Customer Reviews

Moulin Rouge: The Splendid Illustrated Book That Charts the Journey of Baz Luhrmann's Motion Picture

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What ever you missed seeing in Baz Luhrman's Moulin Rouge is captured here in the companion book to the film. A marketing compendium of behind the scene shots and some strikingly beautiful portraits of principal actors Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman by Ellen Von Unwerth, this book is a coffee table accessory. If you were not one of those privy to receive the promotional booklet sent by Fox Studios prior to the film's release, this book will provide the same material and more. Guest photographers Douglas Kirkland and Mary Ellen Mark shots of garish aspects of the cast of club performers, dancers, tatooed men, little people, and cross-dressers who were barely visible in the frantic pace of the film are visually arresting. These are faces and stories unto themselves. Many of the lush color shots give a flavor and hint at the arduous task of putting the film together. Disappointing is the text that restates the numerous press releases, website data, and offers a brief history of bohemian Paris through the look of modern actors in costumes however stunning those costumes may be. Coffee table books are nice presents but in the end, they are decorative additions that provide entertainment for a fleeting moment of conversation, much like the film did in heated discussions over Baz Luhrmann's filmic style. Wait for the paperback edition as the price is high for the hardcover edition even though the quality of the book is worth the price for collectors.

"Moulin Rouge" is one of my all-time favorite movies. I am still blown away by the depth, intensity, and flamboyance of the film. Thus, this book seemed a necessity for me. However upon reading some of the below reviews, I was skeptical about purchasing it, but curiosity won out. This purchase has proven to be a great investment.

This book chronicles Baz Luhrmann's journey of creating "Moulin Rouge". Containing vivid and colorful pictures of movie stills, behind-the-scenes snapshots, 19th century drawings, and production blueprints, it gives the reader a tiny peek into the brilliance of the entire Moulin Rouge experience. In addition, the book contains numerous interviews with key players in the production, including the choreographers, cinematographers, stylists, musicians, etc. For me, the best part was learning so much about 19th century Paris, and learning about the actual people and places that inspired many of the film's characters.

My one complaint is, the book is too short! Much more could have been included, such as interviews with Nicole, Ewan, and other main stars. (These are however, available on the DVD of the film). I also wish that many of the background topics would have been more extensive; most interviews are limited to a page or two. I could have read chapters on these people!

Bottom line: a great buy. I am even more in awe of Luhrmann et al, after reading this book.

I adored the movie Moulin Rouge and the soundtrack is one my favorite CDs but the book was a great let down. I was hoping to find a written explaantion of how Moulin Rouge was made and to see pictures from this glorious film. Instead it seems more like an overpriced graphic novel. The fact that there is not one clear photograph of either Nicole Kidman or Ewan McGregor is ridiculous. Hopefully some one else will write a real book about the making of the film.

I bought this book at a Borders store for $40.00, thinking it would be the greatest treat I ever invested in, but I was sadly disappointed after realizing how poorly constructed it was.
Naturally, I was a big fan of the movie, so my sudden impulse was to buy this companion book. Upon reading it, however, I noticed that there were several empty spaces on where there certainly could have been color photos. Also, the section on costume design was about a page long, and did not even include a single sketch of Catherine Martin's costume designs! In fact, there was little that the book actually revealed. Pretty much all of it can be found on the extra features section of the dvd. There were very few conceptual sketches, and I was very puzzled to see many blank areas throughout the book. It seemed almost as if the creators of this book were in a terrible time crunch, and had to publish this book within a few days before the deadline.
Also, there are a series of pages that attempt to retell the story of the movie, but fail miserably. The story is all mixed up, and it ends with Satine muttering her last final breath "The show must go on." What?!? That's not anywhere near to how the movie ended, nor is it what Satine would have said to Christian. Oh well...
Still, if you really must buy this book, try getting it for the cheapest price possible. I absolutely LOVED the movie, but when it came to this book, it made me wonder how Baz allowed himself to conjure up such a poorly-made product.
I love you Baz, I just wish you could have come up with something that looked like effort was put into it!

This book is a must-have for any fan of this genius film. The book is from Baz Luhrmann's company, so it carries through the breathtaking visual themes of the film, and it's just gorgeous. It has sections on the history of the Moulin Rouge, the story of the film, all aspects of the making, and portfolios of beautiful set photos from noted photographers. This is up there with "James Cameron's Titanic" as an invaluable visual document of the film.

When I saw the film I was blown away. I love to know more about how a film was made and what was in the filmmaker's mind when he/she made it. In the case of this film, I REALLY wanted to get into the director's mind. I was also very interested in seeing the production design and the art from the development of the film. Boy, was I disappointed. This glossy hardbound coffee table-style book is nothing more than a "photonovel" -- you know, one of those books that's a rehashing of the story with stills from the film? There's a fair amount of text about how the film was made, but the visuals? For such a visual film, seeing mere stills from the motion picture left me wanting more. There's literally only ONE piece of production design art from the movie in the whole book. Seeing the film in motion was a trip. Seeing still photos left me cold. If you're looking to swoon over the stars or see stills from the movie, this book is for you. If you're hoping for more... pass!

If you are a fan of this movie, then you must own this book. This is a very well put together book about the movie, the story, and how it was made. It has great photography, It has a couple of fold out pages. This would make a great coffee table book.

I love the movie, Moulin Rouge is (at the moment) my favorite movie of all time. I am glad to have this book, but the pictures are very poor, almost all too dark, compare poorly to the DVD. Many others are way too small, there's a fair amount of blank space in this book. If you have the DVD, the bonus material covers most of what is in the book (on Disk 2). When I read a previous review that said "The pictures are bright and beautiful" I actually went back and flipped through the book again... virtually all the pictures from the actual movie are way too dark, the shots during production are OK, and the red print on black background is unreadable (illegible). So I'd advise you review a copy before purchasing.

This is an elegantly designed, beautifully crafted photo-documentary that tries to capture the spirit and feeling of the movie. To this end, the photography is very lush and colorful, with images taken from scenes throughout the film as well as during production.

This book is NOT focused on any of the actors; buying it based on that expectation alone will lead to disappointment. (And inaccurately given/undeserved low stars...)

Those expecting an in-depth, exhaustive analysis and detailed account of the concepts and ideas behind the film will also be disappointed. While there is commentary, this is not a book for film students.

This book makes a great gift for fans of the movie and Baz in general as well.

Finally, I got my hands on one of these precious books... A captivating compilation of scenes and sins of the Moulin Rouge. Flamboyantly laid out in foldout pages and glossy paper, making the book look even more exuberant and bursting with excitement. Contains little pieces on the real Moulin Rouge, Bohemian Revolution and of course, the infamous Elephant that Nicole Kidman lived in. The book largely comprises photographs not of the movie, including 3 chapters of pictures by 3 distinguishable phtographers/impressionists, with captions annexed on a separate page for each chapter so that the picture remains unobscured. A must buy, and I can't believe that Amazon is selling this at less than...