“Outside it may be raining, but in here it's entertaining”
2001 - Dir: Baz Luhrmann
Shown at The FeckenOdeon on 25th October, 2008
This was a huge worldwide popular success but was not as well received by the critics. You’ll either love it or hate it but it’s such and eyeful and earful that you’re hardly likely to remain indifferent to it. It’s certainly a big film that demands a big screen—the sheer visual bravado of it is hardly likely to come across on the telly.
The story is based on one of the oldest operatic warhorses—the one where the heroine, tortured by emotional dilemmas, dies of a nasty cough while singing at the top of her lungs. Alexander Dumas’ “La Dame aux Camellias” is usually blamed for starting the fashion and Verdi used it for “La Traviata”. Puccini’s Mimi (she of the tiny frozen hand) also died of the same plot. Mr Luhrmann adds a chunk of Orpheus in the Underworld and uses it as an excuse to go way over the top. He mixes musical genres, batters us with sweeping camera moves and throws in oddities (like Kylie Minogue’s Absinthe Fairy) without a care. We shall not be serving Absinthe but you may feel in need of a drop when you get home!
· The film was shot entirely in Australia—Paris was created by special effects magic
· Ms Kidman was badly injured during rehearsals and did much of her role from a wheelchair.
· Originally the Green Fairy was to be played by Ozzy Osbourne but Kylie was thought to be a more suitable shape.
No comments:
Post a Comment