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    1A Parfitt Brown Moulin Rouge

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    Arthur Lai

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    See DANCE AND THE POPULAR SCREEN Rdited by MELISSA BLANCO BORELLI OXFORD [UNIVERSITY PRES: OXFORD ‘Suey ease sy Pr ia cian fhe Use of kd ConTENTS ayia ocx: mrccarh aac sth ping wate tik coe rot SEY wcttnd Cape ews Data Sie og Kong. aah Maus angst Mobi. Nebeune™ Mess Gg aa "Row beat Shop Tapa Towne List of Contributors ‘About the Companion Website Introduction: Dance on Screen Mextssa BLANCO BORBILE tel tdench of Ones Pest gt OF ‘artain other countloe oe x Pulihed ate Unt Sate ef amen by. ‘e. PARTI SCREENED HISTORIES ard Uae Pes e 5 * ‘asia ean ores 1. An Australian in Paris: Techno-Choreographic Bohemianism OBESE in Moulin Rouge! (Chane Parritt-BRown 2, A Different Kind of Ballet: Rereading Dorothy Arzner’s ‘Dance, Girl, Dance MAxy SIMONSON hs ok i ye ap ; hme enti fy ee 5. Communities of Practice: Active and Affective Viewing of Early Social Dence on the Popular Screen AtExanpRa Harta Disciplining Black Swan, Animalizing Ambition ARTEL OSTERWEIS . Gene Kelly: The Original, Updated Many Focasry Appreciation, Appropriation, Assimilation: Stormy Weather and the Hollywood History of Black Dance ‘SUSIE TRENKA Hip-Hop in Hollywood: Encounter, Community, Resistance ‘TwoMmas F. DsFRANTZ a a CHAPTER L AN AUSTRALIAN IN PARIS: TECHNO-~CHOREOGRAPHIC BOHEMIANISM IN MOULIN ROUGE! CLARE PARFITT-BROWN “Tum file Moulin Rouge! (2001) might be thought of asa historical and cultural vor- tex, drawing in, fragmenting, and recombining art and popular culture of the last two centuries to produce a bohemian-inspi production and consumption of scholars primarily In musical and sugary marshmallow" This chapter explores these physical experiences of spectator- hip, focusing on the fm dance sequences. It argues that in these sequences, chore- ography and digitat technology (including comp combine to allow spectators to physically exp 22 CLAREPARFTTT-AROWON “Nort Wuat Ir Was, But WHat It FELT LIKE TO BE THERE” spectat icactionasifthrough akey rector of Moulin Rowgel as aought nis rilogy of “Red Carta films to break these erste adopta more active form of spectatorei ‘and emotional response in the spectat particulay, he aims to induce aphys- those described by thecritiesabove. “Youre constantly awalking the midiences Lahrmann says. “Just ‘whten you thinks "This sso cheesy, zm golngto throw up; 'm going to kickyyou in the stomach, In that state, thereb an agreement yare going tobe emo- tonal manipulated, and they surrender ‘argues that although a participatory aesthetic characterized the early “cinema of attrac tlons” from 1895 to aboutago7, of narrative cinema forced it “underground” into genressuch asthe musical, eve Itwas contained within song-and-dance numbers sep ed by narrative sequences? Moulin Rougel, therefore, is intended as an experiment 1¢ and space to a hist ling of wat for example, into comparable ontemporary popular cu! ‘Luhrmann ex ‘What the can-can lot of leaping around in Fatboy Slim, people doing break dancing, very 7 Its this kind of decoding, just helping the audience figure where they are 3 ing edginess of watching the cancan. cultural references. ‘The films choreographer, John O'Connell, similarly tried to convey @ sensory experience, a taste or a feeling, rather than # parti al image in the da scenes. After research, including reading books on the cancan, watching film musicale and Bollywood films, and learning Argentine tango and Indian classical 2 ly” ia the rehearsal zoom, aiming By evoking spectators ca emBody the meoiee of others altering their subjectivity, and enabling empathy across boundaries of race, class, and gen- er Landsberg and Lehemann share 2 co 24 _ CLARRPARETTT-BROWN A BOHEMIAN SEN fim, “Spectacular, Spectaclar’ to the wealthy Duks, first completely moder entirely electric toallybohe- ing all- dancing sage spectacular” If Gilles Deleuze ie right to assert thet cing are als fundamen alr state technology snd bohemia far qualities of the play! fce its lationship chbbohemis, dancing, and technology participate in the construction of ‘our Orphean world, it ecame not ela of 1890/1900. things, wehad a starting point.” “Here, Luhrmena draws connections between the 1830s bohemian setting of La Bohéme, sirmultaneous nestalgi and in: choosing a fin-e-siele boher between bohemian art and his own pr senging fom culsra istry 28a ‘means of contemporary artistic reinvention, Indeed, bohemlaaism can be detected in ‘immaking not only a te cultural ackdop of several ofhis productions, those disdained by bourgeois arbiters of taste and defenders of sexual, racial, gender,or lass boundaries. “The porpose of bohemian appropriations avenging while reilecting on his collaboration with artist Missy Eliot on the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack: “The great thing about the hip-hop sy re fearless and culturally blind {...] Their ability to steal from culture 3 wrong or good or bad, ‘affect you emotionally or not, that blindness to pretension gets me Insmena admires Eliot’ ability to create an emotional connection smpling” across eulfural boundaries because this reflects his own aspira- tions, Lubrmann leyers Moulin Rouge! with historical and cultural references with ‘which the audience may already be familiar (Bollywood, rap culture, the golden era of Hellprood) in oder to fst sampling combine to offer spectators a mode of sensory, emotional constructed past [Luhrmann recognizes that physical encounters across cultural and historical bound axles have been the foundation of popular, bohemian -Inuen at least the International Exhibitions of the nineteenth c Moulin Rouge, Moulin Rougel offers spectators a form ofc ‘sm2* Film scholar Anne Friedberg contends that cinema, fro 26 _CLAREPARPITT-AKOWN AM AUSTRALIANINPARIS 97 present day; has invited spectators to adopt a mobile victual gaze allowing them to be thoir direct experience.” Moulin youmighttake your children, feling tis, in other words, an experiential rouseum sre invited to participate with technology for physically experiencing other worlds. ‘TECHNO-CHOREOGRAPHIC BOHEMIANISM enteringinio an Film studies scholar Annette Kuli observed dance playing er interviewees spoke ofthe tion imbues your bady, and carzies you out of your local picture house onto the: f your neighbouzhaod, and you are moved to dance along the pavem tors’ recollections, paradoxically, In these musical moments, dance and technology combine to breale down the barsier between the spectator: ‘world ofthe fle, inviting their physical engagement with the dancing bodies on: singlong takes and ful-body shots, theeditingof ge! by JL Bilcock, Luheraanns collaborator onal the “Red Curtain’ fms) deliberately breaks up the shape and thythm of the original choreography and frag _mentsthe dancing bodies. This is most evident in thecancan numiber, which attempts to convey the exilaration of Christian’: ed, Coa of the audience. Christlan woos Satine in her Song” (1970). As they begin to dance, they spin it were a lamppost, refering to another famous cinematic moment red liberatory dancing: Gene Kelly title mumber from Singin’ in the Rain Astaie and Rogers once again 28 CLARERARETT-BROWN 28 _cuanpeamerrspowmt sy capture of Moun Ro oe Set eau E reas cata Seer tamer noes eee eee eel fel Tower). familiar pop song in this scene could equally ee a ger tually oucen hear the audience being truly engage in the emotional feelingthat’s cca aurnber by using « non-di 1. Luhrmann, however, not only returns to characters singing, but cinematic philosophy ‘bohemian “theatricalized authenticity? Luhrmann ws ANAUSTRALIANIN?ARIS 29 Two media are merged ina cinematic choreography designed to reduce re them tooin the dance. a historical and cultural role-play facilitated by cinematic spectatorshtp, Dance fume {to anite on-screen and off-screen bodies, counterbalancing hypermediacy ion of presence. This aesthetic might be called “Techno Boho? following to describe one ofthe style sestheticin Moulin Rougel. ‘Tur Enp oF History? to a number of cities. Media to films thet exhibit such “hyper- hyperconscious eciectictsm is sign of (chooseoone) a) the end b) the end of “the Real” “History? etcc) the end ofart and entertainment sign of all-purpose Rouge! has proved uns 30. CLARDRAREITT- BROWN, Americas hyperreal museums commit th of copy and origina her of theorists have noted P and particular time were achieving profound freedom ‘can prodacein iim 1 “erystal-image” in which the actual and the virtoal, present and past, constantly tans- form into one a “This sense of time Rouge, pariculaly ja Satins opening ‘Roage dance hall on a trapeze, Toulouse on the rotating tapece, her costume 3 igh (Fig. .3), and her spoken tris, ‘own demise. On the word “die” the to evoke past female cinematic icons (as listed caiier) whose images: temporary starimage of Kidman to form deeper circuits that dive in and ov iberately enhanced by blue Jn deed, Luhrmenn consid ly ith9g0 Hallywood actresses such as Marilyn Monroe, the frame” despite Hite lighting. Sell argu iudes to ‘Edouard Manet’ painting Olympi ne (2001), “Sparing rouse 23 Screen cxpture of Moulin Roxy Diamonds! ANAUSTRALANDIPARIS 31 Rouge dancer Chocolat, while sharing in his highly saleable exoticism. li Satine’ first moments on screen, her ‘body has already become a “crystal-image” with many temporal facets, reflect her own future within the filnis narrative, and the history of white, female bodics in Furo-American visual culture. performance. Viewers are re ugh the performance by the Moulin Rouge dancers of face-freming arm movements reminiscent of Madonna ‘The choreography for her public profile. Through Madonna, Monroe is positioned es one of number of his- torical female archetypes that can be embodiedby performers for ine later discusses with : y sumed up in her ambi become en oxymoronic “real actress” Here, Selfsbohemian “the atsicalized authenticity” anc Bea's postmociern “absolute fake” coincide, highlighting prosthetic memory and musica! culture before Moulit Rouge! was released, Luhrmann pro- the musica... We¥e given ita postmodern form. We've and pieced itback together to make be considered a form of postmodera pastiche, a mode of zn scholar Richard Dyer argues; allows Sl epectators to 12lpullofimages ofthe past, whilebeing aware ofteirhistor- Dohessian statesy cf "rel arficiaiyg” During Satine “Spariding Diamonds” numbes spectators mey be a the immediacy ofthe performance, mach of which si vemaale patrons with 32 CLAREAAREITPRROWS cinernatic image is faciitared by the fl slippery refusal to remain ideologically bound bray sagt tem, whether Hollywood, Bollywood, or MTV. ofthis metind on the sspreseiaton of hstory i Mea Rovge! hve erasure of history “The actual Pais of get in Moulin Rouge, tho 2oth Century pop culture, expecially pop muse. We get an anachronistic mel ivi Nevweon oh. Inother words, "Ey echoes the lament of many detractors of postmodernism that contemporary ul- signals the “end of history? The linear flow of history as a mesntngfal narrative erupted by the postmodern a However, acques Derrida “wonder ‘concept of history Ewy’s histocical Enlightenment, in which the past objectively conception of history asa set of moving refracted in ever changing ways has been ad corlography. Ic also reflects the way history is used in ‘question the inearty and reality of history by using dig Burgoyne notes that while Landsberg is op -Elseseer, who fears that ‘theburping in of memor that they create symptoms i the spectator—speak not to empathy and new social alisnces Dut rather to caltaral obsesston, fantasy and trauma” This suggests that the challenge of doing, then Bar Luhrmann’ goal: start focm thot provides ple ANAUSTRALIANDYPARS 33, ‘Verdi to MTV, photographs the Memento clove oust sroboscoptal ted three second segments ‘without apparent logis cohesion, or continuity and designed to cater to—or induce thetic memories implanted by the film as wg ting the body in which, presuriably, “authentic” memories, histories, f disease in reviews of Moulin Rouge! the ln Stine reproduces the stereotype ofthe consumptive acter of Satine, and thus itself, diseased, When a bohemian embodiment of ather times and pl disembodied, typewritten wards 34 CLARBPARRIT-BROWN and which informs eit’ rejections of the film's seductive, technologically con- structed physicality® By construct Moulin Rouge! i tamouat to the psys ‘Aoust’s response to the film: "fn your face doesnt fence. The film is more like a rabid dog that sudden! ‘enjoy being knocked to the ground and thrashed ehor own techno-cinematic bohemlanism as « contagious disease, that the derivation of plossure from viewing the film is tan- fc disorder of masochism, This is evident in critic Steven Degin to describe the experi- ty." Landsberg’ ential bodily violence of film viewing’ prosthetic memoriet, like an artificial limb, offen marle@ trauma” they nevertheless create “the conditions for ethical thinking precisely by encouraging people to fel connected to, while recognizing the aterity Of the ‘her Therefore, apecisors wo enter phyialy and emotonally nto the historically and culturally eclectic world of Moulin Rouge! mightopen thena- selvesnotonly to historical, mnemonic, and bodily violence, batalso to cross-cultaral dnd transhisiozical encounters, engagements, end identifications, This has always ‘been the trade-of implicit in bohemianism one thet Luhrmann reinterprets for the postmodern age Perhaps the most audacious historical leap made in Mouiin Rouge! is between the bohemian tradition of “theatricalized authenticity” and postmoder forms of cin- matic prosthetlc memory. The film implies a parallel between the bohemian experi- tnce of otherness offered by the Moulin Rouge to is enstomers and the experience of physically participating in «technologically constructed past that is offered to specta- tors by the film itself The lm musical form provides Luhrmann with abridge between these two contexts, In its song-and-dance numbers, the film musical retained and developed extly cinemas now-lines, spectacular, audience-enguging characte ‘which had moch in common ‘entertainment of the 18905? This capacity physically engage spectators the flm musical a powerful vehicle for con “eying prosthetic memories, although it doesnot feature in Landsberg’ argument. In thesong-and-dence numbers in Moulin RougelLoarmansl real artificiality” reeches dts apogee, andthe continky beeween bohemian memory ané prosthetic mennory i ‘most evident, These momerss, beyond the limitations of narrative time end place, xe also the height ofthe film historical and culturl juxtaposition, in these scenes, the lms direct appeal tothe bodies of spectators to enter physically nd emotional into Tubrmann’ constructed world is most urgent. The film offers spectators two ways of interpreting these physical oos tunities for experiencing, emp: ‘underpinned the bohenian tradition, and is retevigorated for the twenty bby Moulin Rouge! AN AUSTRALIAN DN PARIS 35, Norrs 1. For example, Robert A. Morac, “Delisioss Postmodecsism: Bas Lvhrmenn’ Martin Rouge” Paper presented a: Film Mesias Prom te ClestilFratoPostmedees Cine, University Collage Cork, September 39-20, 200g Parcs Piers, “Touched by « CardbouréSnordAestetic Creston and Non Personal Sehjecsvtyin Darrin Dark zd Moulin Rouge” in Dcern()nts Deleon Ashe EsththquesDeleurienne, eet Hod Sel Hupp cal ellen Toten (Ans ea 5: Keherine R Larson, “Sly Love Songs: The Impact, al Stee of Moun Rouge” Tie Jost of Ana Yang"Monlin Rouge AndtheUsceing tf Opera? Cambridge Opera furnalsa, no 3 (2010) 383-25 2 Jose Arroyo reviwof Moulin Rouge, cxected by Bac Luhrmann, Sightend Sound 0.5, September 2001, 59-5. 4 eto Travers, review of Moin Rouge, cei by Baz Luhrmann, Relig Stone, ane 2003 hitp/fnrolngstonscom/sovisaeercws/mouineouge-20910309. 44 PhlipErench, eviewotMouln Rouge icctedby asl hrmann, Te Guordian September 5206, hod nerd co iin/aoe/splea/philiprencsfTTCMP=SRCT, 5. Ehrmann etd in "Rehind the Sor secsted Agi 9.2000, hpifwmwcinos Serouge comfil/memberoackgzouné_orphim ste dsconnued), 6 Tnhrmana cited is "Red Hoe Mase a Interview with Bea Lbrmann’ sccoed Apc 5,200, hopuwewamazan.coi/esc/0 dow festre-24pn9p ebb 1025- 274 (ao longer enn’; Luhrmann cite f Jason Frank, “Interview: Daz Lherean, Dinero” acesed At 3, 2005, tp/warwawmestist com aricesfrankibaz ime: view/bazineriechi. Jobin Hors, "The Land of Sa Newonec, May 27 2038 Tahrmans cited “Red Hot Musi 9, TomGunaing,"TheCinemaof trations: Becly i sn Bry Cine Space Subjerey ana Nera, i istte 990) 57 ; to, Luherana cited in Rebece Mura, “Se Luhrs Tals Aner nd “Moulin Rouge? cessed Apa 2009 hp fromanticmovies about comiibrary weet asegopon it, shrmaaa cited in “Red Hot hss ahem ced in Goot Ande, “Ba brn last moed oe, acess May 1, 2035, hp: guacten. confi te lo Dine Sanders, "Pghly Hybrid, Mos Pampsenic Innovative cfs Vdeoin the Roce: Acstrllan Masia, Moun Roupeand Ore Nig the Moon” (aperpresened at What Lies Seneat, Th Universi of Melbosre, Novertbee 6,203) ang Tara Brabton,Ftom Revolt to Revelation: Generation X, Popular Cure ad theSpectetorandthe Avant-Garde” Thomas Flsesser (London: Brit 13, See Brabazon, From Revolution fo Revelation, onthe use of popular memeries of sical ‘number. sreographer, Moulin Rouge) intervie with the athar, May 30,2005 roathrke Memory: The Transformation of American Rennembravice i ure (New York: Columbia University Pres, 2004). 6, Gilles Deloune, Cinema 2 The Tne-lmage (London: Continutm, 2005), 73 36 CLAREPARENT-SROWN, sun cede Ande Beaman)” : 2 aan ce ul note Bate ad Forget a 7Tk The Drama Review sino. (F894) (2007) 45,47. \CaterineMartin, Moin Rouges(New YorkeNewmarket vee ar eetoc eins oe gona (303): 2-398 Me Starts Here:‘The Best Film of 2001,'last modified 2001, accessed sonrwallthingsmike.com/ElectsicMovies|dvés/MoulinRowge! RR epenoesr nose 2 a er em nage reeds Urey of Mir re © i prt enti nS Tauris, 2008). he Watthtnthe geotechnical Regen? ratty et tenho Fo 79) 25 aa ad octane Tan OConadl ed ol Rou Pipe Suber ace racemic a Mua ante (Conor Mcnia 95) a ea an Revs ae Mo Meo Las aedictanonacencLapls 2m Mies TO ita -Benjal| oe ¢ 4 representation of sm 1 Cr yah in Reon ideo ea Cate Mas MIT Pres, 2000). ives of Sydney? The Sydney Morning Herald Jastary 7, 2010, hit eiifeltribes-ofthe-syiney-20:00107-Wis kta ANAUSTRALIANCRPARIS 37 4s Ibid 4s. Jim Collin, “Genercity in the Nineti: Eclectic Irony ind the New Since in Abn “Theory Guts fo the Movies od. Jim Coline, Bilay Reser, and Ava Preacher Collins (New York and London: Routledge, 46, Rachael Turk, “Children ofthe D ‘. Umberto Feo, Company. 3990) 8,7. 48, Lshraaancitedin Andrew "Bax Labsmana (0)? 4p. Heo Travels in Hypereais Se. For esacpls Jean Baxdsilard “Simslara and Simulations in Jean Rawle Sete ‘Wrings ed, Mark Poster (Cambridge nd Oxf: Plty Press and Bast! Baccwel 1085), 266-384 : s1. Giles Deleuze, Cinema The Time- Image (Lids Continua, 2003), 50. evolution” Metro, September 1,200: 6 2s in Hyperteatty (San Diego and New York: Harcourt Brace 8 54. thid. 67 55: McAlpine cited in Luhrmann, “Commentary? 56. Sell,"Bohemianisu 48. 57. "No Rave Reviews for Madonna’ Horst lay” The Dallas Morning News, May 16,1990, httpd /nl.newsbank.com/l-seaschiwet Archives?p_product-DM&p_theme=dm&p_ action=search&p_mexdocs=200&p_topdoc=i&p_text_ dizect-o~oEDsDiosla9494ASip_field_direct-o=document idSp_perpage=i08%p_ sort=¥MD, daterD8_trackval-GooglePM. 48, Lulrmanacited in “Moulin Zouge” Entertainment Weeldy, August 8, 200083. sp. Richard Dyes “The Notion of Pastche” in The Aesthetics of Popudar Art, e. Jostein Gripsrud (Bergen and Kristiansand: Senter for Kulursradier and HoyskeleForege, [Norwegian Academic Press, 200%], 77-89. “Moulin Rouge. the Erapure of History, andthe Disneyfiation of the Avant East Westerly Review 7 Fal 200%), tg/hwwrn-postmodemvilage comfeastwest! 2003 hi Predric Jameson, The Cultural Tio: Selected Writings om the Postmodern, 1983-1908 (London end New Yorke Vers,1998) 73 , Spector of bara: The State af Deb, the Work of Mourning and the New anslated by Peggy Karauf (New York and London: Routledge, 1994) 5, “Theses on the Polosophy of History in Mhnsinations, ed, Hannah Arendt (London: Fontes, 573), 345-255 64, Robert Burgoyoe, “Memory. History and Dighsl Imagery in Contemporsry ‘Memory and Papal Hl ed. Pee Gzuinge (Mancheter Maschestr Univers 2zes, 2003) 2207256, emphasisalded 65, Burgoyse, “Memory, History and Dig! Imagery” 226, emphasis added. 8, eter Keogh, review of Moulin Rouge, dcected by Dez Lakrmana, “No Cancer Do: Bez Tuhrmann Cuts Mosiin Rouge to MY Ribbons? The Boster Paoenis, May 3-fane 7, 200 htp:/fanmebotaaphoens-com/boston/movie/documents/o6ss667htn,enphe- sivadded 6, Stephanie Zecharok, review of Mauls Rouge, directed by Bea Luhrmann, May 38 200%, Ihopy/ewnselon.com/zoovlos8/moulin_rooge. 38 CLAREPARETT-SROWN 38_cuanspamerrnpnowy

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