"Christian" (Ewan McGregor) is a struggling writer living a stone's throw from the legendary Moulin Rouge in Paris. He cuts quite a solitary figure until he is befriended by "Toulouse-Lautrec" (the scene stealing John Leguizamo) and introduced to the hedonism of the club run by "Zidler" (Jim Broadbent) that features it's superstar turn "Satine" (Nicole Kidman). He is besotted, he must meet her in her blue elephant apartment and love must follow, surely? Well, maybe, but "Zidler" has other plans on behalf of the seedy "Duke" (Richard Roxburgh) who has determined to make her his. "Christian" now...