Moulin Rouge

***1/2

Rated PG-13 for sexual content

Starring Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent,and Richard Roxburgh.

Directed by Baz Luhrmann

Written by Luhrmann & Craig Pearce

Distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

List Price: $29.95

The Oscar race has begun, and one of the Best Picture nominees is last summer?s left-field musical extravaganza, “Moulin Rouge.” The highly-anticipated DVD release boasts two discs of content, with exceedingly high picture and sound quality.

Set in Paris in 1899, the tale flourishes with the Bohemian ideals of truth, beauty, freedom, and above all things: love. Christian, a penniless writer (Ewan McGregor of “Star Wars Episode I and II”), and a courtesan named Satine (Nicole Kidman of “The Others”) meet and fall for each other at the hottest nightclub in the world, the Moulin Rouge. Their opportunity for stardom lies in the hands of the rich Duke (Richard Roxburgh of “Mission: Impossible II”), a prospective investor who wants Satine to himself.

It may sound like a garden-variety romance, but the tools used to tell it are what make the movie thrive. Musical sequences are choreographed masterfully and performed with an electric intensity. McGregor and Kidman shocked audiences with incredibly natural vocal talent; the dramatic range coming from their notes and expressions, most notably from the “Elephant Love Medley,” will make a believer out of anyone. A soundtrack composed of classic pop hits originally seemed like a horrible idea, but their usage in the movie and the powerful performances accompanying songs like “Diamonds Are A Girl?s BestFriend,” “Like A Virgin,” and “Roxanne” prove otherwise.

The only questionable aspect is the lightning-fast editing style used throughoutthe movie; it?s taxing enough to induce seizures, make your head spin, or at least squint your eyes from the visual assault.

Disc one of “Moulin Rouge” contains the feature itself, with a 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer and a quality faithful to a print on opening weekend. In spite of the extremely vibrant colors and the insane editing job, the picture holds up perfectly without any bleeding, discoloration, nicks or scratches. On a high-definition television set, every light bulb, can-can dress and sparkling diamond is easily noticeable. Even the editing is well-defined and more pronounced with the increased resolution. The Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 tracks are exquisite, though requiring more power in the rear channels.

Directional effects are exceptional, and ambience is slightly better on the DTS track. The disc also contains two commentaries with director Baz Luhrmann (Strictly Ballroom and 1996?s Romeo + Juliet) and members of his production team. The tracks are highly informative on the production and required listening for true fans of this film. Also a must is the “Behind the Red Curtain” feature, which allows the consumer to view exclusive behind-the-scenes footage at selected points during the film.

The second disc contains the majority of the title?s special features, which are incredibly exceptional in that they answer any curiosities about the movie in great detail. A 25-minute HBO Special covers the film?s production in very short order along with cast interviews, for those with little patience. To more production heavy material, a separate section includes more specific interviews with the main cast members, while another section explores Luhrmann and his co-writer, Craig Pearce. For those interested in the visuals of the film, “The Design” entails the world of creating the costumes and sets, as well as the considerable amount of computer graphics used in “Moulin Rouge.” There are two places for the musically inclined: “The Dance” reveals longer versions of four dance sequences in the film, while “The Music” taps lightly into the “Come What May” and “Lady Marmalade” numbers on the soundtrack. Finally, “The Cutting Room” presents trims made to the film and “Marketing” uncovers a trove of advertising material (print, TV commercials, trailers, etc.).

“Moulin Rouge” is a welcome surprise in a day and age with a lack of spirit in the simplest of stories. With music as that spirit, the film displays performances far more powerful than the sharpest dialogues written in the past decade. The DVD does justice to the making of “Moulin Rouge,” as well as the feature itself. Highly recommended.