Voila! Finally, the Moulin Rouge
script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the Baz Luhrmann movie
starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly
transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of Moulin Rouge. I know, I know, I still need to get the cast names in there and I'll be eternally
tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to
drop me a line. You won't
hurt my feelings. Honest.
[ORCHESTRA TUNES INSTRUMENTS]
[APPLAUSE]
[FANFARE SOUNDS]
[MUSIC PLAYS]
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC SINGS:
There was a boy
A very strange enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far
Very far
Over land and sea
PREACHER:
Don 't be fooled! Evil!
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC SINGS:
A little shy
Turn away from this village of sin!
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC SINGS:
And sad of eye
But very wise...
...was he
And then one day
A magic day...
...he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me
The greatest thing
You'll ever learn
Is just to love
And be loved...
...in return
CHRISTIAN:
The Moulin Rouge.
A nightclub...
...a dance hall and a bordello...
...ruled over by Harold Zidler.
A kingdom of nighttime pleasures...
...where the rich played with...
...the young and beautiful creatures
of the underworld.
The most beautiful of all these...
...was the woman who I loved.
Satine.
A courtesan, she sold her love to men.
They called her
"The Sparkling Diamond."
And she was the star...
...of the Moulin Rouge.
The woman I loved...
...is...
...dead.
I first came to Paris...
...one year ago.
It was the Summer of Love.
I knew nothing of the Moulin Rouge,
Harold Zidler or Satine.
The world had been swept up in a
Bohemian revolution, and I had...
...come to be a part of it.
On the hill near Paris
was the village of Montmartre.
It was not,
as my father said...
A village of sin.
- But the center of
the Bohemian world.
Musicians, painters, writers.
They were known as
the Children of the Revolution.
I had come to live a penniless
existence. I had come to...
...write about truth, beauty,
freedom...
...and that which I believed in
above all things: Love.
Always this ridiculous obsession
with love!
There was one problem.
I'd never been in love.
Just then, an unconscious Argentinean
fell through my roof.
He was joined by a dwarf
dressed as a nun.
How do you do?
My name is Henri Marie Raymond
Toulouse-Lautrec-Montfa.
I'm terribly sorry. We were upstairs
rehearsing a play.
A play. Something very modern called
Spectacular, Spectacular.
It's set in Switzerland.
The unconscious Argentinean
suffered from narcolepsy.
Perfectly fine one moment,
then unconscious the next.
How is he?
Wonderful.
The Argentinean is unconscious.
Now the play will not be ready to
present to the financier tomorrow.
- I still have to finish the music.
- Someone else can read the part.
Where on earth will we find
someone to play...
...a young, sensitive
Swiss poet goatherder?
Soon I was upstairs, standing in
for the unconscious Argentinean.
The hills animate
With the euphonious symphonies
Of descant
Oh, stop!
Stop that insufferable droning!
It's drowning out my words!
Just stick to some decorative piano.
There were artistic differences
over Audrey's lyrics.
A nun wouldn't say that
about a hill.
How about, "The hills are vital
intoning the descant"?
"The hills quake and shake..."
"The hills are incarnate
with symphonic melodies"!
"The hills..." "The hills..."
[LOUD TALKING]
The hills...
...are alive...
...with the sound of...
...music
"The hills are alive with
the sound of music. " I love it!
The hills are alive...
...with the sound...
...of music.
It fits perfectly!
With songs they have sung
For a thousand years
Incandiferous!
- You should write the show together.
- Excuse me?
Toulouse's suggestion was not
what Audrey wanted to hear.
Goodbye!
Here's to your first job in Paris.
Toulouse, Zidler will never agree.
Have you ever written a play before?
No.
The boy has talent!
I like him.
Nothing funny.
I just like talent.
"The hills are alive
with the sound of music."
With Christian, we can write...
...the Bohemian revolutionary show
we always dreamt of.
How will we convince Zidler?
Toulouse had a plan.
Satine.
They'd dress me in a suit and
say I was a famous English writer.
Once Satine heard my poetry,
she'd be amazed and insist that...
...I write Spectacular, Spectacular.
But I kept hearing my father's voice:
You'll end up wasting your life at
the Moulin Rouge with a cancan dancer!
- I can't write the show!
- Why not?
I don't know if I am
a Bohemian revolutionary.
- Do you believe in beauty?
- Yes.
- Freedom?
- Of course.
- Truth?
- Yes.
Love?
Love? 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!
You can't fool us! You're the voice
of the Children of the Revolution!
We can 't be fooled!
To the writer of the world's first
Bohemian revolutionary show!
It was the perfect plan.
I was to audition for Satine
and taste my first glass of absinthe.
There was a boy...
I am the green fairy.
FAIRY SINGS:
The hills are alive
With the sound of music
[MUSIC PLAYS]
Freedom, beauty...
...truth and love
The hills are alive
With the sound of music
CHRISTIAN:
We were off to the Moulin Rouge.
I would perform my poetry
for Satine.
The Moulin Rouge!
Harold Zidler and his infamous girls.
They called them his "Diamond Dogs."
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?
Hey, sister, go, sister
Soul sister, go, sister
If life's an awful bore
And living's just a chore
That you do 'cause death 's not much fun
I've just the antidote
And though I mustn 't gloat
At the Moulin Rouge
You'll have fun
So scratch that little niggle
Give a little wiggle
You know that you can
Because we...
...can cancan
Don 't say you can 't can 't can 't
You know you can cancan
Don 't say you can 't
Because you can
Here we are now
Entertain us
We feel stupid
And contagious
Got some dark desire
Love to play with fire
Why not let it rip?
Live a little bit
We can cancan
Don 't say you can 't can 't can 't
You know you can cancan
You can cancan
Outside, it may be raining
But in here it's entertaining!
If you love love love
To be free free free
The Moulin Rouge is the place to be
Because we can cancan!
Yes, we can cancan!
Here we are now
Entertain us
Outside, things may be tragic
But in here, we feel it's magic
[MUSIC STOPS]
The cancan.
Because we can cancan!
Go, sister
Soul sister
Hey, sister, go, sister
Soul sister, go, sister
Because we can cancan!
Yes, we can cancan!
Creole Lady Marmalade
Because we can cancan!
'Cause it's good for your mind!
Mission accomplished.
We've successfully evaded Zidler.
It's her! The Sparkling Diamond.
The French are glad to...
...die for love
They delight...
...in fighting duels
CHRISTIAN: But someone else was to
meet Satine that night.
But I prefer...
...a man who lives
CHRISTIAN:
Zidler's investor.
And gives expensive...
...jewels
CHRISTIAN:
The Duke.
[SWING MUSIC PLAYS]
A kiss on the hand
May be quite continental
But diamonds are
A girl's best friend
A kiss may be grand
But it won 't pay the rental
On your humble flat
Or help you feed your pussycat
Men grow cold
As girls grow old
And we all lose our charms in the end
But square cut or pear-shaped
These rocks don 't lose their shape
Diamonds are a girl's best friend
When will I meet the girl?
Tiffany's!
After her number. I've arranged a
special meeting, just you and Satine.
Totally alone.
Cartier!
After her number, I've arranged
a private meeting.
- Just you and Satine. Totally alone.
- Alone?
Yes, totally alone.
'Cause we are living
In a material world
And I am a material girl
Come and get me, boys.
Excuse me.
Black Star! Roscor!
Talk to me, Harry Zidler!
Tell me all about it!
There may come a time
When a lass needs a lawyer
But diamonds are
A girl's best friend
There may come a time
When a hard-boiled employer thinks
You're awful nice
Don't worry. I'll sally forth
and tee things up!
- Is the Duke here?
- Liebchen, would Daddy let you down?
Terribly sorry.
Where is he?
Toulouse is shaking a hanky at him.
Excuse me, Christian. May I borrow?
- Are you sure?
- Let me peek.
I'm ever so sorry! How embarrassing!
That's the one. I hope that demonic
little loon doesn't frighten him off.
Clean yourself up, you bourgeois pig!
Sorry.
- Will he invest?
- Pigeon!
After spending the night with you,
how could he refuse?
What's his type? Wilting flower?
Bright and bubbly?
Or smoldering temptress?
I'd say smoldering temptress.
We're all relying on you, gosling.
Remember, a real show in a real theater,
with a real audience...
...and you'll be...
A real actress.
'Cause that's when those louses
Go back to their spouses
Diamonds...
I have exciting news!
...are a girl's...
...best...
...friend
[SWING MUSIC ENDS]
I believe you were expecting me.
Yes. Yes.
I'm afraid it's lady's choice.
[CHEERING]
[SATINE SQUEALS]
[SQUEALS]
I see you've met my English friend...
I'll take care of it.
Let's dance.
Hit her with your most modern poem!
[POP MUSIC PLAYS]
To the beat of the rhythm of the night
Dance until the morning light
Forget the worries on your mind
You can leave them all behind
That went well.
DOCTOR: Incredible.
ARGENTINEAN: He has a gift with women.
I told you. He's a genius.
That Duke certainly can dance.
How wonderful of you to
take an interest in our show.
It sounds very exciting.
I'd be delighted to be involved.
Assuming you like what I do.
I'm sure I will.
Toulouse thought we might be able to...
...do it in private.
- Did he?
- Yes, you know, a private...
...poetry reading.
Ohhh!
A "poetry reading."
I love a little "poetry"
after supper.
Hang on to your hat!
Diamonds
Diamonds
Square cut...
...or pear-shaped
These rocks...
...won 't lose their shape
Diamonds...
...are a girl's...
...best...
[MUSIC STOPS]
[GASPS]
No!
Satine! Satine! Satine!
I doubt the Duke will get
his money's worth tonight.
Don't be unkind, Nini.
[CROWD CALLS FOR SATINE]
You've frightened her away.
But I can see some Ionely
Moulin Rouge dancers...
...Iooking for a partner or two!
So if you can Hunk Hunk...
...you can Hunkadola with them!
[MUSIC STARTS AGAIN]
Out of my way!
Oh, Marie.
Oh, these silly costumes.
Just a fainting spell.
Back out front, girls.
Make those gents thirsty. Problems?
- Nothing to worry about.
- Don't stand around, then.
Come out of the garden, baby
You'll catch your death in the fog
Young girls
They call them the Diamond Dogs
Find Zidler.
The girl's waiting for me.
That twinkle-toes Duke
took the bait, girl.
A patron like him, you could be
the next Sarah Bernhardt.
Do you really think I could be like
the great Sarah?
Why not? You got the talent.
You hook that Duke and you'll be
lighting the great stages of Europe.
I'll be a real actress, Marie.
A great actress.
I'm gonna fly away from here.
I'm gonna fly, fly away.
- Duckling, are you all right?
- Of course, Harold.
Thank goodness!
You certainly weaved your magic
with the Duke on the dance floor.
How do I look?
Smoldering temptress?
My little strawberry...
...how could he possibly resist
gobbling you up?
Everything's going so well!
[MUSIC PLAYS]
I'll meet you in the red room
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC: Unbelievable!
Straight to the elephant.
SATINE: This is a wonderful place for
a poetry reading. Don't you think?
Poetic enough for you?
A little supper?
Maybe some champagne?
I'd rather just...
...get it over and done with.
Very well.
Then why don't you...
...come down here?
Let's get it over and done with.
I prefer to do it standing.
You don't have to stand.
Sometimes it's... It's quite long,
and I'd like you to be comfortable.
What I do is quite modern.
It may feel strange...
...at first, but if you're open,
you might enjoy it.
I'm sure I will.
Excuse me.
"The sky..."
"The sky... the bluebirds..."
Come on. Come on.
I think...
There might be some shaking.
Is everything okay?
I'm a little nervous.
Sometimes it takes a while for...
...inspiration to come.
Oh, yes, yes.
Let Mummy help.
Does that inspire you?
Let's make love.
You want to, don't you?
Tell the truth.
Can't you feel the poetry?
Come on! Feel it.
Free the tiger!
Big boy!
He's got a huge talent!
- I need your poetry now!
- All right!
"It's a little bit funny...
...this feeling inside.
I'm not one of those who can
easily hide."
Is this okay?
Is this what you want?
Oh, poetry.
This is what I want,
naughty words.
Naughty!
"I don't have much money,
but if I did, I'd buy...
...a big house where we both
could live."
Oh! It's so bad!
- "If I were a sculptor, then again, no."
- You devil.
"Or a man who makes potions
in a traveling show."
Don't, don't, don't!
Don't stop!
- "I know it's not much."
- Give me more! Yes!
- "It's the best I can do."
- Naughty! Don't stop! Yes!
CHRISTIAN SINGS:
My gift is my song
And this one's for you
And you can tell everybody
That this is your song
It may be quite simple, but
Now that it's done
I hope you don 't mind
I hope you don 't mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is
Now you're in the world
I sat on the roof
And I kicked off the moss
Well, some of these verses
They got me quite cross
But the sun 's been kind
While I wrote this song
It's for people like you that
Keep it turned on
So excuse me forgetting
But these things I do
You see, I've forgotten
If they're green or they're blue
Anyway, the thing is
What I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes
I've ever seen
And you can tell everybody
This is your song
It may be quite simple, but
Now that it's done
I hope you don 't mind
I hope you don 't mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is
Now you're in the world
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC:
Looks like he got the job!
I can't believe it.
I'm in love.
I'm in love with a young...
...handsome, talented duke.
Duke?
Not that the title's important,
of course.
I'm not a duke.
Not a duke?
I'm a writer.
A writer?
Yes, a writer.
Toulouse...
You're not one of Toulouse's talented,
Bohemian, impoverished protégés?
- You might say that.
- Oh, no!
I'm going to kill him!
There might be a small hitch.
- What about the Duke?
- My dear Duke...
The Duke!
Hide! Out back!
My dear, are you decent for the Duke?
Where were you?
I... I was waiting.
Dear Duke, allow me to introduce
Mademoiselle Satine!
How wonderful of you
to take time out to visit.
The pleasure, I fear,
will be entirely mine, my dear.
I'll leave you two squirrels
to get better acquainted.
A kiss on the hand may be
quite continental...
But diamonds are
a girl's best friend.
After tonight's pretty exertions
on the stage...
...you must be in need of refreshment.
Don't! Don't you...
...just love the view?
Charming.
I feel like dancing.
Umm. Umm.
- I should like a glass of champagne.
- No!
It's...
- It's a little bit funny.
- What is?
This... feeling...
...inside.
I'm not one of those who can easily...
...hide.
I don't have much money...
...but if I did,
I'd buy a big house...
...where we both could live.
I hope you don 't mind
I hope you don 't mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful...
...life is
Now you're in...
...the world
That's very beautiful.
It's from Spectacular, Spectacular.
Suddenly, with you here...
...I finally understood
the true meaning of the words.
"How wonderful life is
now you're in the world."
And what meaning is that, my dear?
Duke!
Don't you toy with my emotions.
You must know the effect
you have on women.
Let's make love!
You want to make love, don't you?
Make love?
I knew you felt the same way!
Oh, Duke!
You're right. We should wait
until opening night.
DUKE:
Wait? Wait?
There's a power in you that scares me.
- You should go.
- I just got here.
We'll see each other every day
during rehearsal.
We must wait. We must wait
until opening night.
Get out.
Do you have any idea what would have
happened if you were found?
[GASPS]
Satine?
Let's have a little peekaboo.
Right on target.
I forgot my hat...
Foul play?
Oh, Duke.
It's a little bit funny,
this feeling inside!
Beautifully spoken.
Let me introduce you. The writer.
- The writer?
- Yes.
We were rehearsing.
You expect me to believe
that scantily clad...
...in the arms of another man, inside
an elephant, you were rehearsing?
How's the rehearsal going?
Shall we take it from the top?
- I hope the piano's in tune.
ARGENTINEAN: Sorry, got held up.
Can I offer you a drink?
Oh, my goodness!
When I spoke those words to you,
you so inspired me.
I realized we had much work to do,
so I called an emergency rehearsal.
Then where's Zidler?
I didn't bother Harold.
Dear Duke, I'm terribly sorry.
Harold! The Duke knows all about
the emergency rehearsal.
Emergency rehearsal?
To incorporate the Duke's
artistic ideas.
Audrey will be delighted...
- Audrey left.
- What?
Cat's out of the bag.
The Duke's a big fan
of our new writer's work.
That's why he's so keen to invest.
Invest? Invest!
Oh, yes. Invest!
You can't blame me for hiding...
...Christian away.
I'm way ahead of you, Zidler.
Duke, let's go to my office
and peruse the paperwork.
What's the story?
If I'm to invest,
I need to know the story.
Well, the story's about...
Toulouse?
The story is... The story's about...
It's about...
It's about love.
Love?
It's about love
overcoming all obstacles.
And it's set in Switzerland!
- Switzerland?
- Exotic Switzerland!
India! India! It's set in India!
And there's a courtesan.
The most beautiful courtesan
in the world.
But her kingdom's invaded
by an evil maharajah.
To save her kingdom, she has to seduce
the evil maharajah...
...but on the night of the seduction,
she mistakes...
...a penniless... a penniless...
...sitar player...
...for the maharajah and falls in love
with him!
He wasn't trying to trick her.
He was dressed as a maharajah...
...because he's appearing in a play.
I will play the penniless tango-dancing
sitar player.
He will sing like an angel...
...but dance like the devil.
Yes, all right.
And what happens next?
The sitar player and the courtesan
must hide their love.
The sitar player's sitar is magical.
It only speaks the truth.
And I will play the magical sitar!
You are beautiful.
You are ugly. And you...
And he gives the game away, eh?
- Tell him about the cancan!
- The Tantric cancan...
- is an erotic, spectacular scene that
captures the thrusting, vibrant...
...wild, Bohemian spirit...
...that the whole production embodies,
Duke!
- What does that mean?
- The show will be a magnificent...
...opulent, tremendous, stupendous...
...gargantuan bedazzlement!
A sensual ravishment.
It will be...
Spectacular, spectacular
No words in the vernacular
Can describe this great event
You'll be dumb with wonderment
Returns are fixed at ten percent
You must agree that's excellent
And on top of your fee
You'll be involved artistically
So exciting
The audience will stomp and cheer
So delighting
It will run for years
So exciting
The audience will stomp and cheer
So delighting
It will run for years
- Elephants
- Bohemians
- Indians
- And courtesans
- Acrobats
- And juggling bears
- Exotic girls
- Fire-eaters
Musclemen
Contortionists
Intrigue, danger
And romance
Electric lights, machinery
And all that electricity!
So exciting
The audience will stomp and cheer
So delighting
It will run for years
So exciting
The audience will stomp and cheer
So delighting
It will run for years!
Spectacular, spectacular
No words in the vernacular
Can describe this great event
You'll be dumb with wonderment
The hills are alive
With the sound of music
So exciting
The audience will stomp and cheer
So delighting
It will run for years
So exciting
The audience will stomp and cheer
So delighting
It will run for years!
But what happens in the end?
[CLEARS HIS THROAT]
The courtesan and sitar man
Are pulled apart by an evil plan
But in the end, she hears his song
And their love is just too strong
It's a little bit funny
This feeling inside
So exciting
The audience will stomp and cheer
So delighting
It will run for years
The sitar player's secret song
Helps them flee the evil one
Though the tyrant rants and rails
It is all to no avail
I am the evil maharajah!
You will not escape!
- No one could play him like you.
ZIDLER: No one will.
So exciting, we'll make them laugh
We'll make them cry! So delighting...
And in the end,
should someone die?
So exciting
The audience will stomp and cheer
So delighting
It will run for years!
Generally, I like it.
CHRISTIAN:
Zidler had an investor...
...and the Bohemians had a show.
- It's the end of the century!
The Bohemian revolution is here!
You are a beautiful woman.
I love sex.
CHRISTIAN:
While the party raged upstairs...
...I tried to write.
But all I could think about
was her.
How wonderful life is
Was she thinking about me?
Now you're in...
...the world
Duke? I'm not a duke.
I'm a writer.
He wasn 't trying to trick her...
It's about love.
It's about love...
...overcoming all obstacles.
I...
...follow...
...the night
Can 't stand...
...the light
When will I begin...
...to live again?
One day I'll fly away
Leave all this to yesterday
What more could your love do for me?
When will love be...
...through with me?
Why live life...
...from dream to dream?
And dread the day...
...when dreaming...
...ends
How wonderful life is
Now you're in...
...the world
One day I'll fly away
Leave all this to yesterday
Why live life...
...from dream to dream?
And dread the day...
...when dreaming...
...ends
One day I'll fly away
Fly...
...fly...
...away
Sorry. I didn't mean...
I saw your light on
and I climbed up the...
I wanted to thank you
for helping me get the job.
Of course.
Yes, Toulouse was right.
You're...
...very talented.
It will be a wonderful show.
Anyway, I'd better go.
We both have a big day tomorrow.
Wait.
Please wait.
Before, when we were... when we were...
...when you thought I was the Duke...
...you said you loved me,
and I wondered...
If it was just an act?
- Yes.
- Of course.
It felt real.
Christian...
...I'm a courtesan.
I'm paid to make men believe
what they want to believe.
Silly of me, to think you could
fall in love with someone like me.
- I can't fall in love with anyone.
- Can't fall in love?
- A life without love? That's terrible!
- Being on the street is terrible.
Love is like oxygen.
Love is a many-splendored thing.
Love...
...lifts us up where we belong.
Don't start that again.
- All you need is love
- A girl has to eat
- All you need is love
- Or she'll end up on the streets
All you need is love
Love is just a game
I was made for loving you, baby
You were made for loving me
The only way of loving me, baby
Is to pay a lovely fee
Just one night
Give me just one night
There's no way
'Cause you can 't pay
In the name of love
One night in the name of love
You crazy fool
I won 't give in to you
Don 't leave me this way
I can 't survive
Without your sweet love
Oh, baby
Don 't leave me this way
You'd think that people
Would have had enough
Of silly love songs
I look around me and I see
It isn 't so
Oh, no
Some people want to fill the world
With silly love songs
Well, what's wrong with that?
I'd like to know
'Cause here I go again
Love lifts us up where we belong
Get down! Get down!
Where eagles fly
On a mountain high
Love makes us act like we are fools
Throw our lives away
For one happy day
We could be heroes
Just for one day
You, you will be mean
No, I won't.
And I...
...I'll drink all the time
We should be lovers
We can 't do that
We should be lovers
And that's a fact
Though nothing...
...will keep us together
We could steal time
Just for one day
We could be heroes
For ever and ever
We could be heroes
For ever and ever
We can be heroes
Just because I
Will always love you
I can 't help loving...
...you
How wonderful life is
Now you're in...
...the world
You're going to be bad for business,
I can tell.
How wonderful life is
Now you're in...
...the world
CHRISTIAN: How wonderful life was,
now Satine was in the world.
But in the Duke...
...Zidler had gotten much more
than he had bargained for.
Converting the Moulin Rouge into a
theater will cost a fantastic sum.
So, in return, I would require
a contract that...
...binds Satine to me...
...exclusively.
Naturally, I'll require some security:
The deeds to the Moulin Rouge.
My dear Duke...
Please! Don't think that
I'm naive, Zidler.
I shall hold the deeds. And if there
are any shenanigans...
...my manservant, Warner...
...will deal with it in the only way...
...you underworld show folk understand.
Satine will be mine.
It's not that I'm a jealous man.
I just don't like other people
touching my things!
I...
...understand... completely... Duke.
Good.
Now that we have an understanding,
it appears that...
...you have the means to transform
your beloved Moulin Rouge...
- into a theater!
I shall woo Satine over supper tonight.
ZIDLER: We will have created
the world's first...
...completely modern...
...entirely electric,
totally Bohemian...
...all-singing, all-dancing
stage spectacular!
The show must go on!
CHRISTIAN:
Yes, the show would go on.
But Satine would not attend supper
that night or the following night.
Mad with jealousy,
the evil maharajah...
...forces the courtesan to tell the
sitar player she doesn't love him.
"Thank you for curing me of
my ridiculous obsession with love"...
...says the sitar player, throwing money
at her and leaving the kingdom!
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC:
Brilliant! Brilliant!
A life without love?
That's terrible!
Yes. But the sitar player...
Wait! That's my part.
That's my part, Christian!
Don't you dare!
The magic sitar, who can only
speak the truth, says:
CHRISTIAN: "The greatest thing
you'll ever learn...
...is just to love
and be loved in return."
A picnic, sweet lady?
Oh, but we have so much work to do.
If the writer can carry a basket,
you can both do it in my presence.
- So he falls from the roof...
- Yes, I know, I know. Don't tell me.
"The greatest thing you'll ever..."
Still at it, my sweet?
"...master... make...
...contract..."
I've so many lines. I've been
drilling them over and over.
For try as the Duke may,
it was almost too easy...
...for the writer and actress
to invent reasons to avoid him.
Mademoiselle Satine,
I haven't finished the new scene.
The "Will the lovers be meeting at the
sitar player's humble abode?" scene.
May I work on it with you
later tonight?
But, my dear, I arranged a magnificent
supper for us in the tower.
We can work on it tomorrow.
How dare you! It cannot wait
until tomorrow.
"The lovers will meet at the sitar
player's humble abode" scene is crucial.
We'll work tonight
until I'm completely satisfied.
Dear Duke, excuse me.
I'm sorry.
ZIDLER:
Nice work, family!
Bright and early tomorrow morning,
we begin on Act Two:
The lovers are discovered.
Zidler.
My dear Duke, everything is arranged
for that supper in the tower tonight.
You can eat it yourself!
Her affections are waning!
Impossible.
I know her work's important, but
she's always at it with that writer!
If I don't see her tonight,
I'm leaving!
No, Duke! I'll insist
Satine take the night off.
All right.
Eight o'clock, then.
You'll come tonight?
Yes.
- What time?
- Eight o'clock.
- Promise?
- Yes.
Go.
Are you mad?
The Duke holds the deeds
to the Moulin Rouge.
He's spending a fortune on you.
Given you a beautiful new dressing room.
He wants to make you a star.
And you're dallying with the writer.
- Harold, don't be rid...
- I saw you together!
It's nothing.
It's just an infatuation.
It's nothing.
The infatuation will end.
Go to the boy.
Tell him it's over.
The Duke is expecting you at .
SATINE SINGS:
If I should die
This very moment
I wouldn 't fear
For I've never known completeness
Like being here
Wrapped in the warmth of you
Loving every breath of you
Why live life...
...from dream...
...to dream?
And dread the day...
[GASPS]
CHRISTIAN:
How could I know...
...in those last fatal days...
...that a force darker
than jealousy...
...and stronger than love...
...had begun to take hold...
...of Satine?
Where is she?
- Will she be up by tonight?
- Tomorrow at the earliest.
The Duke's leaving!
She's confessing!
Confessing? Do you take me for
an imbecile, Zidler?
She suddenly had a terrible desire...
...to go to a priest and...
...confess her sins.
She wanted to be cleansed
of her former life.
She looks upon tonight
as her wedding night.
Wedding night?
She's like a blushing bride.
She says you make her feel like a...
...virgin.
Virgin?
You know. Touched...
...for the very first time.
She says it feels so good inside...
...when you hold her...
...and you touch her.
Like a virgin.
She's made it through the wilderness
somehow. She's made it through.
She didn 't know how lost she was
Until she found you
She was beat
Incomplete
She'd been had
She was sad and blue
But you made her feel
Yes, you made her feel
Shiny and new
[MUSIC STARTS]
Like a virgin
Touched for the very first time
Like a virgin
When your hearts beat
Both in time
Gonna give you all her love
Her fear is fading fast
Been saving it all for you
Only love can last
She's so fine
And she's thine
She'll be yours
Till the end of time
'Cause you made her feel
Yes, you made her feel
She has nothing to hide
Like a virgin
Touched for the very first time
Like a virgin
When your hearts beat
Both in time
Like a virgin
Feels so good inside
When you hold her and you touch her
She's so fine
And she's mine
Makes me strong
Yes, she makes me bold
Now her love thawed out
Yes, her love thawed out
What was scared and cold
Like a virgin
Touched for the very first time
Like a virgin
When your hearts beat
Both in time
Like a virgin
Feels so good inside
When you hold her
And you touch her
When you hold her
And you touch her
[MUSIC STOPS]
Like a virgin
CHRISTIAN: Harold Zidler's brilliant
lies had once again averted disaster.
But no lie, however brilliant,
could save Satine.
PHYSICIAN:
Monsieur Zidler...
...Mademoiselle Satine is dying.
She has consumption.
My little sparrow is dying?
ZIDLER:
She mustn 't know, Marie.
The show must go on.
CHRISTIAN: All night, the penniless
sitar player had waited.
And now, for the first time...
...he felt the cold stab of jealousy.
Where were you last night?
I told you...
...I was sick.
You don't have to lie to me.
We have to end it.
Everyone knows.
Harold knows.
Sooner or later,
the Duke will find out too.
On opening night,
I have to sleep with the Duke.
And the jealousy will drive you mad.
- Christian...
- Then I'll write a song.
We'll put it in the show
and whatever happens...
...when you hear it or sing it
or hum it...
...it'll mean we love each other.
I won't get jealous.
Things don't work that way, Christian.
We have to end it.
Never knew...
...I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky...
...before
Want to vanish...
...inside your kiss
CHRISTIAN: This new scene is where
the sitar player...
...writes a secret song for
the courtesan, so whatever happens...
...however bad things are,
they remember their love.
We could take it from your line, Satine.
Let's take it from there.
We must be careful.
Fear not. We will conduct our love
affair under the maharajah's...
Seasons may change
Winter to spring
Honestly, amigo, this is impossible!
But I love you
Until the end...
...of time
Come what may
Come what may
I will love you
Until my dying day
Suddenly, the world
Seems such a perfect place
My dear, a little frog!
Suddenly it moves
With such a perfect grace
Suddenly my life doesn 't...
...seem such a waste
It all revolves around you
And there's no mountain
Too high
No river too wide
Sing out this song
And I'll be...
...there by your side
Storm clouds may gather
And stars may collide
But I love you
I love you
Until the end...
...of time
Come what may
Come what may
I will love you
[GASPS]
The magical sitar falls from the roof
and says:
"The greatest thing you'll
ever learn...
...is just to love and be loved
in return."
This ending is silly.
Why would the courtesan
go for the penniless writer?
Whoops. I mean, sitar player.
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC:
Come what may
ARGENTINEAN:
I will love you
ALL:
Come what may
Yes, I will love you
Come what may
I will love you
Till my dying day
I don't like this ending.
Don't like the ending?
Why would the courtesan choose...
...a penniless sitar player
over the maharajah...
...who is offering a lifetime of
security? That's real love.
Once the sitar player
has satisfied his lust...
...he will leave her with nothing.
I suggest that in the end,
the courtesan choose the maharajah.
But, but... Sorry.
That ending does not uphold
the Bohemian ideals of...
...truth, beauty, freedom...
I don't care about
your ridiculous dogma!
Why shouldn't the courtesan
choose the maharajah?
Because she doesn't love you!
Him.
Him. She doesn't love...
...she doesn't love him.
Now I see.
Monsieur Zidler.
This ending will be rewritten...
...with the courtesan choosing
the maharajah...
...and without the lovers' secret song.
It will be rehearsed in the morning,
ready for the opening tomorrow night.
My dear Duke,
that will be quite impossible.
Harold.
The poor Duke is
being treated appallingly.
These silly writers let their
imaginations run away with them.
Why don't you and I...
...have a little supper?
Then afterwards...
...we can let Monsieur Zidler know
how we would prefer the story to end.
Thank you, Elizabeth.
I don't want you to sleep with him.
He could destroy everything.
It's for us.
You promised.
You promised me
you wouldn't be jealous.
It will be all right.
Yes, it will.
He's waiting.
No.
Come...
...what may
Come what may.
CHRISTIAN: She had gone to the tower
to save us all.
And for our part...
...we could do nothing but wait.
My dear Duke. I hope I have not
kept you waiting.
Don't worry, Shakespeare.
You'll get your ending.
Once the Duke gets his...
...end in.
ARGENTINEAN:
Nini. No, no.
Keep your hands off me!
Never fall in love with a woman
who sells herself.
It always ends bad!
The boy has a ridiculous obsession
with me.
I indulge his fantasy
because he's talented.
We need him... but only
until tomorrow night.
ARGENTINEAN:
We have a dance...
...in the brothels of Buenos Aires.
It tells the story...
[TANGO MUSIC PLAYS]
...of a prostitute...
...and a man...
...who falls in love...
...with her.
First...
...there is desire!
Then... passion!
Then suspicion!
Jealousy! Anger! Betrayal!
When love is for the highest bidder,
there is no trust.
Without trust, there is no love!
Jealousy...
- yes, jealousy...
- will drive you mad!
Roxanne
You don 't have to
Put on that red light
Walk the streets for money
You don 't care if it's wrong
Or if it's right
Roxanne
You don 't have to
Wear that dress tonight
Roxanne
You don 't have to
Sell your body to the night
His eyes upon your face
His hand upon your hand
His lips caress your skin
It's more than I can stand
Roxanne
Why does my heart cry?
Roxanne
Feelings...
...I can 't fight
You're free to leave me
But just don 't deceive me
And please believe me
When I say
I love you
When this production succeeds...
...you will no longer be
a cancan dancer...
...but an actress.
I will make you...
...a star.
Accept it...
...as a gift from this maharajah
to his courtesan.
And...
And the ending?
Let Zidler keep his fairy-tale ending.
Roxanne
Why does my...
...heart cry?
Feelings...
...I can 't fight
You're free to leave me
But just don 't deceive me
And please believe me
When I say
I love you
[MUSIC ENDS]
Come what...
...may
I will love you
Till my dying...
...day
No.
No?
I see.
It's our very own
penniless sitar player.
- My dear Duke...
- Silence!
You made me...
...believe that you loved me!
[MUSIC CONTINUES]
Why does my...
...heart cry?
Feelings...
...I can 't fight
[MUSIC ENDS]
I couldn't.
I couldn't go through with it.
I saw you there, and I felt
differently and I couldn't pretend.
And the Duke, he saw!
He saw and he...
Christian, I love you.
It's okay.
I couldn't do it. I didn't want to
pretend anymore.
I didn't want to lie. I don't.
And he knows. He knows and he...
You don't have to pretend anymore.
We'll leave.
We'll leave tonight.
Leave?
But the show...
I don't care.
I don't care about the show.
We have each other.
That's all that matters.
Yes.
As long as we have each other.
We have each other.
Chocolat, take Satine to
her dressing room to pack.
- No one must see you.
- I understand.
Darling, you go and pack.
I'll be waiting.
It's the boy.
He has bewitched her with words.
I want her back, Zidler. Find her.
Tell her...
...that the show will end my way...
...and she will come to me
when the curtain falls...
...or I'll have the boy killed.
Killed?
Killed.
Forgive the intrusion, cherub.
You're wasting your time.
You don't understand.
The Duke is going to kill Christian.
He is insanely jealous.
Do his ending and sleep with him
tomorrow night...
...or the Duke will
have Christian killed.
He can't scare us.
He's a powerful man.
You know he can do it.
ZIDLER: What are you doing?
SATINE: I don't need you anymore!
You always made me believe I was only
worth what someone would pay for me!
But Christian loves me.
He loves me.
He loves me.
And that is worth everything.
We're going away from you, away from
the Duke, away from the Moulin Rouge!
Goodbye, Harold.
You're dying, Satine.
You're dying.
Another trick?
No, my love.
The doctor told us.
Marie?
I'm dying.
I was a fool...
...to...
...believe
A fool...
...to believe
It all...
...ends today
Yes, it all...
...ends...
...today
ZIDLER:
Send Christian away.
Only you can save him.
He'll fight for me.
Unless he believes you don't love him.
What?
You're a great actress, Satine.
Make him believe you don't love him.
No.
Use your talent to save him.
Hurt him.
Hurt him to save him.
There is no other way.
The show must go on, Satine.
We're creatures of the underworld.
We can't afford to love.
Today's...
...the day...
...when dreaming...
...ends
Another hero...
...another mindless crime
Behind the curtain...
...in the pantomime
ZIDLER SINGS:
On and on
Does anybody know
What we are living for?
Whatever happens
We leave it all to chance
Another heartache
Another failed romance
On and on
Does anybody know
What we are living for?
The show must go on
The show must go on
Outside, the dawn is breaking
On the stage
That holds our final destiny
The show must go on
The show must go on
Inside, my heart is breaking
My makeup may be flaking
But my smile...
...still stays on
The show must go on
The show must go on
I'll top the bill
I'll earn the kill
I have to find the will to carry
On with the
On with the
On with the show
ZIDLER:
On with the show!
On with the show!
The show...
...must go...
...on
What's wrong?
I'm staying with the Duke.
After I left, the Duke came to see me
and he offered me everything.
Everything I've ever dreamed of.
He has one condition.
I must never see you again.
I'm sorry.
What are you talking about?
- You knew who I was.
- What about last night?
The difference between you and I is
that you can leave any time you choose.
But this is my home.
The Moulin Rouge is my home.
There must be something else.
This can't be real.
Something's wrong. Tell me what it is.
Tell me the truth.
Tell me the truth!
The truth?
The truth is...
...I am the Hindi courtesan.
And I choose the maharajah.
That's how the story really ends.
[THUNDER]
Jealousy has driven him mad!
CHRISTIAN:
Satine!
Satine!
Satine!
Things aren't always as they seem.
Things are exactly as they seem.
Christian, you may see me only as
a drunken, vice-ridden gnome...
...whose friends are just pimps
and prostitutes.
But I know about art and love...
...if only because I long for it
with every fiber of my being.
She loves you. I know it.
I know she loves you.
Go away, Toulouse. Leave me alone.
Go away.
Go away!
CHRISTIAN: I wanted to shut out
what Toulouse had said...
...but he had filled me with doubt.
There was only one way to be sure.
I had to know.
So I returned to the Moulin Rouge...
...one last time.
She is mine!
[MUSIC PLAYS]
[APPLAUSE]
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC SINGS:
I only speak the truth
I only speak the truth
[SINGS IN HINDl]
[CHEERING]
[SATINE SINGS]
[GASPS]
Kiss
Hand
Diamonds
Best friend
Kiss
Grand
Diamonds
Best friend
Men
Cold
Girls
Old
And we all lose our charms
In the end
Diamonds are a
Diamonds are a
Diamonds are a
CHORUS SINGS:
Diamonds are a
Diamonds are a
Diamonds are a
Diamonds are a...
...girl's...
...best...
...friend
She is mine.
She is mine.
[APPLAUSE AS MUSIC ENDS]
I know she still loves him.
There must be a reason.
How about one of them
is a duke and...?
Then you agree something is wrong.
But what? What?
I raise high
my ceremonial wedding sword...
...and welcome my loyal subjects
to join with us...
...in celebration...
What a magnificent performance.
A little bit more for me, lovey.
That's a girl.
The boy is here.
ZIDLER: I told Satine if he came
near her, he'd be killed!
He very soon will be.
He will be killed.
That's why she's pushing him away.
To save him.
That's it.
Christian! Ah!
Ah!
Oh, God, this is high up.
I've come to pay my bill.
You shouldn't be here, Christian.
Just leave.
Killed. Killed.
I must warn him!
You made me believe you loved me.
I should pay you.
- Please.
MARIE: She has to go on-stage!
ZIDLER: Jealousy has driven the sitar
player into hiding.
You did your job very well.
STAGE MANAGER:
Persian army, go!
The boy's taken Satine.
I should pay you
like everyone else does!
Don't, Christian. There's no point.
Just leave.
[MUSIC STARTS]
They're going to kill the poor boy!
I have found them.
Stop him.
[SCREAMS]
If you don't love me and it wasn't real,
why can't I pay you?
ZIDLER: Let the palace doors open!
- Christian!
Christian!
Open the doors!
Let me pay! Let me pay!
Open the doors.
Tell me you don't love me!
Open the doors!
Christian!
Tell me you don't love me!
[LOUD BANG]
[MUSIC STOPS SUDDENLY]
Ha, ha, ha!
I am not fooled!
Though he has shaved off his beard
and adopts a disguise...
...my eyes do not lie!
For it is he!
The same penniless sitar player!
[AUDIENCE REACTS]
Driven mad by jealousy!
[AUDIENCE REACTS]
Oh, God, no.
[WOMAN IN AUDIENCE GASPS]
She is yours now.
I've paid my whore!
I owe you nothing.
And you are nothing to me.
Thank you for curing me of
my ridiculous obsession with love.
I can't remember my line.
This sitar player...
...doesn't love you.
See? He flees the kingdom!
Pumpkin, it's for the best.
You know it is.
The show must go on.
And now, my bride...
...it is time for you to raise
your voice to the heavens...
...and say your wedding vows.
I've got it!
Christian!
[TOULOUSE SCREAMS]
The greatest thing you'll
ever learn...
...is just to love...
...and be loved...
...in return!
Never knew...
...I could...
...feel...
...like this
[MUSIC STARTS]
It's like I've never seen
The sky before
Want to vanish...
...inside...
...your kiss
Every day I'm loving you
More and more
Listen to my heart
Can you hear it sing?
Come back to me
And forgive...
...everything
Seasons may change
Winter to spring
I love you.
Till the end...
...of...
...time
Come what may
Come what may
Come what may
Come what may
I will love you
I will love you
Until my dying...
...day
Come what may
Come what may
I will love you
Until my dying...
Christian, he's got a gun!
[SCREAMS]
They're trying to kill you!
Shut up!
He has a gun!
Guards, seize them!
Vive la vie de bohème!
No problem. Go back to work!
No matter what you say
The show is ending our way
Come on and stand your ground
For freedom
Beauty
Truth and love
One day I'll fly away
CHRISTIAN SINGS:
My gift is my song
I will love you
Yes, I will love you
I will love you
My way!
My way!
My way! My way!
[APPLAUSE]
Stand by for curtain call.
Dancers, positions, please.
Satine!
[GASPS]
[SATINE COUGHS]
Satine? What's the matter?
What is it?
Tell me. What's the matter?
Tell me. Satine?
What's the matter?
Oh, my God.
Somebody get some help!
Hold the curtain. Fetch the doctor.
I'm sorry, Christian.
I'm dying.
- It's all right.
- I'm so sorry.
No, you'll be all right.
I know you'll be all right.
I'm cold. I'm cold.
Hold me.
I love you.
You've got to go on, Christian.
I can't go on without you.
You've got so much to give.
Tell our story, Christian.
Promise me.
Promise me.
That way...
...I'll always be with you.
[CHRISTIAN WEEPING]
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC:
There was...
...a boy
A very strange...
...enchanted...
...boy
[TYPING]
CHRISTIAN: Days turned into
weeks. Weeks turned into months.
And then,
one not so very special day...
...I went to my typewriter,
I sat down...
...and I wrote our story.
A story about a time...
...a story about a place...
...a story about the people.
But above all things...
...a story about love.
A love that will live forever.
The...
...end.
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC:
The greatest thing
You'll ever learn
Is just to love
And be loved...
...in return