58 ‘Moulin Rouge!’ Quotes for Bohemians, Poets, and Lovers

Some people love musicals while others sport a significant distaste for them; a lot of the time because there is too much singing and not enough dialogue. This couldn't be less true for "Moulin Rouge!" which supports a rich dialogue filled with memorable one-liners.

The 2001 musical film "Moulin Rouge!" stars Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman as they engage in a tragic love story.

McGregor plays a young starry-eyed bohemian poet who lives in Paris during the 1890s. He falls in love with Kidman's character Satine, the number one attraction at the Moulin Rouge nightclub and the most famous courtesan in the entire city, sometimes referred to as the "Sparkling Diamond."

The two engage in a fiery love affair, but a wealthy man, the Duke, is also taken by Satine, leading to a dangerous turn of events. The lovers fight for their relationship, despite all the odds. Even so, their story ends in tragedy, but not in the way many viewers may have expected.

This musical is so unique because it does not have an original score but takes from famous songs, including David Bowie's "Nature Boy" and Fat Boy Slim's "Because We Can," among others. The only original song, "Come What May," is played at the end while the tragic ending unfolds.

Read these 58 quotes from the two determined lovers and other characters in this beloved piece of cinema.

Christian's quote: "Love? Love. Above all things, I believe in love. Love is like oxygen." | Image: AmoDays

Quotes from Christian: The Hopeless Romantic

"The Moulin Rouge. A nightclub, a dance hall, and a bordello. Ruled over by Harold Zidler. A kingdom of nighttime pleasures. Where the rich and powerful came to play with the young and beautiful creatures of the underworld, the most beautiful of these was the one I loved. Satine. A courtesan. She sold her love to men. They called her the 'Sparkling Diamond,' and she was the star of the Moulin Rouge." — Christian

"Can't... fall in love? But a life without love... that's terrible!" — Christian

"I can't carry on without you." — Christian

"Love? Love. Above all things, I believe in love. Love is like oxygen." — Christian

"I'm not a duke." — Christian

Christian's quote: "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return!" | Image: AmoDays

"I'm a writer." — Christian

"Come what may, I will love you until my dying day." — Christian

"[Shouts] Because she doesn't love you!... Him... Hi-him, she doesn't love... she doesn't love him." — Christian

"You are nothing to me. Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love." — Christian

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return!" — Christian

Christian's quote: "Can't... fall in love? But a life without love... that's terrible!" | Image: AmoDays

"There was only one problem - I'd never been in love!" — Christian

"Before I knew it, I was upstairs, standing in for the unconscious Argentinean." — Christian

"I love you." — Christian

Quotes from Satine, the 'Sparkling Diamond'

"[Talking to Christian] You're going to be bad for business, I can tell." — Satine

"Love is just a game." — Satine

Satine's quote: "I can't fall in love with anyone." | Image: AmoDays

"You've got to carry on without me, Christian" — Satine

"I'm a courtesan. I'm paid to make men believe what they want to believe." — Satine

"What's his type? Wilting flower? [sighs] Bright and bubbly? [giggles] Or smoldering temptress? [growls]." — Satine

"The difference between you and I is that you can leave anytime you choose. But this is my home. The Moulin Rouge is my home." — Satine

"You have so much to give" — Satine

Satine's quote: "Oh, no. You're not another of Toulouse's oh-so-talented, charmingly bohemian, tragically impoverished proteges?" | Image: AmoDays

"Please don't start that again." — Satine

"Harold, the Duke is being treated appallingly. These silly writers let their imaginations run away with themselves. Why don't you and I have a little supper, and then we can tell Monsieur Zidler how we would like the story to end." — Satine

"Not that the title's important, of course." — Satine

"I can't fall in love with anyone." — Satine

"No. Being on the street, that's terrible." — Satine

Satine's quote: "Tell our story, Christian. That way, I'll always be with you." | Image: AmoDays

"Oh, no. You're not another of Toulouse's oh-so-talented, charmingly Bohemian, tragically impoverished proteges?" — Satine

"I don't need you anymore! All my life, you made me believe I was only worth what someone would pay for me! But Christian loves me. He loves me! He loves me, Harold. And that is worth everything! We're going away from you, away from the Duke, away from the Moulin Rouge!" — Satine

"I can't believe it. I'm in love. I'm in love with a young, handsome, talented duke." — Satine

"Tell our story, Christian. That way, I'll always be with you." — Satine

"Is the Duke here, Harold?" — Satine

Quotes from the French Painter Toulouse-Lautrec

Toulouse-Lautrec's quote: "See, you can't fool us; you're the voice of the children of the revolution!" | Image: AmoDays

"Here's to your first job in Paris!" — Toulouse-Lautrec

"That ending does not uphold the Bohemian ideals of truth, beauty, freedom." — Toulouse-Lautrec

"How do you do? My name is Henri Marie Raymond Toulouse-Lautrec Monfa." — Toulouse-Lautrec

"I'm terribly sorry about all this. We are just upstairs rehearsing a play." — Toulouse-Lautrec

"See, you can't fool us; you're the voice of the children of the revolution!" — Toulouse-Lautrec

Toulouse-Lautrec's quote: "That ending does not uphold the Bohemian ideals of truth, beauty, freedom." | Image: AmoDays

"Find someone to read the part." — Toulouse-Lautrec

"Incandiferous! Audrey, you two should write the show together." — Toulouse-Lautrec

Quotes from the Powerful and Dangerous Duke

"[Shouts] I don't care about your ridiculous dogma! Why shouldn't the courtesan choose the maharajah?" — The Duke

"Oh, I see... Monsieur Zidler, the play will be rewritten with the courtesan choosing the maharajah and without the lovers' secret song. It will be rehearsed in the morning, ready for the opening tomorrow night..." — The Duke

"Why should the courtesan choose the penniless sitar player over the maharajah who is offering her a lifetime of security? That's real love." — The Duke

The Duke's quote: "I'm not a jealous man. I just don't like other people touching my things."| Image: AmoDays

"Confessing?! What kind of imbecile do you take me for, Zidler?" — The Duke

"I don't like this ending..." — The Duke

"I'm not a jealous man. I just don't like other people touching my things." — The Duke

Quotes from Zidler, the Owner of Moulin Rouge

"You're a great actress, Satine. Make him believe that you don't love him." — Zidler

"She suddenly had a terrible desire...to go to a priest and...confess her sins." — Zidler

Zidler's quote: "I'd say, smoldering temptress." | Image: AmoDays

"She said you make her feel like a virgin." — Zidler

"SHE'S CONFESSING!" — Zidler

"But, my dear Duke, that will be quite impossible." — Zidler

"A real show, in a real theater, with a real audience. And you'll be..." — Zidler

"I'd say, smoldering temptress." — Zidler

Zidler's quote: "She suddenly had a terrible desire...to go to a priest and...confess her sins." | Image: AmoDays

"Use your talent to save him! Hurt him, Satine. Hurt him to save him. There is no other way. The show must go on. We are creatures of the underworld. We can't afford to love." — Zidler

A Mixture of Quotes from Many More Characters

"Without trust, there can be no love. Jealousy, yes, jealousy will drive you mad." — The Narcoleptic Argentinean

"Always this ridiculous obsession with love!" — Father

"Don't worry, Shakespeare. You'll get your ending once the Duke gets his end-in!" — Nini

"Turn away from this village of sin, for its veritable Sodom and Gomorrah." — Priest

The Narcoleptic Argentinean's quote: "Without trust, there can be no love. Jealousy, yes, jealousy will drive you mad." | Image: AmoDays

"I beg your pardon?" — Audrey

"Looks like the Duke won't be getting his money's worth tonight." — Nini

"Never fall in love with a woman who sells herself. It always ends bad!" — The Narcoleptic Argentinean

Father's quote: "Always this ridiculous obsession with love!” | Image: AmoDays

"Moulin Rouge!" did not go unnoticed, winning two Academy Awards. One of these was for Art Direction, beating greats such as "Amelie," "The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," and more.

It also won one BAFTA award, an AFI Award, and an ALMA award. The film gathered 87 wins and 132 nominations across the board.

If there is one theme that runs throughout this movie, it is the tried and tested genre of romantic love. Many want more romance in our lives; read these 122 romantic husband quotes to sweep him off his feet.