Scene Analysis - El Tango de Roxanne

This scene, taken from the film 'Moulin Rouge', is used in telling the story of what is happening at this point in the film between Satine, a star courtesan in the Moulin Rouge nightclub, and the Duke, who she is pretending to be in love with. Satine is attempting to convince the Duke to keep the original ending of the play that she is starring in and that he is sponsoring. Meanwhile Christian, whom Satine truly loves, is angry that he must keep his love for Satine a secret so that the play can go on.
The scene begins with the dancers and those involved in the play waiting in the Moulin Rouge in anticipation for the results of Satine's dinner with the Duke. Cuts ranging from short to medium length show the expressions of the bystanders and follow Christian and the Argentinian around the hall. These give a sense of excitement that is enhanced by the crescendo of a violin playing in the background, creating a feeling of anticipation that draws the audience in and continues seamlessly through the scene until it reaches its conclusion.
The dance number parallels the happenings in the Duke's quarters, enhancing the portrayal of events. The main dancer, Nini, is connected to Satine throughout the scene, with similar things happening to the both of them at the same time. The camera shots are often spinning along with the dancers and the cuts keep in the time with the beat of the song. This makes the scene feel frantic and out of control, mirroring the events that are transpiring. However, when the Duke gives Satine the necklace, the audience is given a brief period of "rest", with the shots become longer in length and the intensity of the music fading away slightly.
The warm, red-tinged colours that are present in the Moulin Rouge display the passion and anger that Christian is feeling towards Satine and the situation they are in. These colours also hint at the ever-present feeling of lust in the Moulin Rouge. This is contrasted with the cold shades of blue that is present in the clips with Satine and the Duke, which show the lack of passion and the lifelessness of their interactions as well as the sadness that Satine feels. When the Duke realises that Satine is in love with Christian, his head is silhouetted by green highlights that portray his jealousy.
Close-up shots of the characters' eyes are used to show their varying emotions. Nini's eyes show lust and  longing at the beginning of the scene, while Satine's eyes show fear and sadness.
When Satine and Christian spot each other, the music being played by the orchestra cuts to an abrupt halt. The close up shots of their faces show their intimacy and love for each other. After this, as the Duke begins to turn on Satine, the violin returns as shrill scratching sounds that once again build anticipation and give the scene a dark, sinister feeling. This effect is added to by the short and fast-paced cuts between the dancers and Satine.
As a montage of the characters screaming builds to the climax of the scene, the choreography of the tango becomes more violent to match the actions between the Duke and Satine. The cuts become shorter and shorter, leaving the audience with a feeling of anticipation and dread until the final event when one of the cabaret dancers punches the Duke to stop him from raping Satine. The parallel of this in the dance is Nini falling to floor as if she is dead, which foreshadows the eventual fate of Satine.