Chateau Lloyd

Watching Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge is something of a Valentine's Day tradition at Chateau Lloyd.  The film came out around the time we were married, is quite fun and creative, and we bought the DVD shortly after our second child was born, so there are many happy memories associated with it.

As the years have passed, however, we've watched it with a more critical eye, noticing various gaffes but also subtleties that we overlooked.

There are some overt references to faith, usually in a humorous way, such as the sendup of "Like a Virgin," however there are some deeper elements in play.

Foremost among them is the salvation message for Satine and of course Christian (what's in a name!).  On the face of it, there isn't much of a story, because Satine is a prostitute, and even though she may care for Christian, one more (final) customer should be no big deal.  But, as "Like a Virgin" illustrates, she now sees the sinfulness of what she did.  She longs to be faithful to him, and yes, part of this is about control.

But it is also a rejection of the lie that sexual promiscuity is liberating.  The "Lady Marmalade" number at the beginning of the film glamorizes prostitution, with the revised lyrics emphasizing its benefits.

Satine's preference for a monogamous relationship can also be contrasted with "Roxanne," in which the titular character is not willing to give up her trade.

The point is that even generally secular films used to have conventionally religious morality in them.  It is difficult to imagine such a film now because Hollywood is determined to push both sexual deviancy and non-monogamy.  Two decades ago, it was still possible to view homosexuality (which is briefly shown or touched upon several times in the film) as deviant and decadent.  

Is Moulin Rouge as Catholic as The Crow?  Of course not.  But in addition to the romance arc, there is also the sense of guardianship over Satine, evidenced by Chocolat repeated coming to her aid in the manner of a guardian angel.