Elvis: A Unique Take on a Biopic

The pantheon of American mythological figures is unique when compared to other cultures. There are the typically militaristic morality myths carried out by the righteous judge, jury, and executioner. There are also the myths of gods, monsters, and other beings with extraordinary abilities that capture the imagination of people of all ages. America however also elevates certain figures of pop culture (sports figures, actors, musicians) into this same mythological stratosphere and gives them an immortality that very few others have enjoyed. Like Babe Ruth, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, and Jackie Robinson, Elvis Presley is someone who has this elite group of people. The movie Elvis honors his legacy by delivering a realistic look at everything he went through, both the good and the bad, while framing through a mythical lens that adds gravitas to his life.

Rather than tell the story the way a traditional biopic about a musician would (Walk the Line, Rocketman, Bohemian Rhapsody, and countless others), Elvis frames the movie around Elvis’ relationship with Tom Parker, his longtime business manager who was constantly stealing from him through his entire career, going so far as to have Parker narrate and tell the story of his life. In this regard, because the point of Parker telling the story is to provide his version of events and “set the record straight” about his alleged fraudulent activities, there are a few times throughout the movie that he attempts to gaslight the audience and explain to the viewer that what they are seeing is not reality. It is an interesting application of the unreliable narrator, especially considering that other times the trope is used, the audience typically has to figure out what actually happened for themselves because the narrator’s claims are taken at face value.

The film attempts to reframe Elvis’ life around the sociopolitical upheaval of the 1950s through the 1970s, with mixed results. There are moments that showcase key moments in Elvis’ life within the wider political context of segregation and the assassination of civil rights leaders in the 1960s. At times these moments work well, for example there is the show that he puts on where he decides to go back to his roots and reject those who criticize how he moved on stage that is juxtaposed with a segregationist rally. This scene also works on a second level where it showcases that the institutional rejection of Elvis was not just along racist lines but also along sexist lines, where his opening act is a group of women on stage dancing wearing unitards, showing that the sexual repression that caused the outcry over his act was really only intended to impact women. That said, later in the movie when Elvis makes his decision to sing “If I Can Dream,” the decision feels more tacked on as part of his reinvention of his image and the moment is not quite as well developed.

The movie is carried by outstanding acting performances from Austin Butler in the lead as Elvis and Tom Hanks as Tom Parker with both actors making strong cases for Oscar nominations. Beyond this, there is a painstaking attention to detail from director Baz Luhrmann to tell the story of Elvis’ life with as much fidelity as possible including through set, costume, and production design that adds perfectly to the over the top glitz lifestyle that people associate with Elvis.

If anyone wants to know more about Elvis, not a ton more but enough more that one will feel satisfied after watching the movie, they should check out Elvis. Because of the level of spectacle (and the fact that it is a biopic about a musician), there are a ton of visuals and sound design that benefit greatly from seeing the movie in theaters, specifically in a premium format screen. It is a fun biopic that does not pull punches and is definitely worth a watch if someone considers themselves to be a fan of music.

Final Rating: 9/10