The Luhrmann
By: DT
Ranked. His films may not have a lot of depth, but they’re still entertaining. Except for Australia.
1. Romeo + Juliet – In this assured sophomore production, Luhrmann crafts a work that would no doubt make purists of both cinema and the Bard recoil in horror; but while this indeed may not be in the pantheon of great Shakespeare adaptations – Luhrmann is no Zeffirelli – it’s certainly still an arresting reinvention, both visually and aurally. And ultimately, it still manages to do quite sufficient justice to its source material.
2. Moulin Rouge! – This certainly fits MUBI’s description of ‘zip, whiz and energetic!’. And yes, it is all rather superficial, but it’s an entertainingly superficial, hyper-stylised, phantasmagorical suite of pop music and movement, certainly well put together. Nicole Kidman and Jim Broadbent are the stand-outs in the cast.
3. Strictly Balloom – A familiar but harmless fable; more than that it’s an entertaining look into the politics and tensions behind the glitz and style of professional ballroom dancing.
4. Australia – Beautifully photographed of course, but Baz “Quick-Cut” Luhrmann simply isn’t the right director for this, as he injects elements of romance, comedy and social drama into the screenplay but at predictably superficial ranges. As such, the film may be somewhat entertaining but possesses very little depth, and consequently emerges as less of a sweeping, Red River or Gone with the Wind-inspired epic and more of a glossy and glorified tourism commercial.
++++++
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01Baz Luhrmann
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02Baz Luhrmann
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03Baz Luhrmann
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04Baz Luhrmann