Baz Luhrmann directed such films as Strictly Ballroom, Romeo and Juliet and the musical Moulin Rouge. He has a very distinctive directing approach with particular techniques that define his style. He presents his films as if he were telling a story, which he invites you into. His stories are very simple and he also tends to give away the ending at the beginning of the film, which makes you want to watch to find out how you get to the end. For example Romeo and Juliet starts with a news flash on a television which describes city brawls that have taken place and more fights occur later in the film. Strictly Ballroom starts with Scott dancing his own steps which is what happens in the end and Moulin Rouge has Satine coughing up blood, a sign of tuberculosis, from which she subsequently dies. Luhrmann makes his films into an almost theatrical experience. In Romeo and Juliet parts of it a re filmed with them on the stage on the beach. In Moulin Rouge commences with the opening of a red theatre curtain. Also people's clothes are exaggerated so much that it is almost as if they are costumes instead of clothes.
All of Baz Luhrmanns films are set in closed, confined, isolated little worlds. Strictly Ballroom is set in the isolated specialised world of ballroom dancing and nearly the whole film is shot in either the ballroom or the dance studio. The only time it goes outside of this is to visit Fran's house where the shot is totally devoid of colour. Romeo and Juliet is set in the confined gun culture of L.A. which we were constantly reminded of with shots of guns nearly all the way through the film. We aren't shown anyone who isn't involved someway with the gun gang culture. Moulin Rouge is obviously set in the world of the "Moulin Rouge" and as with Strictly Ballroom when we do leave the confines of the Moulin Rouge the shot is totally devoid of all colour.
Luhrmann's use of colour is very prominent factor in his directing style.
