Film Study: Moulin Rouge (MR) and The Great Gatsby (GG)- Baz Luhrmann
Cinematography
● Long shot: establishing the setting of the stage in MR
● Long shot of the mansions in GG
● Push shot: through Paris
● Push shot across lake
● Hand-held camera: at Gatsby’s parties
● Close up: of clown at the Moulin Rouge
● Close up: faces at Gatsby’s party
● High angle: Gatsby dead in the pool
● High angle: Satine dead on the ground
● Close up: of the Duke, see his emotions, anger (when he says what he will do with
Satrine Ziegler)
● Close up: of Christian’s dad- emotions, anger of dad
● Close up: of Christian’s words on the typewriter + of Nick’s words in the book
● Rapid cuts in intro scene to the Moulin Rouge
● Extreme close up: Satine telling Christian to tell the story
● Extreme close up: face of the billboard after Myrtle’s death (Dr Ekleburg)
● Close up: Satine with the Duke at his house
● Long shot- table distance with Duke, distance between them
● Satine being introduced, coming down on the rope, low angle
● Closed frame- Nick at the sanatorium (windows)
● Closed frame- Satine being told that she is dying (in door frame)
● Hand held cameras- chaos, uncertainty
● Crane-style shot- chaos
● Dutch angle (tilted)- Duke talking to Ziegler + Gatsby talking to Nick in his car
● Characters staring directly into the camera- Nick in intro scene, performance
● Tilted angles: from alcohol at apartment (GG)- drunk, excess of life
Sound
● ‘Diamonds are a Girl's best Friend’ + ‘Material Girl- associates Satrine with desirable
women throughout history, women who have been sexualised and exploited
● ‘Young and Beautiful’- Daisy’s vulnerability, nostalgia, and melencholy
● Empire State of Mind- setting of NY
● Saxophones (GG)- time period, jazz
● Cancans, dance (MR)= setting the time period
● Not time-period music- tension + brings in a younger audience
● GG has hip-hop, the now equivalent of the then new jazz
● Engages audience: known songs (Elton John, Sound of Music)- singalong
● Sound effects: whooshes (of fairy), chimes, booms, heightened fantasy (MR)
● Violin in ‘El Tango de Roxanne’- violence + tension that Satine will experience whilst at
the Duke’s dinner
Cinematography
● Long shot: establishing the setting of the stage in MR
● Long shot of the mansions in GG
● Push shot: through Paris
● Push shot across lake
● Hand-held camera: at Gatsby’s parties
● Close up: of clown at the Moulin Rouge
● Close up: faces at Gatsby’s party
● High angle: Gatsby dead in the pool
● High angle: Satine dead on the ground
● Close up: of the Duke, see his emotions, anger (when he says what he will do with
Satrine Ziegler)
● Close up: of Christian’s dad- emotions, anger of dad
● Close up: of Christian’s words on the typewriter + of Nick’s words in the book
● Rapid cuts in intro scene to the Moulin Rouge
● Extreme close up: Satine telling Christian to tell the story
● Extreme close up: face of the billboard after Myrtle’s death (Dr Ekleburg)
● Close up: Satine with the Duke at his house
● Long shot- table distance with Duke, distance between them
● Satine being introduced, coming down on the rope, low angle
● Closed frame- Nick at the sanatorium (windows)
● Closed frame- Satine being told that she is dying (in door frame)
● Hand held cameras- chaos, uncertainty
● Crane-style shot- chaos
● Dutch angle (tilted)- Duke talking to Ziegler + Gatsby talking to Nick in his car
● Characters staring directly into the camera- Nick in intro scene, performance
● Tilted angles: from alcohol at apartment (GG)- drunk, excess of life
Sound
● ‘Diamonds are a Girl's best Friend’ + ‘Material Girl- associates Satrine with desirable
women throughout history, women who have been sexualised and exploited
● ‘Young and Beautiful’- Daisy’s vulnerability, nostalgia, and melencholy
● Empire State of Mind- setting of NY
● Saxophones (GG)- time period, jazz
● Cancans, dance (MR)= setting the time period
● Not time-period music- tension + brings in a younger audience
● GG has hip-hop, the now equivalent of the then new jazz
● Engages audience: known songs (Elton John, Sound of Music)- singalong
● Sound effects: whooshes (of fairy), chimes, booms, heightened fantasy (MR)
● Violin in ‘El Tango de Roxanne’- violence + tension that Satine will experience whilst at
the Duke’s dinner
