MovieChat Forums > Moulin Rouge! (2001) Discussion > HOW can you hate this movie ???

HOW can you hate this movie ???


To be honest, there's one thing I will regret all my life, and it's not seeing this movie in theater.

How can someone hate this ? How can someone say it's the worst movie ever made ? Like calm down.

I just don't get how can people hate it so much. I know it's the kind of movie that you either love or hate. I'm on the loving side of course, it's my favorite movie since 5 years. To me everything about it is perfect. The songs, the costumes, every actor, the design, the set, the love story, the way it's filmed, the way the story is told. There's something magical about it. It's so artistic, it's like a big theater play in a 2 hour movie. I read people saying they were physically ill because of too much camera shots and angles, like WOW if THIS makes you sick, you have a problem. Maybe it's quite intense, but at least it's not a boring movie where you fall asleep after 15 minutes. Of course there are some flaws, the script is quite basic, the love story is based on absolutely nothing except love at first sight and singing but still, the chemistry between Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman is beautiful and makes you forget everything.

I like how it looks so weird and creepy at the beginning, and ends up to be a huge dramatic ending. This movie is so over the top, it's brilliant.

I've watched this movie over 20 times, and I guess I won't ever get tired of it. I wonder if some people feel the same way about it or if most of people hates it.


-“In life, It's difficult to succeed, but it's even harder to maintain this success.”- Naomi Watts.

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[deleted]

Its not the worst movie I've ever seen, its probably not even in my personal bottom 100 list. But my opinion is a complete and utter contradiction of the title of this top. I just honestly don't understand how anyone CAN like this movie.

I think everyone loves color, but this movie has too much color. Every shot is oversaturated with bright colors that make me want to put on sunglasses and take some Ibuprofen. The editing is horrendous, not a single shot lasts more than five seconds, and the viewing does not have enough time to absorb the surroundings and its characters. The cartoony sound effects are obnoxious and extremely irritating, an episode Spongebob Squarepants has less 'boing' and 'zooom' noises. The songs are not well done at all, singing just five lines (or less, in most cases) of a classic pop song does not count as originality. and I don't mind jukebox musicals, but they have to be well put together, which is not here. The script...well, sucks. The humor is the exact opposite of the dictionary definition of humor(I mean, really guys, a penis joke that goes on for over a minute?) But most of all, the story is just cliche crap. The characters and story seem to be ripped straight from other romances. I've seen this story about the low-on-his-life man who wants to follow his dreams and gets his big shot, but realizes its harder than it seems. I can think of five movies with this exact same plot, all of them done better than in Moulin Rouge.

The production design is great, but some of the shots are ruined by the terrible green-screen effects. I mean, damn, my green-screen effects I used back in high school were top notch compared to this. But director Baz Luhrmenn has yet to release a great movie, and all of his movies suffer the same problems as this one. Though, this movie isn't the worst of his films (see Romeo Plus Juliet or The Great Gatsby). I've seen it four times, and I still cant understand why people dare to call it original. 3/10.

The only thing I remember about celestial Spider-Man is that he's...celestial. - Bruce Campbell

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[deleted]

I don't even think the CGIs were that bad. Plus, if some of them looked obvious, it was done out of deliberate reasons.

After all, Moulin Rouge! was longlisted for the Best Visual Effects Oscar back in 2002, as well as actually nominated for the BAFTA for Visual Effects. And visual effects back in 2002 weren't that shabby at all. I mean, we had Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings come out the same year.

"And the Oscar goes to... by a nose, Nicole Kidman!"

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I always thought the 'poor' greenscreen effects were on purpose. After all, the ENTIRE movie was basically a surrealistic musical.

From the initial overhead shot of Paris to the cloud dancing to the gun striking the Eiffel Tower, almost everything was overwrought on purpose.

Luhrmann did mention several techniques he used to ensure audiences were constantly reminded they were watching a theatrical production rather than a true-to-life drama. That was so people were more likely to accept the musical numbers that dotted the movie.

It would be far more jarring if Luhrmann had taken a straight-laced approach throughout, but proceeded to stick musical numbers inbetween scenes.

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I think everyone loves color, but this movie has too much color. Every shot is oversaturated with bright colors that make me want to put on sunglasses and take some Ibuprofen.


This movie is not oversaturated, most movies are desaturated.

The production design is great, but some of the shots are ruined by the terrible green-screen effects. I mean, damn, my green-screen effects I used back in high school were top notch compared to this.


It's never meant to look realistic, might as well complain about the matte paintings in The Wizard of Oz (also never meant to look realistic).

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I love this movie.
It was my #1Romantic Film till I saw The English Patient, now it's my second favorite but it's my favorite musical and I totally agree about the chemistry between Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.
They were amazing together and Nicole should have won the Oscar for this film, Instead of The Hours.

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I couldn't stand it. I thought it was garish, clamourous, and overall annoying. Having said that, I fully realize that I'm going against the tide here and chalk it up to a matter of personal taste, rather than to any shortcomings of the film. Not everybody likes everything, I suppose... I recall there being a few film critics who hated Star Wars. To each their own.

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I didn't enjoy it either. I don't think it helped watching in school so it was very broken up (20 minutes at a time with added homework about certain scenes and themes and all that).
I also didn't really like Nicole Kidman singing.
But Ewan McGregor - he was the only good part of the film (his voice and singing only).
There were a couple of good moments (mute her singing and then the Elephant Love Medley would be perfect) but overall it was over the top

Becca

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Your going against the tide may also be a matter of sexual preference. And that’s okay. Any one scene in this movie can be interesting for a number of reasons. Taken as a whole, it’s like a night of drinking nothing but Franboise, straight. It’s cloying, overbearing and underwhelming. What? No Moulin Rouge 2?

I see that, somehow, this thing has been made into a legitimate theatrical musical, presumably as a tax write-off. Hence my presence here and now. Barf.

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How? Easy...I have taste and the movie's horrid. Baz Loathman makes my skin crawl.

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Baz Loathman. Good one.

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I think if I saw the film in the theater I would cry and ppl would look at me with a strange look. Lol

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I agree with you all the way.
I don't understand as to why so many people hated it aswell. They're weird.
I could watch it many times too and never get bored of it.

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Just watched this movie tonight and came here for comments.

I am very thankful that I had a friend who is into productions who took me to this movie.
When we entered the theater, he told me, "we absolutely need to sit in the FRONT of the theater to get the full effect" or something like that. Even though there were regular seats in the theater, we went down to the 2nd row and he said to lean back and take it all in...
Surely, he was right...It was a surrealistic sensory overload and felt like I was on a wild ride! I don't do drugs, but I think that experience might be what being high feels like...

Hope that gives you an idea of what it felt like!

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How can I dislike this movie? (1) I’m heterosexual and male, (2) the visual presentation is over the top in a very vomitous way, and (3) the songs suck.

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