I know it's late and it's not even technically November anymore, but I wanted to fit in just one more song before the next theme. I just came home from an awkward but enjoyable night, which will hopefully result in some new friendships. Anyway, you know you wanted another sappy love song, right? And this one is the sappiest, I tell you what. "Moulin Rouge" is my favorite movie. It's true. The doctors say I'm incurable. I went to go see it in the theater when I was 13 and - as with all my favorites - had no idea what to expect. From the very beginning, I was like "What the fuck is this magic?" and by the end, I was bawling my eyes out. But, as you know, I'm a hopeless romantic and "Moulin Rouge" is the most tragic of love stories.
The story is the classic Twin Flame scenario. A poet with a head full of romantic ideas ventures off to the Big City (Paris, in this case) to lose himself in the debauchery of the demimonde. Christian - our poet - is hoping to find love in Paris because how can you be a poet if you've never been in love? His first night in Montmartre, he falls in with a troupe of miscreants (artists, actors, and other various performers), who just happen to be looking for a writer. They take him to the Moulin Rouge, the Belle Epoque-equivalent of a modern day strip club/brothel. There, he meets Satine, a beautiful courtesan whose only wish is to be a real actress (like the Great Sarah Bernhardt). Unfortunately, she is slowly dying from tuberculosis. Anyway, Satine, mistaking Christian for a Duke who will fund her dreams of stardom, attempts to seduce Christian but ends up falling in love with him. That's when the actual Duke comes in and Satine has to pretend they were rehearsing a play. The Duke promises to fund the play but only if Satine belongs to him - and only him. No other clients. Satine and her boss, Zigler, agree. However, Satine and Christian can't deny the growing love between them and they carry on their love affair. You know what happens next. Jealousy, resentment, anger. And that's all before the Duke finds out that Satine has been unfaithful. The Duke threatens to kill Christian if Satine doesn't break it off immediately. In the greatest performance of her life, in order to save her True Love, she tells Christian that she never loved him, that it was an act, that she was just doing her job as a whore. A broken-hearted Christian is barred from the Moulin Rouge but returns during the final performance and makes a show of "paying for his whore." Satine sings their love song and melts his icy heart. They sing the final song in the play together and the curtain closes. Having performed as a real actress and reunited with her True Love, Satine dies in Christian's arms. During this whole movie, the story is being recounted by Christian, who had fallen into a deep depression after Satine died. Writing the story helps him to grieve and move on. Fin.
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| My Favorite Picture of Nicole Kidman |
I can't fucking watch this movie without crying. I just can't do it. Even thinking about it kind of makes me sad. I don't know why, but something about this particular plot has always resonated with me. Maybe something similar happened to me in a past life, if you believe in reincarnation (spoiler alert: I do). My grandmother used to call me her little Sarah Bernhardt - throughout high school and even a bit into college, I wanted to be an actress. I was really good, too - I am really good, still, when I break out the old monologue books. I'm a natural. That's what everybody said. But, to me, acting is simply the art of being human....and there's nobody as human as I am. I have flaws, I have weaknesses, I have annoying quirks, and I'm painfully aware of all of it.
(Side tangent: Tonight was a good example of one of those flaws - even though I like being around people, I have a tendency to wait until people are done talking to speak, which makes it seem like I'm quieter than I am because I can't get a word in - that's why it was a bit awkward. It's a known issue and I'm trying to work on it.)
Satine seems aware of her shortcomings, too. She always seemed so aware of what she was - what she did for a living - and, although she tried to make the best of her situation, she never let go of her dreams. I'm sure, to her clients, it would've seemed like she loved being a courtesan. Only Christian saw through all of that, knew that she could be something more, something greater. I think she loved that about him - that, for once, she didn't have to pretend. And eventually her dreams came true. She did get her happy ending, it was just too brief and that's why it's sad.
Never knew I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
Want to vanish inside your kiss
Every day I love you more and more
Listen to my heart
Can you hear it sing?
Telling me to give you everything
Seasons may change, winter to spring
But I love you until the end of time
Come what may, come what may
I will love you until my dying day
"Come What May" is Satine and Christian's secret song. Since they couldn't tell each other "I love you" in front of the Duke, they sang the song and just pretended they were rehearsing. I know - kind of ridiculously romantic. It's also a ridiculously simple melody. I found myself singing it today, because it is a pretty song that's easy to learn. It's a duet and in the movie, it plays over a montage of Satine and Christian going on "dates," usually with an oblivious Duke in tow. It's sweet, because it's all so innocent. A walk through the park, a picnic on the Seine, rehearsing at the Moulin Rouge....simple things. However, juxtapose this song against Satine's spotlight songs, which are all conflicted about the relationship - she's really happy when she's with Christian but she knows it can't end well. That's why the song is "Come What May" - regardless of what happens, even if they break each others hearts, even if they are forced apart, they will love each other. Until the end of time. Or their dying day. I'm not really sure if it's a "whatever comes first" situation, but we know that Satine kept up her end of the deal.
Anyway, it's been a long day. Heck, it's been kind of a long week and I'm a bit surprised it's over. Regardless, enjoy "Come What May"....unfortunately, I wasn't able to find the clip from the movie but the soundtrack version is cleaner anyway.
"Come What May" Video
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