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| The King |
A Review of Elvis by Nick Olszyk
Distribution Service: Theatrical
MPAA Rating, PG-13
USCCB Rating, A-III
Reel Rating, Four Reels
When
examining the life of a great figure, it is best to look at him through the
lens of a third-party observer, since that is the role of us. Thus, Baz Luhrmann’s
new biopic on the King of Rock and Roll is told through the dying breath of his
longtime manager Colonel Tom Parker. History has not been kind to Parker, and he
knows it, desperate to convince the audience he is not “the villain of this
story.” What emerges is a mostly linear but always exuberant look of at one of
the great cultural landmarks of our society. It’s not always pretty but it
always impressive.
Elvis
Presley (Austin Butler) grew up in a poor Mississippi neighborhood where most
of his friends were black Southern Baptists. As a child, he loved music, gospel
revivals, and comic books. Parker (Tom Hanks) was a low rent P.T. Barnum,
collecting various circus acts in a traveling show, when he came by Elvis
singing locally with his family. He immediately recognized the potential and convinced
the impressionable youth to let him manage Elvis’s career – for a healthy cut
of the profits. Things move quickly as Elvis becomes the most successful solo
musical artist of all time. At first, Parker encourages Elvis’ creativity and indeed
exposes him to the larger world. However, he quickly becomes exploitative,
choosing easy, lucrative projects – no matter how inane – over vibrant
opportunities to explore musical talent. Elvis starts to rebel, but far too
late as he descends into a spiral of drugs, sex, and despair, all leading to
his premature death at forty-two.
Baz
Luhrmann is one of the most distinctive directors working in Hollywood whose
style is so unique it almost constitutes its own genre. He relishes in
excessive attention to lavish mise-en-scene including costumes, sound, art direction,
camera movement, makeup, editing, and lighting. This loud and deliberate style
was almost tailored made to Elvis who wore huge sunglasses at night and gave
away solid gold necklaces
to perfect strangers. Especially during the musical performances, the camera
dances around freely, colors flash vibrantly, and extreme close-ups are juxtaposed
with huge wide shots. Yet during the more intimate scenes, Luhrmann becomes subtle,
less ostentatious, underlining the tension between his lavish lifestyle and desire
for spiritual wholeness and family life.
Initially,
Elvis just wanted to sing what made him happy. Like all men, he wanted fame and
money, but just enough to live well for himself, his momma, his wife, and his
daughter. Yet the trappings of success – the worst drug – were too much. This
is one of the oldest cliches, but here rings genuine as Elvis’ life is one of
the most prominent case studies. He led an incredibly sad life, and it seems a
miracle that he was able to produce such incredible art through it. Yet
suffering is often the impetus for creative expression. As the rabbi Abraham
Heschel says, “the man who hasn’t suffered – what could he possibly know?”
Elvis’
spiritual life is an interesting topic, and it gets a few mentions here – although
less than I had hoped. He clearly loved God and believed he had a divine purpose.
This was given to him from birth as his twin was stillborn minutes before he
was delivered. “God gave you two hearts,” his mother tells him. There’s a
prominent scene early in Elvis’ life where he encounters a Black Pentecostal revival.
Enthralled, he enters the tent, beginning to shake and dance. “Don’t stop him,”
the pastor yells, “the Spirit is with him.” This experience is juxtaposed with
a couple gyrating to blues music, later imitated by Elvis’ famous hip
thrusting. There is a danger for blasphemy here. It would be easy to take a
Freudian interpretation that sees religious fervor as a socially acceptable way
to release sexual energy. Yet there is also a legitimate theological
connection. Both sexual and spiritual ecstasy are ways of getting outside ourselves,
freely giving our essence to another “in mutual love…a compound of sense and
spirit” (Humanae Vitae). It’s hard to see this in a culture tainted by
both Puritan censorship and pagan excess. Elvis provides a great insight in how
art, even through romantic expression, can lead our eyes Heavenward.
The
film ends with Elvis’
famous last performance, and it perfectly sums up his life. Weeks before
his death, Elvis is fat, racked with pain, and desperately sad – significantly caused
by the cruelty of his manager. Yet, he takes the suffering and sings a
beautiful rendition of “Unchained Melody.” His body was chained, but soul was
still flying high. Hopefully, he is singing with the true King today.
This review first appeared in Catholic World Report on July 20th, 2022.
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