Moulin Rouge (1952)
Directed by John Huston
Written by Pierre La Mure, Anthony Veiller, John Huston
Starring Jose Ferrer, Zsa Zsa Gabor
Release Date December 23rd 1952
Published November 15th, 2022
Film Foundation Restoration Screening November 14th, 2022
Four films share the title Moulin Rouge in the past 90 years of cinema. The most famous, perhaps due to recency bias, is Baz Luhrmann's lavish 2001 musical starring Ewan McGregor. The previous movie titled Moulin Rouge was released in 1952 and was directed by the beloved and venerated director John Huston. Though known for his gritty thrillers like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre or the detective noir The Maltese Falcon, Huston was a true iconoclast who indulged any number of interests, including deep romanticism marked by longing and sadness.
That longing, sadness and romanticism is certainly on display in Huston's take on Moulin Rouge. While other stories surrounding the legendary 19th century dance hall center on the bohemian revolutionary art and culture for which Moulin Rouge became a symbol, Huston's Moulin Rouge falls upon the tragic story of artist Toulouse Lautrec, a man whose fame came about after his time at the Moulin Rouge and because of the work he did promoting the Moulin Rouge with incredible posters he painted in exchange for being able to drink for free.
In a flashback we see young Toulouse Lautrec as a notably spry teenager. Though known for his short stature, Lautrec was not born with dwarfism. An accident occurred that left Lautrec with a pair of broken legs that did not heal correctly causing his growth to be stunted. The injury and a series of romantic failures, briefly depicted in the movie, led to heavy drinking and a general avoidance of close relationships in favor professional friendships, rivalries and drinking buddies.
The sad story then follows Lautrec into a brief relationship with an explosive and unpredictable sex worker, Marie Charlet (Colette Marchand). It's a relationship of convenience as Lautrec rescues Marie from being arrested and she comes to stay at his home. She tries to entice him into bed but he rejects her, not wanting to be her customer. The push and pull of emotions between Lautrec and Marie make up the middle portion of Moulin Rouge and it will resonate with anyone who has loved someone who did not love them back.
Lautrec's soulful longing is undercut by his unsympathetic rage and cutting remarks toward Marie. The two fight and makeup with similar intensity but the relationship never progresses to the kind of intimacy that Lautrec desires but cannot fully express. Jose Ferrer's ferocious performance never states the obvious about Lautrec, how his low self-esteem and self worth caused him to believe he was unworthy of love. It's all brought forth by Ferrer in his fiery eyes and thin skinned reaction to any minor slight.
Late in the second act we do see some growth from Lautrec. He finds success with his poster tributes to the Moulin Rouge and seems to begin a relationship with an independent young woman named Myriamme (Suzanne Flon). Sadly, his self-loathing short circuits any possible romantic relationship and Lautrec slowly destroys their relationship with his cruel remarks. Ferrer is remarkable in these scenes as he capably moves from intelligent and charming to cutting and cruel with minor shifts in his tone and a dismissive, angry gaze.
Read my complete review of Moulin Rouge (1952) at Geeks.Media.
