Chasity Knittel
Critical Analysis 2
Elephant Love Medley
This song is found in the musical Moulin Rouge and is sung by Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman. To understand the song you must have a brief overview of the movie itself. Christian, Ewan McGregor, is a writer who goes to Paris in search of ideas. In the meantime, Satine, Nicole Kidman, is a dancer at one of the famous nightclubs in Paris known for its beautiful dancers and their prostitution. Satine is given only one rule, never fall in love. As soon as Christian sees her he falls in love with her and knows that he has to have her. In the middle of the movie, he is trying to convince her that she can runaway and they can be in love but she just won’t have such talk of nonsense. At this point the song Elephant Love Medley begins.
The song is just a combination of many famous love songs. Throughout the entirety of the song the actors experience so many emotions. Music is supposed to make you feel a certain way but this song you see rejection, hurt, sadness, confusion, and finally love. It is amazing how so many feelings can be experienced in 4 minutes and 17 seconds. You can get a summary of the entire movie by just listening to this one song.
It begins with him telling her how wonderful love is, All you Need is Love is the song he’s singing, and she rejects him saying no, don’t start. However, he persists knowing that he can get to her, next he begins the jazzy tune of I was made for Loving You and she begins to sing back at him in her own words. The song continues with the short clips of other love songs, Don’t leave me this way, Silly Love Songs, In the Name of Love, Love Lifts us up Where We Belong, and We Should be Lovers, until they reach the major turning point in the song and movie, she begins to fall in love. Up to this point she is turning him down and at this time they begin the song We Could be Heroes and I Will Always Love You. You can tell that she is letting go of what she was warned against and going with her feelings of finding true love.
Once she falls in love, they begin singing together the song I Will Always Love You, this symbolizes their unity together. The last song of Elephant Love Medley is How Wonderful Life is and they end the song singing together in harmony and completely in love. His music was the key to her heart and he won her love by singing to her; that’s the power of music and how much it can impact a life.
In the movie, so much can be read through the actor’s nonverbal communication. Christian is chasing after her and trying to pull her close. Satine on the other hand is trying to get away from him and turns her head so that she isn’t actually facing him. Towards the end she is gazing into his eyes and their bodies are very close. She has the love stricken look like she never wants to leave his side. In the beginning, he sings to her and she keeps telling him that love is just a game and people should be sick of love songs but later she is singing right along.
This song is so powerful and moving. It is amazing how all of these emotions can be experienced in just one song. The entire movie is told through this four minute song. This is a great example of how music is the highest form of art. Just in the song Elephant Love Medley many forms of art types are found; theatre, music, and art. By my definition of art, a feeling must be experienced and since there are several emotions felt in this song, a defiantly consider it a piece of art.
Critical Analysis 2
Elephant Love Medley
This song is found in the musical Moulin Rouge and is sung by Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman. To understand the song you must have a brief overview of the movie itself. Christian, Ewan McGregor, is a writer who goes to Paris in search of ideas. In the meantime, Satine, Nicole Kidman, is a dancer at one of the famous nightclubs in Paris known for its beautiful dancers and their prostitution. Satine is given only one rule, never fall in love. As soon as Christian sees her he falls in love with her and knows that he has to have her. In the middle of the movie, he is trying to convince her that she can runaway and they can be in love but she just won’t have such talk of nonsense. At this point the song Elephant Love Medley begins.
The song is just a combination of many famous love songs. Throughout the entirety of the song the actors experience so many emotions. Music is supposed to make you feel a certain way but this song you see rejection, hurt, sadness, confusion, and finally love. It is amazing how so many feelings can be experienced in 4 minutes and 17 seconds. You can get a summary of the entire movie by just listening to this one song.
It begins with him telling her how wonderful love is, All you Need is Love is the song he’s singing, and she rejects him saying no, don’t start. However, he persists knowing that he can get to her, next he begins the jazzy tune of I was made for Loving You and she begins to sing back at him in her own words. The song continues with the short clips of other love songs, Don’t leave me this way, Silly Love Songs, In the Name of Love, Love Lifts us up Where We Belong, and We Should be Lovers, until they reach the major turning point in the song and movie, she begins to fall in love. Up to this point she is turning him down and at this time they begin the song We Could be Heroes and I Will Always Love You. You can tell that she is letting go of what she was warned against and going with her feelings of finding true love.
Once she falls in love, they begin singing together the song I Will Always Love You, this symbolizes their unity together. The last song of Elephant Love Medley is How Wonderful Life is and they end the song singing together in harmony and completely in love. His music was the key to her heart and he won her love by singing to her; that’s the power of music and how much it can impact a life.
In the movie, so much can be read through the actor’s nonverbal communication. Christian is chasing after her and trying to pull her close. Satine on the other hand is trying to get away from him and turns her head so that she isn’t actually facing him. Towards the end she is gazing into his eyes and their bodies are very close. She has the love stricken look like she never wants to leave his side. In the beginning, he sings to her and she keeps telling him that love is just a game and people should be sick of love songs but later she is singing right along.
This song is so powerful and moving. It is amazing how all of these emotions can be experienced in just one song. The entire movie is told through this four minute song. This is a great example of how music is the highest form of art. Just in the song Elephant Love Medley many forms of art types are found; theatre, music, and art. By my definition of art, a feeling must be experienced and since there are several emotions felt in this song, a defiantly consider it a piece of art.
Link for Elephant Love Medley video http://youtube.com/watch?v=88f0YAX1ojg
