Romantic idealist and talented poet and writer, Christian finds Freedom, Truth, Beauty and Love with the Bohemians... and also love in the form of Satine, the beautiful sparkling diamond of the Moulin Rouge.
The character of Christian, portrayed by the brilliant Ewan McGregor, is the central character of the film, and truly, the most important. It's from his perspective and his eyes that we see the events of the film unfold, and it's his story that we follow throughout. We watch him grow from this idealistic wide-eyed young writer to a man who is torn, jealous and heartbroken. By the end of the movie, the character of Christian is completely changed from the person he was at the beginning of the film, and thanks to the music, the script, the direction of Baz Luhrmann and Ewan's amazing acting, you never once feel that his journey is an unbelievable one. He's the character that the audience has to connect with, the one that carries us throughout the story and the one whose emotional journey we share, and when he sobs over his loss at the end, it's not silly fake movie-tears, it's absolutely gut-wrenching sobs that break every piece of your heart.
It is truly, one of Ewan McGregor's best performances, and one of my favorite movie characters of all time. I'm a firm believer that Ewan was robbed of his Academy Award nomination that he undoubtedly deserved. (Not to disparage Nicole's brilliant performance and her Oscar nod, but Ewan deserved it as well.) Christian is the heart and soul of the story, and without him the movie wouldn't be what it is.
 
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