This haunting and most beautiful of films is certainly John Huston's most underrated work. Having seen the film many years ago, I was astonished at how well the film has stood the test of time. The opening 20 minute Can-Can sequence is wonderfully vibrant and colourful and brilliantly captures the atmosphere, thus setting the tone for the great drama to follow. This story of the dwarfish artist Toulouse Lautrec is based on a novel by Pierre La Mure and set in 19th Century Montmartre. Jose Ferrer performs one of the greatest roles in cinema so convincingly and poignantly I was completely enthralled by this most moving of biopics. Colette Marchand as the prostitute is outstanding and Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing impress in small roles. Cinematography by Oswald Morris is some of the finest ever and brilliantly captures the atmosphere and the music by Georges Auric will have you whistling for weeks. This masterpiece should be reissued on the Big Screen and I would urge everyone who loves classic cinema to see it. Score: 10/10
Review of Moulin Rouge
