In 2001 Australian director Baz Luhrmann brought the musical back to the big screen with spectacular sparkle by unleashing the magnificent Moulin Rouge! on unsuspecting cinema audiences. Embedding a heartstring-tugging story with stunning visual style and song-and-dance numbers, Baz’s biggest hit so far is a bravura blast of experimental filmmaking that presents turn-of-the-century Paris through a postmodern pop-tinged filter.

The scene where Ewan McGregor’s penniless writer Christian captivates Nicole Kidman’s kinky courtesan Satine is one such sequence that creatively brings together Luhrmann’s offbeat ideas. Taking the two protagonists and placing them on the top of the elephant tower in the grounds of the infamous Montmartre nightclub, Satine and Christian embark on their passionate love affair by singing a more cinematic version of Elton John’s “Your Song”

The “Your Song” sequence shows that not only do McGregor and Kidman have believable chemistry but that they can also hold a tune – all the while expressing the joie de vivre that serves as the very essence of the film. As with the rest of the movie it’s pleasing on both eye and ear and bursts with life and exuberant flamboyance. Moulin Rouge! carries its credo of “freedom, beauty, truth and love” through to the end and is undoubtedly a joy to behold as it cleverly takes the ‘doomed-love’ narrative and crafts it into a quirky period-set Bohemian blockbuster exploding with bold energy and exciting artistic invention.

You can view all our Greatest Scenes by clicking HERE. If you find any broken links or wish to request a scene (make sure you leave a paragraph saying why you recommend it), Contact Me and let me know.