stars and the director as well as his creative team.
* From the Bazmark Vault (HD ports of DVD footage):
- Father & Son
- Early Cut of Zidler’s Rap
- Baz Unleashes Unbridled Lust
- A Kiss, A Touch or a Pat
- Nicole & Jim Rehearse at Iona
- Ewan & Nicole’s First Dance
- Zidler’s Jig
- Directing Man in the Moon Deleted Cut
- Directing Like a Virgin
- The Duke’s Happy Ending
- Jealousy Tango — The Early Tests
- Rehearsal Footage — Jealousy Tango
- Rehearsing Ravishment
- On Set with Toulouse Tonight
- Nicole Kidman’s First Vocal Test — “Sad Diamonds”
* The Stars:
- Nicole Kidman as Satine (3min44sec)
- Ewan McGreggor as Christian (3min23sec)
- John Lequizamo as Toulouse (2min31sec)
- Jim Broadbent as Zidler (2min29sec)
- Richard Roxburgh as The Duke (2min44sec)
* The Writers:
- Interview with writers Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce (4min9sec)
- Craig Pearce Reads Early Treatment (2min29sec)
* The Design:
- Interview with production designer and costume co-designer Catherine Martin (6min49sec)
- Interview with co-costume designer Angus Strathie (2min22sec)
- The Evolution of the Intro (4min38sec)
- The Green Fairy (3min57sec)
- The Windmill (2min12sec)
- Christian’s Garret (2min35sec)
- The Main Hall (2min56sec)
- The Garden of Earthly Delights (3min4sec)
- Gothic Tower (1min44sec)
* The Dance:
- Extended Can Can (4min49sec)
- Extended Tango (5min58sec)
- Extended Hindi (3min39sec)
- Extended Coup D’état (57sec)
- Interview with choreographer John “Cha Cha” O’Connell (6min14sec)
* The Music:
- The Music Journey (9min54sec)
- The Love Medley Music (4min28sec)
- Interview with Fatboy Slim (3min56sec)
- “Lady Marmalade” (4min33sec)
- “Come What May” (4min15sec)
- “One Day I’ll Fly Away” (3min57sec)
* The Cutting Room:
- Interview with editor Jill Bilcock and Baz Luhrmann (3min46sec)
- Director’s Mock Previsualisations (4min40sec)
- Toulouse Tonight Web Series
* Marketing:
- Around the World with the Moulin Rouge (2min10sec)
- Theatrical Trailer
- Japanese Theatrical Trailer
* Live Extras:
- What’s New?
- Live Lookup — gain access to IMDb