An astounding number of contemporary stories have their roots based in the structure set by ancient Greek myth. The film Moulin Rouge! directed by Baz Luhrmann is one such example. Moulin Rouge! and the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice share many similarities in terms of structure, theme, and character arc.
The myth of Orpheus details a passionate yet tragic love story between Orpheus, son of Apollo, and the beautiful oak nymph, Eurydice. Soon after their marriage, Eurydice suffers a ghastly death which leaves Orpheus completely heartbroken at the loss of his wife. Orpheus then travelled to the realm of the dead in search of his beloved wife and with the power of his enchanting musical abilities, he was able to make his way into the heart
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The first step in doing so is crossing the threshold between the world in which he is familiar and the world in which he is not. This threshold is strikingly similar in both Orpheus’ and Christian’s stories, as they both leave their simple lives behind in exchange to traverse a corrupt and infernal environment. Throughout the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, the threshold is authentic, meaning Orpheus does not cross into a metaphorical underworld, instead he experiences the physical manifestation of the noun, as he endures palpable flames and fury in order to achieve his goal. Conversely, the threshold Christian must cross in Moulin Rouge! is a much more symbolic representation of the underworld. The Parisian night club, The Moulin Rouge itself is the dangerous, greedy and deceitful environment that Christian finds himself confronting in order to complete his call to adventure. As soon as Christian enters the cabaret it becomes apparent that it is an aggressive setting full of boisterous showfolk who share the common violent passion for disorder and physical stimulation, a vastly different experience compared to the one he is familiar with. Whether the threshold be literal as in Orpheus’s situation or symbolic as in Christian’s, it signifies the hero’s commitment to the events in store for him on his