Baz Luhrmann Explained

Baz Luhrmann
Birth Name:Mark Anthony Luhrmann
Birth Date:1962 9, df=yes
Birth Place:Sydney, New South Wales, Australia[1]
Years Active:1982–present
Awards:Full list
Children:2
Education:National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA)

Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962) is an Australian film director, producer, writer, and actor. With projects spanning film, television, opera, theatre, music, and recording industries, he is regarded by some as a contemporary example of an auteur[2] for his style and deep involvement in the writing, directing, design, and musical components of all his work. He is the most commercially successful Australian director, with four of his films in the top ten highest worldwide grossing Australian films of all time.[3] [4]

On the screen, he is best known for his Red Curtain Trilogy, consisting of his romantic comedy film Strictly Ballroom (1992) and the romantic tragedies William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Moulin Rouge! (2001). Following the trilogy, projects included Australia (2008), The Great Gatsby (2013), Elvis (2022), and his television period drama The Get Down (2016) for Netflix. Additional projects include stage productions of Giacomo Puccini's La bohème for both Opera Australia and Broadway, and Strictly Ballroom the Musical (2014).

Luhrmann is known for his Grammy-nominated soundtracks for Moulin Rouge! and The Great Gatsby, as well as his record label House of Iona, a co-venture with RCA Records.[5] Serving as producer on all of his musical soundtracks, he also holds writing credits on many of the individual tracks. His album Something for Everybody features music from many of his films and also includes his hit "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)".

Early and personal life

Luhrmann was born in Sydney. His mother, Barbara Carmel (née Brennan), was a ballroom dance teacher and dress shop owner, and his father, Leonard Luhrmann, ran a petrol station and a movie theatre.[6] [7] [8] He was raised in Herons Creek, a tiny rural settlement in mid-northern New South Wales. He attended St Joseph's Hastings Regional School, Port Macquarie (1975–1978); St Paul's Catholic College, performing in the school's version of Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, and Narrabeen Sports High School, where he met future collaborator Craig Pearce.[9]

Luhrmann received the nickname "Baz" at school, given to him because of his hair style, the name coming from the puppet character Basil Brush. While still in high school, Luhrmann changed his name by deed poll to Bazmark, joining his nickname and birth name together.[10] In 1980, Luhrmann graduated high school, and in the same year was cast opposite Judy Davis in the Australian film Winter of Our Dreams.[11] In 1982, using the money he had earned from film and television experience he funded his own theatre company, The Bond Theatre Company. The company performed at the Pavilion at Sydney's Bondi Beach. At the same time, he conceived and appeared in a controversial television documentary, Kids of the Cross, where Luhrmann, embedded as a character, lived with a group of street kids. In 1983, he began an acting course at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. He graduated in 1985 alongside Sonia Todd, Catherine McClements and Justin Monjo.[12] On 26 January 1997, he married Catherine Martin, a production designer; the couple have two children.

Luhrmann supports the Melbourne Demons in the Australian Football League.[13]

Career

Film

After theatrical successes, including the short play Strictly Ballroom which premiered at the Wharf Theatre, Luhrmann moved into film. He made his directorial debut with the 1992 film version of Strictly Ballroom.

Luhrmann's modern film interpretation Romeo + Juliet (1996), based on the William Shakespeare play and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, defeated Titanic at the BAFTAs for best direction, music and screenplay. The film was celebrated at the Berlin Film Festival, where it was recognised with the Golden Bear award for direction and Silver Bear for DiCaprio's performance. Luhrmann also produced both volumes of the soundtrack album, which went triple-platinum.[14]

Luhrmann's Oscar-winning musical Moulin Rouge! (2001), set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris at the dawn of the 20th century, told the story of an English poet/writer, Christian (Ewan McGregor) who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, cabaret actress and courtesan, Satine (Nicole Kidman). The film was praised by its adherents, including musical directors Robert Wise and Stanley Donen, as having re-invented the modern musical, blending decades of popular music in remixes and mash-ups.[15] The movie was named one of the AFI's top ten films of 2001[16] and in 2010 was chosen as the top film of the 2000s decade in a poll of 150,000 respondents in the United Kingdom.[17] At the 59th Annual Golden Globes, Moulin Rouge! took home the awards for Best Motion Picture, Best Actress, and Best Original Score.[18] The film also gave birth to a successful soundtrack album, produced by Luhrmann, which sold more than seven million copies and went double-platinum, led by the Grammy-winning number one hit single "Lady Marmalade".[19]

Luhrmann's 2008 historical epic Australia featured some of the country's most celebrated actors, including Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, and David Gulpilil. Situated between the two World Wars, the film blended a nostalgic romance with major events from Australian history, including the Bombing of Darwin, and the true story of the Stolen Generations, wherein thousands of mixed-race Aboriginal children were stolen from their families by the state and forcibly integrated into white society. The movie's racial politics were controversial for their time, and notably, its production coincided with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's 2008 Apology to Australia's Indigenous peoples. Marcia Langton, professor of Australian indigenous studies at Melbourne University publicly supported the film, saying "Luhrmann depicts with satirical sharpness the racial caste system of that time... In his imagined cinema of the 1940s, the spatial and social shape of racism is reconstructed with such exact detail, I felt I had been transported back to my own childhood."[20] While achieving modest box office success in the United States, the film was very successful in Europe, maintaining the #1 slot at the box office for many weeks in France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Scandinavian countries.[21] It is the second-highest grossing Australian film of all time, next to Crocodile Dundee and ahead of Happy Feet.[22]

In 2013, Luhrmann adapted F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, shot in 3D,[23] starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan, Australian newcomer Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker, and legendary Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan as Meyer Wolfsheim. For the film, Luhrmann and costume/production designer Catherine Martin collaborated with Prada, Brooks Brothers, and Tiffany & Co. to create period-inspired dresses, suits, and jewellery based on their own archives and true to the book's own references to luxury brands.[24] The film grossed over $353 million worldwide, making it the director's highest-grossing movie to date.[25] [26] Critic Richard Roeper described the adaptation as "the best attempt yet to capture the essence of the novel" while Fitzgerald's granddaughter praised the movie, saying "Scott would have been proud."[27] [28] The following year, at the 86th Academy Awards, the film won in both of its nominated categories: Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.[29] The soundtrack, produced by Luhrmann, Anton Monsted, and Jay-Z, sought to blend the music of the Jazz Age with contemporary hip hop as two historical analogues.[30] Featured artists included Beyoncé, Jack White, Lana Del Rey, Sia, will.i.am, The xx, and Florence and the Machine; the soundtrack also included score from the film's composer and Luhrmann's repeat collaborator Craig Armstrong.[31] The album's sales exceeded expectations, marking the biggest digital sales week for a soundtrack in Billboard history, and peaking at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart.[32] [33]

Luhrmann's next project was a film about Elvis Presley's relationship with Colonel Tom Parker, simply called Elvis, which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022.[34] Tom Hanks played Parker and Austin Butler portrayed Presley, having been cast after a series of screen tests, as well as music and performance workshops.[35] [36] [37] The film opened in June 2022, becoming a box office hit and receiving eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Butler.[38] [39] In January 2023, Luhrmann signed a first-look deal with Warner Bros. Pictures after working with the studio on Elvis.[40] In August 2023, it was reported that Luhrmann was being eyed as the top pick to direct Disney's live-action adaptation of Tangled.[41]

Television

In 2016, Luhrmann collaborated with award-winning playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis on the Netflix series The Get Down about the birth of hip hop in the 1970s.[42] For the series, Luhrmann brought on Nas, Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow and DJ Kool Herc as producers, to help tell the story of the rise of hip hop, punk, and disco during shifting cultural and political transformation through his unique brand of magical realism.[43] The series featured two parts, praised for its vibrant music, fresh cast and authenticity, due to the involvement of many of the era's key historical figures in central roles to the show's development.[44] Part One got a score of 77% from Rotten Tomatoes, while Part Two holds a critic score of 86%.[45] [46]

Filmography

Director

Film

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerDistributor
1992Strictly BallroomRonin Films
1996Romeo + Juliet20th Century Fox
2001Moulin Rouge!
2008Australia
2013The Great GatsbyWarner Bros. Pictures
2022Elvis

Television

Screen actor

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981–82 A Country Practice Jerry Percival 6 episodes
1983 Kids of the Cross Himself Documentary film
2023 Agent Elvis The Director (voice) Episode: "Cocaine Tuesdays"

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981 Winter of Our Dreams Pete
1982 The Dark Room First student
The Highest Honor Able Seaman A. W. Huston
2013 The Great Gatsby Waiter Uncredited

Stage actor

YearTitleRoleNotes
1982 Are You Lonesome Tonight? Unknown Performed at Nimrod Downstairs, Sydney
1983 Fanshen Peasant Performed at NIDA, Sydney
1984 Holiday Makers Unknown Performed at NIDA
All's Well That Ends Well Dumain Brother
1984,
1986
Strictly Ballroom Ross Pierce Also director,
Performed at NIDA in 1984, and in Bratislava in 1986
1985 Dreamplay Unknown Performed at NIDA. Directed by Jim Sharman
Funeral Games Part of the Hallucinogenics? 3 plays from the 60s event. Performed at NIDA
Chamber Music
The Greeks Trilogy: The War, The Murders, The Gods.
Performed at NIDA, and St Martin's Youth Arts Centre, Melbourne.
Once in a Lifetime Performed at NIDA
1986 Crocodile Creek Directed for the New Moon Theatre Company in Rockhampton.
Amateur musical production set in the Queensland goldfields
1989 The Conquest of the South Pole Unknown Performed at Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney

Other ventures

Luhrmann, who started appearing on TV screen in 1981, appeared in Winter of Our Dreams, directed by John Duigan. By 1992, he already can direct a film, thus started with the video of "Love Is in the Air" by John Paul Young. The next year, Luhrmann staged his interpretation of A Midsummer Night's Dream by Benjamin Britten. In 1997 when the CD of Something for Everybody was released, it featured Luhrmann's films and operas. Following the success, he created and managed a company along his wife, Catherine Martin.

In 1997 as a music producer, Luhrmann credited "Everybody's Free", a spoken word song in Europe, Australia and the Americas. Luhrmann directed a 2004 commercial for Chanel N° 5 entitled N° 5 the Film. On Charlie Rose interview, he told Rose that the commercial was based in the 1953 film, Roman Holiday.[47] The next year 2005, Luhrmann was appointed an Ambassador for the Australian Theatre for Young People, and in next three years, he was asked by the Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd to make adverts for the promotion of tourism in Australia.[48] In 2009 during the 81st Academy Awards in February, Luhrmann put together a number dedicated to musicals which consisted of Hugh Jackman, Beyoncé, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Dominic Cooper and Amanda Seyfried. In September of same year, he appeared as a guest judge of the Dancing with the Stars.

Luhrmann and the painter Vincent Fantauzzo embarked on an art initiative which took them to India, where they created artworks on walls of hotels, in the streets of Rajasthan and on 17th century forts in 2010.[49] He also shot the campaign film The Secret Life of Flowers. Though mostly hands-off with the stage production of Moulin Rouge!, Luhrmann produced its Broadway cast recording in 2019.[50]

Luhrmann led the jury at the 2023 Red Sea International Film Festival held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.[51]

Influence and legacy

Luhrmann has cited Italian grand opera as a major influence on his work and has also given a nod to other theatrical styles, such as Bollywood films, as having influenced his style. Luhrmann was a ballroom dancer as a child and his mother taught ballroom dancing which was an inspiration for Strictly Ballroom. Luhrmann's favourite films are Star 80, , War and Peace, Medium Cool and Fitzcarraldo.[52]

Luhrmann's influence has extended outside the traditional realm of media and entertainment. Deeply involved in the fashion and art worlds, Luhrmann's No. 5 the Film for Chanel not only holds a Guinness World Record for the highest budget for an advertising commercial ever produced,[53] but pioneered the now commonplace genre of fashion film and branded content. Luhrmann works closely with the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Anna Wintour Costume Center, having chaired the annual Met Gala as well as producing a short film for the museum, celebrating Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli.[54] More recently, he and his wife Catherine Martin have adapted their style for projects in events, retail, architecture and design with Barneys New York[55] and developer and hotelier Alan Faena.[56] [57]

In November 2022, Lurhmann featured in Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4; his chosen favourite track, book and luxury item were "Che gelida manina" from Puccini's La bohème (sung by Pavarotti), Tolstoy's War and Peace, and a silk eye mask respectively.[58]

Awards and honours

See main article: List of awards and nominations received by Baz Luhrmann.

YearTitleAcademy AwardsBAFTA AwardsGolden Globe Awards
NominationsWinsNominationsWinsNominationsWins
1992Strictly Ballroom831
1996Romeo + Juliet174
2001Moulin Rouge!8212363
2008Australia1
2013The Great Gatsby2232
2022Elvis89431
Total2043912104

Media appearances

In culture

In 2022, the Israeli writers of The Jews Are Coming made a tribute in Hebrew to "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" with Moses standing before the Israelites and quoting the Ten Commandments with the background music from "Sunscreen" and several parts closely translated from Luhrmann's text, such as getting to know your parents before they disappear.[62]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Baz Luhrmann biodata. Yahoo! Movies. 14 November 2009.
  2. News: Deep Inside Baz Luhrmann's Creative Chaos. Wallace. Amy. Amy Wallace. 7 February 2014. The New York Times. 25 January 2018.
  3. News: Top 10 grossing Australian films of all time. 1 August 2015. ABC News (Australia). 25 January 2018.
  4. News: Australia's top 10 highest grossing films of all time. 30 December 2016. The New Daily. 25 January 2018.
  5. Baz Luhrmann, RCA To Launch Bazmark Label. Billboard. 5 July 2018.
  6. Web site: Baz Luhrmann profile at. FilmReference.com.
  7. http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/movies/man-of-many-talents/story-e6freqex-1111118148222 "Baz Luhrmann a man of many talents"
  8. Web site: Jennifer-Harrison-Chisholm – User Trees . genealogy.com.
  9. Book: Ryan, Tom. Baz Luhrmann: Interviews. 5 November 2014. Univ. Press of Mississippi. 9781626743007.
  10. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/apr/23/baz-luhrmann-strictly-ballroom-the-musical-interview "Baz Luhrmann: 'I've never waited for permission to do anything
  11. Web site: Baz Luhrmann (12 works by) . AustLit. 6 February 2014. 2014.
  12. Web site: NIDA Alumni . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131014011919/http://www.nida.edu.au/ALUMNI/default.aspx . 14 October 2013.
  13. Web site: Beveridge. Riley. Your AFL club's most famous supporters, from Barack Obama to Cam Newton. Fox Sports. 29 January 2016. 29 January 2016.
  14. Chagollan. Steve. 'Gatsby's' Great Music Collection. Variety. 17 April 2013. 23 April 2019.
  15. Web site: Berk . Philip . 2002 – Musical or Comedy: Moulin Rouge!. Golden Globe Awards . 16 December 2017 . HFPA . 23 April 2019.
  16. Web site: American Film Institute's Top Films of the Year. InfoPlease. 28 June 2011.
  17. News: Moulin Rouge! voted best film of the decade. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/6944981/NEEDS-PIC-Moulin-Rouge-voted-best-film-of-the-decade.html . 11 January 2022 . subscription . live. The Daily Telegraph. 7 January 2010. 28 June 2011. London.
  18. Web site: Winners & Nominees 2002 . Golden Globe Awards . HFPA . 5 March 2019.
  19. Web site: Lady Marmalade Wins Grammy Award. BigNoiseNow. 28 February 2002. 28 June 2011.
  20. Web site: Langton . Marcia . Faraway Downs fantasy resonates close to home . The Age . 23 November 2008 . 7 March 2019.
  21. Web site: Australia. Box Office Mojo. 11 July 2011.
  22. Web site: Highest Grossing Aussie Films. World News Australia. Published by SBS. 27 February 2009. 28 June 2011.
  23. News: Baz Luhrmann eyes Great Gatsby. Variety. Michael Jones. 18 December 2008. 11 August 2009.
  24. News: Greene . Lucie . Luxury brands and 'The Great Gatsby' movie . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/c8098b7e-ace8-11e2-b27f-00144feabdc0 . 10 December 2022 . subscription . Financial Times . 11 May 2013 . The Financial Times LTD . 23 April 2019.
  25. Web site: The Great Gatsby . Box Office Mojo . IMDb . 26 February 2019.
  26. Web site: Baz Luhrmann . Box Office Mojo . IMDb . 26 February 2019.
  27. Web site: Roeper . Richard . The Great Gatsby . RichardRoeper.com . 26 February 2019.
  28. Web site: Kendall . Mary Claire . Loving 'Gatsby' All About 'Living Fitzgerald' . Forbes . 26 February 2019.
  29. Web site: The 86th Academy Awards – 2014. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . 7 October 2014 . 26 February 2019.
  30. Web site: Young . Alex . The Great Gatsby soundtrack features new Jay-Z, The xx, Florence & the Machine . Consequence of Sound . 4 April 2013 . 23 April 2019.
  31. Blistein . Jon . 'Great Gatsby' Soundtrack Featured Jay-Z, Andre 3000, Beyonce . Rolling Stone . 4 April 2013 . 23 April 2019.
  32. Web site: Corner . Lewis . 'Great Gatsby', Lady Antebellum storm US album chart . Digital Spy . 16 May 2013 . National Magazine Company, Ltd. . 23 April 2019.
  33. Soundtrack Chart History . Billboard . 23 April 2019.
  34. Web site: Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' Rocks Cannes With 10-Minute Standing Ovation. Tartaglione. Nancy. 23 May 2022. Deadline Hollywood. 23 May 2022.
  35. Web site: Top Young Talent Vying For Elvis in Baz Luhrmann Film; Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller, Austin Butler, Harry Styles. Mike Jr. . Fleming. 1 July 2019.
  36. Web site: Harry Styles, Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller in the Running to Play Elvis in Baz Luhrmann's Biopic. The Hollywood Reporter. July 2019.
  37. Web site: Baz Luhrmann's Elvis biopic finds its star: Austin Butler. AV Club. 15 July 2019 .
  38. Web site: Brzeski . Patrick . 5 December 2022 . 'Elvis,' 'Mystery Road: Origin' Dominate Australia's AACTA Craft Awards . 5 December 2022 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.
  39. Web site: Lewis. Hilary. Nordyke. Kimberly. Oscar Nominations 2023: The Full Nominees List. 24 January 2023. 27 January 2023. The Hollywood Reporter.
  40. Web site: Fleming. Mike Jr.. 'Elvis' Helmer Baz Luhrmann Still In The Building; He Makes First-Look Deal With Warner Bros Pictures After The King Biopic's 8 Oscar Noms. 26 January 2023. 27 January 2023. Deadline Hollywood.
  41. Web site: Baz Luhrmann Reportedly Wanted by Disney for Tangled Live-Action Remake . 26 August 2023 .
  42. Hetrick, Adam. "Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis Collaborating on Hip-Hop Television Project". Playbill, 13 December 2013
  43. Web site: Netflix's The Get Down Is the Rare (And Great) Music Drama That's Actually About Music. Pitchfork. 12 August 2016. 25 February 2019.
  44. Web site: The Get Down. Rotten Tomatoes. 25 February 2019.
  45. Web site: The Get Down: Season One . Rotten Tomatoes . 26 February 2019.
  46. Web site: The Get Down: Season Two . Rotten Tomatoes . 26 February 2019.
  47. Web site: Charlie Rose – A conversation about the film "Australia" . Luhrmann, Baz . . 27 November 2008 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402111603/http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/9669 . 2 April 2015 .
  48. News: Australia Taps Luhrmann for Campaign to Boost Tourism. Malcolm. Scott. Bloomberg L.P.. 29 July 2008.
  49. Web site: Baz Luhrmann & Vincent Fantauzzo's mad Indian motorcycle diary. Kanwardeep Singh Dhaliwal. CNNgo.com. 24 March 2010. 27 June 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120114134252/http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/play/baz-luhrmann-vincent-fantauzzos-mad-indian-motorcycle-diary-016354. 14 January 2012. dead.
  50. News: Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge!" Mega Mashup. Schulman. Michael. Michael Shulman (writer). The New Yorker. 26 August 2019. 22 October 2019.
  51. Web site: Jury Head Baz Luhrmann on Attending Red Sea Film Fest Amid Regional Conflict: "Voices of Storytellers Need to Get Out There" . . 28 November 2023 .
  52. Web site: Five Favorite Films of Baz Luhrmann. . Rotten Tomatoes. 19 October 2010. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  53. News: Most expensive advertisement (commercial) on television. Guinness World Records. 25 January 2018.
  54. Web site: Audio and Video The Metropolitan Museum of Art. www.metmuseum.org. 25 January 2018.
  55. Baz Dazzled: The Barneys New York Holiday Window Unveiling with Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin. Vogue. 25 January 2018.
  56. What It Looks Like When Baz Luhrmann Helps Design a Miami Hotel. The Hollywood Reporter. 25 January 2018.
  57. The Maestro of Miami Beach: Alan Faena and His New Faena Hotel. Abel. Ann. Forbes. 25 January 2018.
  58. Web site: BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Baz Luhrmann, director .
  59. News: Baz Luhrmann Guest Judges On Dancing. 6 February 2014. HuffPost. 28 September 2009.
  60. https://www.npr.org/2013/09/07/219704753/not-my-job-we-ask-australian-baz-luhrmann-about-austria Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
  61. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cszvtr "The Sunscreen Song; The Class of '99"
  62. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ5sEwhAgEE The Ten Commandments