Moulin Rouge (1952)

 John Huston's "Moulin Rouge"


Before I watched John Huston's 1952 biographical drama "Moulin Rouge," I felt I never quite engaged with Huston's work as much as others seem to. Even his major works like 1941's "The Maltese Falcon" and 1948's "Treasures of the Sierra Madre" weren't as well regarded by me as much as they are regarded so highly in the collective retrospective outlooks. All of the films of his that I have watched thus far seem to not connect with me and I end up finding them boring. So, when I sat down to watch "Moulin Rouge," I was even more hesitant, especially since it is one of the more lowly regarded works in his heralded collection. However, I seem to have gone against collective consensus once again, as I was very surprised with how much I enjoyed it. 

The film centers on the real life French painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Navigating the bohemian subculture of Paris in the late 19th century, Henri paints these scenes and in doing so, helped invent the Art Nouveau movement. 

As much as this was a biography of a famous painter, it also seems to illustrate a thematic link between art and the lower classes. Henri, who comes from great wealth, would rather spend his time with people of a lower economic value, as these people don't see his obvious disability. Henri's connection to the natural street life of Paris realizes within him a great passion for life and the beauty of the suffering and tragedy. 

John Huston, who had gotten accustomed to technicolor filmmaking with 1951's "The African Queen," had insisted on subdued palette, rather than the radiance that 'glorious technicolor' normally affords. This may seem counterproductive, as a film centering on Paris and the Moulin Rouge in the late 19th century would demand something more colorful. However, Huston's choice is a strong one, as the visual imagery of the film seems far more attuned the realms of realism. This realism seems much starker and closer to the natural visual imagery of life than one would suspect. 

All this being said, the film didn't completely knock my socks off. I am simply surprised by my engagement, as I was anticipating a more boring affair. It's not a fantastic film, mind you. Just not a dud, either.



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