Would the feverishly stylized, irreverently ahistorical spectacle of Baz Luhrmann’s MOULIN ROUGE! resonate with audiences today the way it did in 2001? We may be about to find out with the director’s latest, ELVIS, which takes a very similar approach to a very different story. Before getting into the parallels between the two musicals next week, we’re revisiting a movie that was either an “apocalyptic moment” for film or a canny predictor of the next two decades of pop culture — or maybe both? — to consider what it gains and loses in its expansive, fluid relationship to music, history, and musical history.

Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about MOULIN ROUGE, ELVIS, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.

Outro music: “Lady Marmalade” by Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya, and Pink

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