Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Set in a Paris nightclub that caters to society's decadent elite, the exhilarating "Moulin Rouge" follows the story of the ill-fated love affair between a stunning courtesan and a struggling young writer.

This has always been a visually visceral film. Blown out colors, crazy contrast, and spectacular set design all lend to a jarring experience for the eyes. The Blu-ray does a great job of capturing it all. All the razzle dazzle is present including solid blacks, great color rendition and more. Some shots can look a bit hazy at times, but with the amount of special effects going on and visual design, it’s amazing the film turned out looking good in the first place! This is the second HD transfer I’ve owned of this film, the previous being the D-Theater release, and this one looks about the same. Fine detail may have improved a bit, but it isn’t glaringly obvious. The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack delivers the soundstage with aplomb. This is an aggressive mix with lots going on in all channels at times but it holds up remarkably well. Bass is tight and involving and the musical numbers offer lots of atmosphere and body.

Fox has included a video picture-in-picture feature that gives you a feature commentary with the director plus a lot of behind the scenes footage from the making of the film; all while you watch it. You also get some other features that look at the making of the film, the story, and the cast.

Moulin Rouge is by far the most entertaining musical I’ve seen made in the last decade. It’s unapologetic for its imagination and over the top bravado. The Blu-ray captures it all and is a welcome addition to any collector’s rack. Highly recommended.