Moulin Rouge & Great Gatsby

Baz Lurhmann Whakapapa

Baz Luhrmann is an Aussie director who has directed big films such as Romeo+Juliet, Australia, Strictly Ballroom, Moulin Rouge and Great Gatsby. Watch these YouTube clips to get an idea of what drives Baz Luhrmann and what his style is about.

Close viewing

Watch each film for the first time. As you do, complete this task:

1. Character map - on a piece A3, write down each of the characters as you come across them. Draw arrows between the characters to denote their relationships and add in adjectives that describe each character and at least one quote for each characters.
2. Audience positioning - at the end of each film, write down five words that describe how you feel after watching this book. For example, sad, happy. These adjectives will become your tools for discussing the impact on the audience. So always keep them in front of you.

After completing your first viewings, complete these tasks to set you up for a close analysis of Luhrmann's style.

1. Figure out of the theme. What's this story about? To do this, work through these questions:
   1. Who's the main protagonist?
   2. What challenges do they face?
   3. How do they face these challenges?
   4. How do they change over the course of the narrative?
   5. What main ideas are thrown up by the adventures of the protagonist and what do you learn about these ideas?

2. Some big questions to consider about Moulin Rouge & Great Gatsby.

1. Why is Mise En Scene an important technique in Luhrmann's directorial style?
2. How does Luhrmann use soundtrack?
3. What props are important in each film?

3. Think about which scenes you remember best. It is now time to re watch each scene, thinking about these things as you go:

1. What happens in each scene?
2. Who is the main protagonist? What are they doing, thinking about, reacting to?
3. Identify FIVE main quotes from this scene - note these and justify why you have chosen each one.
4. Identify at least FOUR film techniques that Baz Luhrmann chooses to use in each of these scene and explain why you think he used them.
5. Link the films by considering what you have identified in each of the scenes and how they could link together to make a statement about what Luhrmann's directorial style is.