Comparative Essay Sample: Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge vs. Greek Myth of Orpheus and Eurydice

When thinking of Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! the first thing that comes to mind is its love story ending in tragedy rather than happily ever after. But a second thought comes to mind quickly after; why does it seem so familiar? This is because that is not the first time this story has been told. The Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice has striking similarities to the modern day story of Christian and Satine, in more ways than just the tragic ending. There are many comparisons drawn between the characters and actions, plot and dialogue, and the artistic choices of music, costumes, and visuals.

One of the biggest similarities is drawn between the characters. Christian is a talented poet and musician just like Orpheus. Satine is Christian’s lover who is known for her beauty, just like Eurydice is Orpheus’s lover who is a dryad known for her beauty. However, the connections run deeper than just who they are. The way that Christian and Satine act is very reminiscent of the actions of Orpheus and Eurydice. Christian is driven by his love to save Satine from the Moulin Rouge so they can be with one another without any worries, and Satine wants to leave the Moulin Rouge to be with Christian. This is exactly like the actions and goals of Orpheus and Eurydice, with the driving force being love and the desire to be together.

Another major similarity comes from the plot. Both stories are about a man attempting to save his lover from the situation she is in, or from being without one another. Christian wants to save Satine from her life in the Moulin Rouge so they can live together with the only thing that matters: love. Orpheus wants to save Eurydice from the Underworld so they can be together again and live happily ever after. However, in both scenarios, the male leads are unsuccessful and end up losing their love despite all their effort. Christian loses Satine to consumption and Orpheus loses Eurydice to the Underworld once more. A more specific comparison can be drawn from the dialogue used. In the movie, Harry Zidler makes the statement, “We're creatures of the underworld. We can't afford to love.” This shows how the Moulin Rouge was the “underworld” and Satine was trapped in it, just like Eurydice. Christian also makes multiple claims about the theme of love. He states, “Love. Overcoming all obstacles.” Another statement that he repeats multiple times in the movie is, “Love. Above all things I believe in love. Love is like oxygen. Love is a many splendored thing. Love lifts us up where we belong. All you need is love.” Both of these quotes serve to prove the importance of love and the role it plays in the movie. This is also apparent in the myth when Orpheus says, “I wanted to be able to endure, and I admit that I have tried; but Love has conquered.” This shows how he failed in his attempt to mourn and move on from the loss of his wife due to his love for her. However, as seen in both, love was not a strong enough force to save either Satine or Eurydice from their fates. An argument can be made that love did the exact opposite in both scenarios. Satine would have died either way, but had it not been for her love for Christian, she may have been able to succeed in becoming an actress and escape the Moulin Rouge, or the “underworld.” Eurydice may have been able to leave the Underworld had Orpheus not looked back like he was told, but due to his immense love for her, he did and he lost her once again.

Finally, the last similarities emerge from the music, costumes, and visuals. The music is very important in telling the story of Christian and Satine and portraying their feelings. An example would be El Tango de Roxanne, which is all about Christian and the overwhelming jealousy he feels. While this example may not have a direct correlation to the myth, it does show that both the movie and the myth tell their story and show their feelings using song and music. Another example would be Elephant Love Medley, where Christian is able to swoon Satine and make her believe in love. This has a strong correlation to Orpheus using song to convince Hades and Persephone to let Eurydice return with him, and his persuasion succeeds. Costumes also play an important role by letting the audience see the effects of each event on the characters, rather than being told, like in the myth. The prime examples would be how Satine wears black to symbolize a part of her dying when she has to visit the Duke to sleep with him, and then again when she has to convince Christian she doesn’t love him to protect him from harm. This is a symbolic death which differs from how Eurydice dies physically, but there is still the connection of being tied to darkness and death. This ends up being a very interesting choice because when Satine does physically die, she is dressed in all white for the first time. This is likely due to the representation of her living through Christian’s love for her and their story, so she is not truly dead. This can be compared to Eurydice being physically dead and in the Underworld, and yet she was still living through Orpheus’s love for her and was almost brought back to life because of it. Another example would be the differences in the costumes and portrayal of Christian in the past and then present times. In the past, he was dressed and shown as hopeful and optimistic. However, in the present, he is disheveled and broken. He doesn’t seem to be taking care of himself throughout his mourning, which is very similar to how broken Orpheus was when mourning. Furthermore, the visuals serve as an important display of the story and its connections to the myth. The biggest visual that connects to the myth is when Christian loses Satine. The play had finished and the Duke was driven away; everything was seemingly on the right track for the lovers now. The audience sees the images of Christian walking forward, off the stage with a smile on his face. Then it flashes to Satine falling behind, gasping for air as darkness is seen crowding the slow motion image of her face. When Christian turns around, Satine collapses and dies in his arms. This is a hauntingly beautiful visual that displays Orpheus losing Eurydice perfectly. Orpheus was overjoyed to have his wife back, but when he turned around, he ended up losing her all over again. 

In conclusion, Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! is a beautifully tragic love story drawing inspiration from the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. This is displayed throughout the entire movie between the characters and actions, plot and dialogue, and the artistic choices of music, costumes, and visuals. There are many obvious similarities between the two, but with further analysis, the connections run even deeper than what is shown on the surface. Both the movie and the myth challenge the fairytale themes and ideas that are shown in modern media everywhere. Love doesn’t conquer all. Happily ever after doesn’t exist. Not everything can be fixed simply by wanting it enough. Both of these stories tell of the ugly truth hidden behind rose tinted glass. The biggest difference between these two stories is simply the time period in which they were told.