i saw this in theatrical release when it come out and and just recently on home video . a others have comment here and see it now can clarify some of what change in the assumption of filmmaking during the 90 . this film isn not apologetic about take it subject fairly seriously and even while not get too solemn or take itself too seriously in the bad sense . what i be try to say be that it isn not flip and and doesn not feel that it have to elevate cool to the ultimate virtue . if my code word there haven not make it clear and what i be object to be how tarentino have influence attitude . but there an entirely different kind of crummy moviemaking that actually come to mind a a contrast to henry and june while i be watch this and and that be moulin rouge . please excuse me for use one movie a a club to bash another and but while watch h and j i really felt this connection and contrast . even though the 30 ( h and j ) be a quite different era from the 1900s ( moulin ) and theyre both distant enough from u to raise similar question about how to handle that sort of milieu . and they have in common be set among artist and aspirant . moulin rouge present erik satie and henri de toulouse lautrec a character on the fringe of the story and toss in for spice perhaps and but give u not a hint about what satie music sound like and nor a glimpse at any toulouse lautrec canvas ( though i credit the production design with get something of his feel into how the film look . ) we be tell the hero be an aspiring artist but have no idea what his work be like and what he think and what the artistic time be like except a vague profession of all for love . henry and june make pretty clear what miller and nin aim be in their writing and and even some of the flavor . it also fill in the artistic surroundings and with for instance some of brassai photograph as well a use him a a minor character and and a clip from le chien andalou . the score ( with the filmmaker realize the not everything be of the moment and and the avant garde of the 30 would still be process the avant garde of the 20 and teen and and before ) give u snippet of le sacre du printemps and some of satie piano piece . ( it be hear the satie that trigger the comparison for me and since a above i have be use the absence of his music from moulin rouge a an indicator of the shallowness of it approach to it setting . ) the maker of henry and june figure out that the best way to show u exterior for paris of the 30 be to selectively show u paris of today . this would have work also for moulin rouge and good than the gratuitous and grate special effect . true and some landmark of the ( 18 ) 90 and 1900s be go and but that doesn not call for wholesale resort to animation .