Brilliant mathematician John Forbes Nash (Russell Crowe) is desperate to assert his position in the academic sector and gain the undying respect and admiration of his peers. Unfortunately, he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia which causes him to see and believe that he has been employed by a mysterious US government official (Ed Harris) to foil coded messages sent by the Soviet Union. As he comes to terms with his life-long illness, it has a huge impact on his career, his relationship with his wife Alicia (Jennifer Connelly) and his friendships.
Moulin Rouge Plot Intro
Paris, 1900. Scottish aspiring writer and romantic soul, Christian (Ewan McGregor) arrives in Paris looking to enjoy the flamboyant, Bohemian, turn-of-the-century lifestyle epitomised by the Moulin Rouge nightclub in Montmartre. Whilst there, he becomes infatuated with their star dancer, Satine (Nicole Kidman). But her employer, Harold Zidler (Jim Broadbent) wants her married to a nefarious aristocrat called the Duke (Richard Roxburgh) who will invest in the Moulin Rouge’s future productions in return. But Christian and Satine continue their romance covertly, desperately hoping that they will not get discovered.
We have decided to do a “comparison” post, which we last wrote when comparing regularly-voted movie favourite, Citizen Kane, to its lesser-remembered Best Picture champion, How Green Was My Valley. Whilst Citizen Kane is generally regarded as the more worthy winner in 1941, opinions on the outcome of the 2001 Academy Awards is perhaps currently a little less contentious (although in years to come I suspect Moulin Rouge may achieve the same “should have won” status that Citizen Kane has). But we’ve decided to review both movies because, quite frankly, we much prefer Moulin Rouge (I know, shocking, right?) and our opinions on A Beautiful Mind are much cooler.
So what’s wrong with A Beautiful Mind? Well, in all fairness, it starts pretty well. It sets up an enigmatic and watchable central character (although Russell Crowe ain’t no Dustin Hoffman), and it presents the topic of schizophrenia in ways similar to films such as Fight Club, Black Swan and Shutter Island in that you’re not entirely certain if what you’re seeing is real. Nash’s hallucinations take the form of a pretty conventional political-thriller, which contrasts horribly with the gentle, reverential biopic tone in the “real” scenes. Even if you haven’t done your research on Nash like we did, the viewer gets a distinct sense that something is not right, which helps us to see the world through the eyes of someone with schizophrenia pretty well. Granted, it doesn’t quite have the thrill of Fight Club or the relentless discomfort of Black Swan, but it still drew me in.
The halfway turning-point is where Nash realises that his work with the Pentagon and his best friend (played by Paul Bettany) are totally fabricated, and this is where the film goes downhill. We could have had a tense and emotional dissection of life married to someone with very severe mental illnesses. But Jennifer Connelly gets little except constantly tell her husband that he’s ill, sigh sadly, occasionally scream, and mention that her life is hard. In other words, what started as an unconventional psychological study has descended into schmaltzy tick-box biopic, and it continues this way until it limps to the finish line. It’s a wonder that Connelly beat both Helen Mirren and Maggie Smith in Gosford Park to win Best Supporting Actress. She’s not bad, but I didn’t feel she was given anything interesting enough to do to demonstrate her skill.
Moulin Rouge, meanwhile, is a magnificent example of how melodrama is done well. Like most Baz Luhrmann productions, it’s frenetic, flamboyant and sometimes downright insane. But it skilfully balances the adrenaline rush of Bohemian life with the real, human stories of heartbreak that lie underneath the thin veneer of false exuberance. It also boasts one of Nicole Kidman’s best performances (and before you claim that it’s her ONLY best performance, I suggest you watch Big Little Lies which has led to a bit of a Nicolaissance over the last year).
I’m sure Doug will wax lyrical about Moulin Rouge more than me as he has seen it more, and understands it even better. But I do think that this film losing to A Beautiful Mind is one of those decisions that, in hindsight, should not have happened. Moulin Rouge is credited with instigating a resurgence in the movie musical, with Chicago winning Best Picture next year and the releases of Rent, The Phantom of the Opera and Hairspray dominating the next few years. One can hardly claim that A Beautiful Mind caused a resurgence of Mathematics.
A Beautiful Mind Highlight
The first hour skilfully moves between biopic and thriller, and director Ron Howard wisely chooses to just have the two genres sitting side by side without much transition, creating a sense of unease and surrealism.
A Beautiful Mind Lowlight
There’s a horribly calculated and overdone scene later on when Nash says goodbye to his hallucinatory friends, including a small girl who is crying. Considering that we know she is not real, what are we supposed to be feeling here? Just have her disappear and get on with it.
Moulin Rouge Highlight
The Elephant Love Medley section has the power to enthral even the most heartless of audience members.
Moulin Rouge Lowlight
I know it’s SUPPOSED to be like this, but sometimes Lurhmann’s direction is hard to keep track of because his camera shots are so quick and numerous. Especially after the half-bottle of wine that I drank beforehand.
A Beautiful Mind Mark
6/10
Moulin Rouge Mark
10/10
Moulin Rouge Mark
10/10
There’s a line in Mindy Kaling’s sitcom Champions where the young gay son is asked to ‘A Beautiful Mind’ up his homework. He stops, appalled, and says ‘“The movie that took the Oscar from Moulin Rouge? How dare you.”
He is entirely correct. This is an utter mistake on the part of the Academy, and they were particularly cruel on Moulin Rouge, with Baz Luhrmann not even getting a Best Director nod. It was so noticed at the time that Oscars host Whoopi Goldberg ironically suggested that the film had directed itself.
But I’ll come to Moulin Rouge. Firstly we sat through A Beautiful Mind which frankly wasn’t worth my time. It feels like a rip off of Fight Club which came out only a year or two before and is far superior. We know quickly that these hallucinations aren’t real, and Russell Crowe is such a bad actor (how has he won an Oscar?! how?!) that it’s all a bit boring.
But the real issue with A Beautiful Mind is that it basically sets up the premise that serious mental health issues are scary. Which they are - at first. But at no point do they look seriously into the treatment and how people can actually get better - there’s some limp analysis but it’s lip-service rather than actual investigation.
In our world, where mental health has become a huge topic and greater sensitivity and knowledge is demanded around it, this film at times seems almost voyeuristic. We are supposed to shudder and say ‘oh god how scary’, but there’s no real mention of how people survive and thrive despite mental health issues. It’s not just predictable and dull - it’s irresponsible.
Moulin Rouge. I could talk for hours about the subtleties and brilliance of this film, having been obsessed with it since it came out nearly twenty years ago. I love it. It deals with the ‘underworld’ of Paris, showing the grime beneath the glitter and uses modern music as a startling method of showing quite how ahead of its time this society was. Luhrmann uses whirling shots and often uses call-backs and call-aheads to both remind and warn of the various action. His use of group numbers (the extraordinary Tango de la Roxanne) show how cinematography can revolutionise the theatrical.
Nicole Kidman is stunning at the heart of it. It’s a shame that Monster’s Ball was this year too, because I would never begrudge Halle Berry her Oscar, but I wish Kidman had got one for this. She’s sensual and hilarious, but manages always to show you the terrified street-worker beneath the glamorous courtesan. When I was younger I was obsessed by her glitz and performance, now I relish the moments when she lets the curtain fall and you see the (very real) fear of poverty and pain. For all the whirling colour and glamour, Lurhmann excels in choosing moments of stillness and grit that somehow undermine and accentuate the rest of the film.
The cast also pull their finger out. Caroline O’Connor as the treacherous Nini is horrific and captivating (‘did I say penniless writer, I meant penniless sittar player’), while Jim Broadbent matches Kidman with his ebullient persona sometimes revealing a terrified, poverty-stricken man beneath. In numbers like ‘The Show Must Go On’ and ‘One Day I’ll Fly Away’, the Bohemian movement seems tremulous, its very existence balancing on a knife edge between success and disaster.
A Beautiful Mind Highlight
Jennifer Connelly does well in the little she’s given, and she gives good Acting in the moment Nash nearly accidentally drowns their baby.
A Beautiful Mind Lowlight
It’s quite dull. And considering Fight Club used very similar effects and styles, it’s surprising this got noted. Hollywood loves a biopic.
Moulin Rouge Highlight
I love Kidman’s portrayal of ‘One Day I’ll Fly Away’, but the whole ‘Tango de la Roxane’ set-piece is one of the greatest pieces of cinematic work ever.
Moulin Rouge Lowlight
Okay, it’s a tiny point but it’s always bugged me. Why does Satine change into the red dress, get praised by Zidler, take it off to put on the black ‘seductress’ outfit, and then later change back into the red dress to sing on the roof? Sort your stuff out Editors!
A Beautiful Mind Mark
4/10
Moulin Rouge Mark
15/10
Moulin Rouge Mark
15/10
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