The “extraordinary” 2001 movie that left Nicole Kidman with two broken ribs: “Creating great art”
Nicole Kidman is always working away at a new project, typically dedicating herself to a rather challenging movie or TV show, even if, upon first glance, it doesn’t seem all that taxing.
But that’s the thing with Hollywood, it’s often the projects you don’t expect that have the most damaging effect on an actor. Kidman might have starred in experimental movies like Lars von Trier’s Dogville, the action-heavy epic period film The Northman, and even collaborated with Stanley Kubrick on a dark tale of infidelity, murder, and erotic cults in the form of Eyes Wide Shut, but it was actually the Baz Luhrmann musical Moulin Rouge! that left her with broken ribs.
You would think that an extravagant movie packed with fun musical numbers wouldn’t cause such casualties, but far from being an easy shooting experience, Kidman also had her doubts about being able to succeed in the role of Satine, because she’d never appeared in a movie musical before.
She explained to GQ, “When I got the role, I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is amazing. I get to do a musical. And Satine, I love Satine’. And then, when we started, I was like, ‘I’m not gonna be able to deliver for him’. Because it was like singing live, and dancing, and on top of all the comedy, and the drama, it was just sort of a…it felt like an out-of-reach film for me.”
It wasn’t easy to step into such a big part, and Luhrmann was actually worried he was going to lose Kidman to a different movie entirely. Before she’d chosen the role of Satine, she had almost starred in another musical, Chicago, which would’ve meant trying to find someone else who could do Moulin Rouge! But no one could embody the tragic romance of Satine’s story like Kidman, and she ended up giving an incredible performance, which landed the actor her first Oscar nomination.
To get there, Kidman went through hell and back, though. Talking to Yahoo Entertainment, she revealed how much she suffered to bring Satine to life.
“I’m dancing in high heels, I broke my ribs, I tore up my knee,” Kidman said, “I did all the things you’re meant to do while creating great art”.
Clearly, her hard work paid off, even if she was left with broken ribs by the end of the production. Catherine Martin, Luhrmann’s wife, who worked as a producer, costume designer and production designer on the movie, told The Guardian, “We’re not quite sure how the first cracked rib happened”.
Despite this injury, she soon got back to work before getting injured again. “Her doctors, who were there, were saying, ‘The corset will be great’,” Martin said, “When we were lacing her in tightly, we broke her rib again.” Evidently, the dangers of too-tight corsets, paired with lots of strenuous dancing and singing, are very real. But Kidman soldiered on and made it to the end of filming in one piece, eventually.
Moulin Rouge! was a hit, and it remains one of Kidman’s most unforgettable roles. It’s one she called “extraordinary”, and she was honoured to be part of the movie, even if she did crack a few ribs along the way.
