The movie was set in 1899, Paris at Moulin Rouge- the most famous cabaret. It boasted its most beautiful courtesan—Satine. She was the pride and wonder of Moulin Rouge. The crème de la crème. The ‘Sparkling Diamond’. The story is about the irony of love and tragedy of life. That is what this write-up is going to focus on.
Although there is a beauty to the art of being a courtesan, there’s an ugly truth- the fact that these scarlet women are constantly disrespected, sneered at and forced to be subject of perverse glares of men. Their worthiness is reinforced when it is discovered that the Moulin Rouge is running low on funding and Satine was immediately, no questions asked, instructed to sleep with a wealthy Duke who was a possible investor. However, she mistook Christian- an impoverished writer to be the Duke and finds a special connection with him. Within the hour in her suite filled with awkward, yet hilariously confusing misconceptions, they realise that there has been a mistake. But their falling in love was most certainly not a mistake. Due to the nature of her profession, the notion of falling in love was absurd to her. She went to the highest bidder, she was a source of pleasure and amusement. She made all sorts of excuses to keep him away and even resorted to telling him that he’s too poor to handle her, for a girl needs to eat. But every time they tried to stay away from each other, they ended up entangled in each other’s arms. They continued to pursue their love in secret, although she was bound by contract to the Duke. However, her regularly coughing out blood and fainting bouts led to her being diagnosed with a deathly disease. The lovers decide to elope since the Duke starts picking up on their relationship. But, he threatens to kill Christian if Satine doesn’t do what he says. She lies to Christian and makes him believe that her feelings were all just an act, she was an actress of sorts, before all.
How unfortunate must it have been when right when you taste the forbidden fruit of love, it is snatched away? The sacrifices she made- pledging herself to the Moulin Rouge, detaching her feelings and morals from her work, leaving her self respect in the rubble, all because she was promised that she would make it big as an accomplished and recognised actress; what were these compared to how Christian made her feel, for “the greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return”? Satine, unable to bear the thought of living without Christian, consumes a vial of poison before her last act. She didn’t expect Christian to burst in right at that moment, and neither did he anticipate her pushing him away more forcefully than the last. The closing act passes in more confusion, more torn emotions, more drama, more unexpected twists, more melancholy, more passion and Satine! Her quest for love left unfulfilled- dies in an exasperated Christian’s arms.
Ah, the irony of love and tragedy of life.
Although there is a beauty to the art of being a courtesan, there’s an ugly truth- the fact that these scarlet women are constantly disrespected, sneered at and forced to be subject of perverse glares of men. Their worthiness is reinforced when it is discovered that the Moulin Rouge is running low on funding and Satine was immediately, no questions asked, instructed to sleep with a wealthy Duke who was a possible investor. However, she mistook Christian- an impoverished writer to be the Duke and finds a special connection with him. Within the hour in her suite filled with awkward, yet hilariously confusing misconceptions, they realise that there has been a mistake. But their falling in love was most certainly not a mistake. Due to the nature of her profession, the notion of falling in love was absurd to her. She went to the highest bidder, she was a source of pleasure and amusement. She made all sorts of excuses to keep him away and even resorted to telling him that he’s too poor to handle her, for a girl needs to eat. But every time they tried to stay away from each other, they ended up entangled in each other’s arms. They continued to pursue their love in secret, although she was bound by contract to the Duke. However, her regularly coughing out blood and fainting bouts led to her being diagnosed with a deathly disease. The lovers decide to elope since the Duke starts picking up on their relationship. But, he threatens to kill Christian if Satine doesn’t do what he says. She lies to Christian and makes him believe that her feelings were all just an act, she was an actress of sorts, before all.
How unfortunate must it have been when right when you taste the forbidden fruit of love, it is snatched away? The sacrifices she made- pledging herself to the Moulin Rouge, detaching her feelings and morals from her work, leaving her self respect in the rubble, all because she was promised that she would make it big as an accomplished and recognised actress; what were these compared to how Christian made her feel, for “the greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return”? Satine, unable to bear the thought of living without Christian, consumes a vial of poison before her last act. She didn’t expect Christian to burst in right at that moment, and neither did he anticipate her pushing him away more forcefully than the last. The closing act passes in more confusion, more torn emotions, more drama, more unexpected twists, more melancholy, more passion and Satine! Her quest for love left unfulfilled- dies in an exasperated Christian’s arms.
Ah, the irony of love and tragedy of life.