Chanel No. 5 The Film - My Review

The Chanel film was released while I was living in the UK on Friday, 12 November with the newly released movie, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. After waiting two frantic days to be able to make it to the cinema, I finally attended a screening on the morning of 14 November 2004 and, I have to say, I was extremely impressed and couldn't get over how beautiful this production really is. It is absolutely stunning, and I was so thrilled that Luhrmann had created yet another gorgeous masterpiece.

As I sat in the cinema, I waited in anticipation through the usual adverts that are screened before a movie. However, I kind of knew that they would probably wait until the end of the product ads, and just before the movie previews of upcoming films, before the Chanel film appeared. After all, in essence, it is very much like a movie preview, although not for a movie, but for a fragrance.

The Chanel No. 5 film runs for exactly two minutes. The commercial has a much longer running time than a normal advertisement, and it has therefore been widely referred to, by both Luhrmann and the media, as a as a "mini movie" or "film". I had heard through various reviews that there is actually a third minute comprising entirely of credits that was attached to media screenings of the film. I wondered if these would be shown to the public but, here in the UK at least, they are not.

The story of the Chanel No. 5 film centres around Kidman portraying the most famous woman in the world. She is being hounded by the media and we can see that she longs for an escape from it all. And so, one night, while wearing a stunning pink feathered gown, she runs into a taxi and breathes desperately, "Drive". Beside her is Santoro's bohemian character who, as he says himself, "must have been the only person in the world who didn't know who she was." They spend time together at his apartment building, atop of which is a giant illuminated Chanel sign. Kidman's character lets herself get swept up in the beauty of it all - being free and peaceful and in love - but is then brought back to reality by the realisation that she must return to her life in the public eye. She leaves her lover, and we see her return in triumphant form to the red carpet wearing an elegant black gown. As she climbs the stairs, with her hair swept back and a gorgeous diamond studded No. 5 pendant hanging down her back, she turns and gazes up at the Chanel sign and her lover. She stares up at him with knowing smile, as he declares how he will never forget "her kiss, her smile, her perfume."

First and foremost, I have to say the Chanel No. 5 film very much resembles Moulin Rouge!. The props, sets, costumes, even the acting itself resemble the film, and with every passing scene I couldn't help but make comparisons in my mind. Santoro is most definitely another Christian, with Kidman reprising her role as Satine. The world they are in is a modernised version of the Parisian landscape that Luhrmann created in Moulin Rouge!. The Chanel sign on top of the apartment building is very much like the L'amour sign outside Christian's room in Moulin Rouge!. And the way Kidman's character leans against its lettering pondering her future is very familiar indeed. Luhrmann uses the same sweeping camera angles and lingering close-ups to convey the characters' emotions and desires to wonderful effect.

Perhaps the most striking similarity for me is the scene in which we see Kidman's character longingly peering out a window of Santoro's characters' room, with her lover sitting on the bed behind her, his gaze lowered towards the floor in despair. In the doorway is a Harry Zidler type figure who instructs sternly, "You must be there tomorrow," to which Kidman's character wistfully replies, "I don't care about tomorrow." This powerful scene is similar to that in Moulin Rouge! where Zidler confronts Satine and she attempts to defy him by declaring that she wants to stay with her lover. However, Zidler keeps his hold on her and she fulfils her duty to perform on stage. Kidman's character does the same in this role, returning to her place in the public eye and leaving her lover to look on and wonder what could have been. However, as Kidman's character turns in her stunning black gown to stare up at her lover, the way she looks at him, the way the camera lingers on her smile, we can see that he will always have a place in her heart."