Moulin Rouge

Alexis Wright

World History

Mr. Scott

04/10/17

Moulin Rouge

        Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge is a accurate historical film of events that occurred during the period between 1899 and 1900 in Paris' Moulin Rouge nightclub. Luhrmann's researched film uncovers several shocking things that were previously unknown to historians. Many scenes throughout this movie are historically accurate.

        In Moulin Rouge is taken up with big musical numbers and the development of the love story between Satin and Christian which is the main focus throughout this film, which leaves little time to include historical information that was going on at this time. The film includes scenes of the Moulin Rouge at night with men wearing black suit and women wearing colorful frilly dresses, dancing and drinking which is accurate to what would actually happen on a typical night at Moulin Rouge in the 1900s. In the film, the city of Paris is seemed to be romantic, “the director has obviously chosen to do depict a mood and feel to the film and the Bohemian revolution in real life that were that the same would be again the costumes and behavior.”(Storvold, Grace)

        The film had also included characters that were involved in the real life Moulin Rouge. Nini Patte-en-I’-Air or Legs In The Air did work at the Moulin Rouge and is used as a main character throughout the film. Also Toulouse Lautrec which is a “Tragic artist who is now almost a symbol of the bohemian Paris at the turn-of-the-century.”As stated by Kyla Davidson. Also Charles Zidler was the owner of the Moulin Rouge who was also showed in the film. The real Zidler was obsessed with the phenomenon that was electricity and at the time it was still being manipulated by many scientists. Luhrmann shows Zidler’s obsession throughout the film also.

        Some other historical accuracies are when the flim had shown the birth of the Can Can dance. “The Can Can dance quickly became a sensation, with certain sections of society flocking to the Moulin Rouge to enjoy it,and certain sections of flocking equally breathlessly to be scandalized.”(Culture & Stuff) It had also shown more varieties of dances throughout the film that had originated from Moulin Rouge. Another huge accuracy would be, the Bohemain revolution which was not exactly one event but a series of events and developments that are taking place throughout the film.