Customer Reviews

Baz Luhrmann's Red Curtain Trilogy (Strictly Ballroom / Romeo + Juliet / Moulin Rouge)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The colorful, whirling world of Baz Luhrmann is brought to life in the Red Curtain Trilogy, comprising "Strictly Ballroom," "Romeo + Juliet," and "Moulin Rouge." While there are sticky patches -- particularly the pairing of Danes and DiCaprio in "Romeo + Juliet" --the overall effect is beautiful and poignant.

"Strictly Ballroom" is the problem in Scott's (Paul Mercurio) life. He's an outstanding dancer, but he refuses to conform to the Australian ballroom rules -- he wants to dance his own steps. When he loses his partner, awkward Fran (Tara Morice) enters the scene and asks to dance with him. These two outcasts of the ballroom start to fall in love as they try to win a major competition.

"Romeo + Juliet" gives a modern Californian twist to the classic tale of feuding families and starcrossed young lovers. Romeo (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Juliet (Claire Danes) come from a pair of families locked in a deadly feud, but they fall in love anyway. Their desperate efforts to be together lead to tragedy...

"Moulin Rouge" gives us another kind of bittersweet love story -- a musical rather than a revamped classic. Bohemian poet Christian (Ewan McGregor) dips into the sensuous, flashy world of Moulin Rouge. There he falls in love with the beautiful, sickly Satine (Nicole Kidman), a star at the club, and a well-known courtesan. Unfortunately, their growing love is threatened by a duke, who wants Satine all for himself.

As a boy, Baz Luhrmann grew up around ballroom competitions, which give the heart to these movies. But the soul is in the presentation. It's theatrical, colorful, dazzling to the eyes and centered on classic tales of doomed love and succeeding against the odds.

Luhrmann's sense of the theatrical is included in his direction -- it can be very sharp and fast, and sometimes downright crazy. With another director, it might seem flashy and gaudy, but Luhrmann's unique style works. A particular risk is making a musical, something which spelled death for movies for a long time... until Luhrmann revived it with Moulin Rouge. Or the postmodern tale of Romeo and Juliet, which is imperfect, but still quite pleasant.

The acting tends to be excellent, although the acting in "Romeo + Juliet" is spotty, and DiCaprio and Danes have zero chemistry. But McGregor and Kidman in particular are outstanding, and Tara Morice and Paul Mercurio of "Strictly Ballroom" have electricity and sweetness to spare. The supporting actors are quite good as well.

And the three-DVD set is graced with plenty of extras -- documentaries, commentary on each film, behind-the-scenes peeks, featurettes, and some gorgeous music videos. And there's even an extra disc included with a "Red Curtain" documentary about Luhrmann's style, scripts, screensavers, more music videos, and more.

Baz Luhrmann reinvented the musical and gave his movies a lush, strange look that entices viewers even now. Sensuous, fun and funky, this is a trilogy to definitely check out.

This is an awesome DVD set. It has two of my favorite movies, Moulin Rouge and Strictly Ballroom.

Moulin Rouge
I had no desire to watch this movie as I do not enjoy musicals. I usually get embarrassed for the characters who break into song, but with this movie I was amazed. The acting of Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor (what a hottie!) was superb. I was amazed a what good voices they had. I was mesmerized from the very beginning. The songs are just beautiful.
Listening to Ewan McGregor's woefull voice tell the tale of his beloved Satine was heartbreaking. I was sucked into the vortex of Moulin Rouge. I cannot understand how anyone who watched this movie did not fall in love with it and the characters. Granted the main character is a courtesan, but who cares? She falls in love with the penniless writer and true love prevails, she understands what 'true love'is. From the very beginning we know that their love was doomed, but we still rooted for them, for love is 'like oxygen' and we wanted them to be happy.

All in all, this was an amazing movie. I would suggest that you watch it before believing the hype. Amazing movie, I loved it!!

Strictly Ballroom
I must admit, it took me approximately 20 minutes to actually get into this movie. I so wanted to shut if off, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt and decided to give it more time. I am extremely happy that I did.

While this is not a 'masterpiece' as 'Moulin Rouge', it is definately VERY good. The acting was stupendous. The actors made me feel that the story was very real. In a very 'slight' way, I was reminicant of 'Dirty Dancing'.

Scott is this Awesome ballroom dancer who does not adhere to 'Strictly Ballroom' rules. He loses a major competition due to his unorthodox dance moves. His overly dramatic dance partner dumps him right before another major competition, and poor Scott is left partnerless. In appears an extremely 'ugly duckling' who wants to dance with him. What happens next is ..... well, I guess you should watch it to know the rest.

Overall this was a delightfully lighthearted movie with some poignant scenes that will leave you teary eyed. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Romeo & Juliet
This was a very good movie. Most everyone knows the story of Romeo and Juliet and this is a good adaption with a funky twist. This was not one of my favorite movies in the set, but as stories go, this was very unique.

Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio were outstanding as the star crossed lovers in this newly updated tale of love and woe. They are both fairly young and that makes the story all the more heartbreaking. If you are looking for an old classic with an unusual twist, then this movie is for you.

All in all, this 4 DVD set is Awesome. There is a 4th DVD with special inside information and unique interviews. If you like these movies than this is a must buy. I recommend it greatly.

Anyone who loves Baz Luhrmann will adore this box set. I was hesitant to buy it at first, wondering if it was worth the money. It is!! All three movies are absolutely wonderful, and the extra disk is a great view into the world of Mr. Luhrmann. It's a fan's dream come true.

I would recommend this set. If you average out the price, you're probably paying about the same amount for this set as you would if you bought each movie separately. I bought this because i liked Moulin Rogue but didn't care enough to buy it when it came out and I loved Romeo and Juliet and also really like Strictly Ballroom- the bonus DVD Inside the Red Curtain- is ok- you may watch it once but shouldn't be a deciding factor in buying the DVD set. Both Moulin Rogue and Romeo and Juliet seem to have a fair amount of DVD extras (MR has a second disc, of course) Strictly Ballroom seems a little slim, but i haven't watched the dvd yet, just browsed through the menu

As you watch this collection of DVD's you will see Baz Luhrmans style develop into a well-formed art. As he hones his talent into a unique craft, Baz has made himself a name in the world of filmmaking with these three flicks. All of the stories revolve around intense love stories filled with glamour, great music, tons of glitz, and avant garde cinematography. While all of the stories have familiar echos to other famous films, they are all completely unique in setting and feeling.

"Strictly Ballroom" is probably the lesser known of the 3 movies in this set, and is a typical underdog dance story, where the main character Scott Hastings is snubbed by a Ballroom dance society for his unique moves. He hooks up with a newbie to the scene and passion arises as they try to work together to win a big dance competition despite what people think of them. The storyline is somewhat similar to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" but I must say, this is the best movie about Ballroom Dancing ever made...quite possibly the only one mind you.

Next we have the Shakespeare remake of his classic play 'Romeo and Juliet' that tells the tale of two lovers that cross paths but everything in their lives is trying to pull them apart. This movie is filmed in a different standard then strictly ballroom, with a lot more avant garde shots and mixing of scenes. Leonardo Dicaprio and Claire Danes lack chemistry, but while Leo really works as the Romeo, Claires preformance is lackluster at times and almost downright funny in the final scene. You have to give Luhrman the upmost props for adapting this story in a way that doesn't make you question the loop holes, including having a newscaster tell the nararration, having sloppy fed-ex message delivery men, and fights with guns instead of swords.

Finally we have the finale of Baz's trio of flicks, a more-musical based little ;) movie titled "Moulin Rouge" that takes you to turn of the century Paris. The story is filled with schmultz and love, but that only adds to it. It follows two young lovers (again), one of them a prostitute who must stay loyal to her job at hte Moulin Rouge, the other a young writer with his head in the clouds who bewitches the Courtsean du jour, Satine, and of course, chaos ensues over their tryst. This film is done extremely well, with lots of beautiful effects and over-the-top imagery that exudes love and an old-time movie feel. Definately my fave of the three, this one tugs at my heart strings every time I watch it.

Don't forget the great special features with this, that take you behind the red curtain for each movie by gettin to know the cast, the concepts, and the crew. Baz does a great job exploring some cool art forms in each movie: Dancing, Drama, and Music. Excellent!

I can't truly compare this box set to other box sets since I don't own any others, but The Red Curtain Trilogy is truly a set to be reckoned with. Baz Luhrmann seems to put as much care into his DVD's as he does the movies themselves. In fact, only the Lord of the Rings Extended version can boast more features (probably). Most people have probably formed their own opinions of the movies in the set, but I will add my two cents about them.
I suppose my main reason for buying the set was Strictly Ballroom; I love this movie. It is admittedly completely over the top and melodramatic, and no one else has made such great use of melodrama as Luhrmann. The features on this disk are probably thinnest of any of the movies, but there is still plenty with which you may play. The only thing its missing is footage from the original stage production, which I would dearly love to see... but Baz Luhrmann heard my cry... i am getting ahead of myself. Independently, Strictly Ballroom would probably get 5 of 5 stars.

The next movie in the trilogy is Romeo + Juliet. I took a long time to watch this movie and waited until it was on television. I didn't hate the movie, so I was willing to buy the RCT, and I hadn't given R+J any other thought until I bought the trilogy. Its a lot better than I remember. Though there were elements worse than I remembered. Some people judge it pretty harshly for stupid reasons like cutting lines. Few theatres actually perform Shakespeare in its entirety anymore, and Luhrmann has made great economy with the language. The best example is Juliet's monologue after Romeo dies; it is rendered unnecessary by the staging and cuts. My big beef with this film is that the actors don't handle the language as well in some places. Luhrmann describes R+J as violent and sexy, and the actors seem to only give credence to the parts of the film that are violent and sexy. In those areas of the film, the actors shine and truly attack the words and Shakespeare is fresh and wonderful, but in the rest of the movie, the actors may as well be speaking gibberish for all of the sense they make of what they say. The extras on this disc are fantastic, there's lots of behind the scenes footage, design concepts and the general fare that consumers come to expect from their DVDs, especially if they are from Baz Luhrmann films. Independently, I would give this four of five stars.

The film that probably is the highlight for many in this trilogy, is Moulin Rouge. There is very little to say and you can read the many reviews that customers have written for it. Basically, if you can get past the initial 20 minutes, then you are in for a fantastic movie. El Tango de Roxanne actually took my breath away and is reason enough to see the film. This DVD sets the bar for extra features (well the bar has since been raised, but this is still one of the best DVDs out there). The second DVD is packed (packed I say!)with extra footage. And there are lots of fun easter eggs hidden on the discs to be sought out, including one blooper reel of "Your Song." MR definitely would get 5 out of 5 stars.

Lastly, we come to the Behind the Red Curtain disc. This disc truly rounds out the collection and is packed with information. The Behind the Red Curtain feature is truly fun, like a Choose Your Own Adventure book (though not quite), wherein Baz talks about the creation of the three movies, and little things pop up on the screen for you to choose, and they lead you from Baz's lecture to special footage, including some footage of the original stage version of Strictly Ballroom when it was performed at a festival. There's also footage of his production of La Boheme with the Australian Opera and other sundry bits of archival footage. The disc is truly a fantastic disc of extra features that makes this set worth purchasing.

Overall, I have enjoyed the Red Curtain Trilogy, and I highly suggest it. If you were still wondering whether or not you should purchase it, I would like to assure you that it is truly worth the money. In the final analysis, the box set is definitely worth 5 out of 5 stars.

These are great movies, each with Luhrmann's bombastic eye candy flare and anachronisms.
But ... big problem with the Romeo & Juliet disc. The packaging listed all kinds of features from interviews to commentary, but there were none to be found on the disc. All it offered in the "Extra Features" section was a trailer. Seriously. I haven't checked the other discs yet.
Buyer beware until Fox recalls and remedies.

Well , this is indeed a wonderful colection. Here is three (3) DVD's put together for your viewing needs. First is Stricly Ballroom, my least favorite of the three. This is however a great movie, the acting, and directing are above most. Then is the powerful, Romeo + Juliet. This is a most visual movie. The best use, of color, lighting, and camera angles, I've seen in a long time. The story is nothing new, two lovers, torn apart by family disputes. but Baz has taken the story and has made it his own, with the use of such bold imagery, and a mix of mordern, with the old. (...) Lastly is the movie Moulin Rouge. WOW! Baz has done it again, this is an other visual mastery. The story is yet another love story, but again Baz has created something which is impossible to look away from. In the end this is a collection that is a must have, so ge it, watch it, and enjoy.

Not only do you get the best movies ever made, you also get a bonus disc filled with cool bonus features not found anywhere else. All the cover art on the movies are redone with the exception of Strictly Ballroom. So do what I did and sell the dvd's you already own and buy the new "Red Curtain Trilogy" the coolest boxed set around.

Moulin Rouge is my boyfriend and my most favorite movie ever. We never expected to like, not one bit. But after we rented it, then bought it -- well, we've watched it dozens and dozens of times and even gone to a Sing-a-Long night here in DC, which was great fun. Romance, conflict, pop songs and a whole lot of foretelling lead up to the most fulfilling climax and an ever-so-sad ending. "Quick, play it again!"

Romeo & Juliet is cool enough. The best part of the whole thing is when they die at the end. (I don't think I'm giving anything away with that famous plot twist.) Honestly, I wasn't familiar with the plot or dialogue so I was lost the first time I watched it. Then I rewatched it with the English subtitles -- big help! Thank gawd for DVDs.

Strictly Ballroom is the weakest of the three and the only one I originally saw in the theatre. It's a modest cinderella-type story mostly told from the prince-like dancer who plays the lead. The side characters are rather cartoonish and other than the lead, no one is as beautiful as this storyline needs them to be. It's okay.

I was most excited to finally buy this triple pack for my boyfriend's birthday a few months ago -- I really wanted to see what the 4th Disc had. I liked the workshop documentary and loved the remix of "Someday I'll Fly Away." There's some nice stuff here... but A LOT is missing, too: NONE of the DVD-ROM links work anymore! I have no idea what tidbits I'm missing, but I feel a bit ripped off [sigh]. What's left is some bits of the background music from the movie. The best song is under the "Toulouse Tonight" section, "Meet you in the Red Room" I think is what it's called. But the screenplay and web vignettes are all gone. Come on FOX, get it back online or give me a partial refund! It hasn't been that long since this set came out.