Tonight’s free film at the Inwood Theater Living Room is the wonderfully “operatic” film Moulin Rouge. This film is visually stunning and incorporates elements of 3 different operas into it’s plot. Obviosly the story of a struggling writer falling in love with a sickly girl is reminiscent of La boheme – our 4th opera of the season. But it also contains elements of La traviata (a courtesan that discovers real love) and Orpheus in the Underworld (the hero going to the underworld – here the club itself – to rescue his beloved.) Of course, the film’s director – Baz Luhrmann – is no stragner to opera. He directed a very successful production of La Boheme in Australia and later re-created it for Broadway.
One little bit of interesting trivia – the necklace that Satine (Nicole Kidman) was given by the Duke (Richard Roxburgh) was made especially for the movie by Stefano Canturi using 1, 308 diamonds. To give it more authenticity, Canturi and his crew used techniques that were appropriate to the turn of the 20th century. At the time it was made, its estimated value was $1 million USD.
Hope to see you at Moulin Rouge tonight – and at La boheme in February.
James Hampton, D.Mus.A. – Artistic Administration Coordinator