The Hills Are Alive With Her Music.
Saturday, June 4, 2011 at 1:10PM Jose here.
I couldn't let Nathaniel's week of Moulin Rouge! end without paying tribute to one iconic creature from the film: the Green Fairy. More specifically, to the actress who plays her, the one and only Kylie Minogue.
Kylie might not be too popular in our continent and some might not even know who the hell she is when she pops out in the absinthe induced fantasy sequence...
...but the truth is, that for more than two decades Ms. Minogue has been contributing immensely to pop culture, with her music, TV appearances (check out 2007's The Kylie Show if you can!) and overall iconic performances. Her film work is quite limited and other than her appearance as Cammy in the notoriously cheesy Street Fighter, she might not have an Oscar worthy oeuvre. However, like the incomparable Madonna, Kylie is a well known cinephile, who works the movies into her shows, videos and performances as much as she can. She might not be influencing the movies but the movies sure are influencing her.
I feel that Kylie’s contribution to the film is certainly undercredited.
- Baz Luhrmann talking about Kylie in Moulin Rouge!
During the opening act of her perfect Fever tour, the entire venue where she played was showered in green light, while she performed the first notes of The Sound of Music (in the very same way she does in Moulin Rouge!). After this she proceeded to enter full robotic mood to perform Come Into My World. Dressed in a robotic armor, reminiscent of the iconic Metropolis, Kylie revealed herself in a show starter so fantastic, that a few mere years later Ms. Beyoncé Knowles herself would steal it for one of her own performances.
In that very show, she would pay tribute to A Clockwork Orange, 2001: Space Odyssey and more. When she loves a movie she shows it to the world.
Kylie's cinephile sensibilities steer towards the classics. In a way she embodies a cute Doris Day like performer, always staying away from scandal and trying to look cheerful in order to satisfy her fans. The first time I saw her live a couple of years ago, I was extremely delighted when she began her show, not with her own music but with Alfred Newman's iconic fanfare for Twentieth Century Fox. Like Baz Luhrmann himself in the opening of Moulin Rouge! she's establishing that you're escaping into a cinematic world.
During that same concert she performed a stunning setpiece where she appeared dressed in the best Garbo fashion lying on an art deco lounge chair as she performed her greatest ballads.
This is the intro to that sequence:
As you see, with her usual flair for drama and elegance, she mentions The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, All About Eve and even Mommie Dearest! Perhaps the best thing about Kylie's relation to the movies is the pure love. She doesn't do any postmodern twisting, she never gives us Lady Gaga's ironic winks or even Madge's erudite commentaries.
Here are some other of her best movie inspired performances.
A Clockwork Orange
Barbarella
Pushing the envelope with Michel Gondry in "the best video of the aughts" according to Slant Magazine.
Do you think the Green Fairy should be in more movies? Have you ever seen her live? Share your Kylie experiences with us.
Reader Comments (13)
Terrific write-up. I've seen Kylie live twice, and she's an exceptional performer. (Her shows are very theatrical, with a Cirque de Soleil vibe which actually works.) That said, I don't think she's much of an actress -- and is smart enough to realize and focus on her real talents.
Seen her 4 times and the true showstopper was the Showgirl tour, amazing! But her latest extravaganza The Folies was extraordinary, the final resembles a really trippy Esther Williams movie:) Love Kylie!
As a Brit, I really don't need telling how amazing Kylie is. She's a legend!
I've seen her twice and absolutely adore her. That being said, I think she should stick to music and creating amazingly glamourous cinematic visuals to accompany it, instead of acting. Though she began her career on TV she obviously more well-suited to continue it on the stage (singing, not acting).
As an Aussie, one thing - Charlene on Neighours, hahaha.
Her music has never been my taste, but her live shows are meant to be so spectacular (obviously!). She's had a great influence on the music scene.
I'm not fan of Kylie nor her music, but I've seen her live and it was really fun, she's a good artist and very kind too.
Those first notes of The sound... in Moulin Rouge! are unforgettable (or at least they're still in my head).
OMG. She was Cammy in STREET FIGHTER. My world is completely upside down now.
I have seen her twice recently,she is quite simply a pop goddess,for almost 25 years here in the uk she has had me in her palm,despite poor film choices,single choices,album covers etc i adore her.
She is our most loved celebrity in the uk in a recent poll,gays,mums,dads,kids etc love her and she gets better with age,her s/a/w output is second to none,the usa has missed out on her clean cut kind of celebrity!!!
I used to worK with a lady whose daughter was a make up lady to the stars,she said kylie was the nicest of all singers/actresses etc but there was a horror of an oscar nominated well known 80's actress who was mean and rude to her husband,kids and staff!!!
GUESS WHO?
She's the Drew Barrymore in Aussie horror film "Cut". It is not a good movie and Minogue is no Barrymore.
Her music career, however, is amazing. Shame we never got to hear her version of "Physical" that was supposed to appear on the soundtrack for "Moulin Rouge!"
@Glenn but that version has leaked and is all over the internet! i can send u if u like.
kylie minogue for me is god. jose was the one who introduced me to her and ever since i'm a die-hard fan. although my religion is resumed by firstly madonna then kylie, most of the times kylie is like the good angel that never lets me down. really, i still haven't found anything this woman's done that i haven't at least enjoyed the most simple of meanings. she's a showgirl and natural crowdpleaser.
her moulin rouge cameo is one of the movie's highlights - i always remain wishing for another appearance of the green fairy after she vanishes.... that until satine's descent from that trapezee.
mark -- who who? tell!
lucas -- i'm always hoping sh'ell return to but part of the beauty of that cameo is how brief it is. a perfect scene from start to finish.
Just when I thought I couldn't love this blog any more, it turns out there are some major Kylie fans here too. I love kylie minogue, and I'm probably the only one in my school. I saw her live in Belgium for the first time in march after I had persuaded my friends into going. They weren't Kylie fans at all before they went, but they were afterwards. She has amazing stage persona and charisma. I love everything about her and apparently she's going to be in an Australian indie film this year, Jack & Diane or something.
Didn't know she was such a cinephile though, so this is great. Especially the intro to White Diamond! I loveee that song and now to see this hommage to these great classics. Wow!
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