Elvis fashions a deep dive into his story, shorn of legend, and showing the struggle to become famous while dealing with Colonel Tom Parker! There here has been a number of Elvis appearances on film and television from the tv bio film, Elvis (1979) by John Carpenter with Kurt Russell and even as a cameo with Peter Dobson playing a young Elvis learning dance moves from lil’ Forrest with the older Forrest played by Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump (1994). Baz Luhrmann is the director of this film who brought so much energy and visuals to his Red Curtain Trilogy; Strictly Ballroom (1992) telling the story through dance, then words with Romeo + Juliet (1996), and finally storytelling through song in Moulin Rouge! (2001). Luhrmann also co-wrote and the movie is a return to the style of his early films. The story and screenplay co-writer is Jeremy Doner who wrote and produced The Killing drama series. The screenplay is also by Sam Bromwell, who worked on The Get Down, a musical series co-created by Luhrmann, and wrote The Great Gatsby (2013) directed by Luhrmann and the Red Curtain Trilogy.
We get a closeup of a clown figure and then one of a snowman. This is the collection of Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) whom we have as an unreliable narrator. We see the poster Snowman League of America. Hanks has upcoming the live action Pinocchio movie and was also in Paul Greengrass film, News of the World (2020). An overview of the later Vegas, 1997, the International became the Las Vegas Hilton and we see under it, Star Trek: The Experience. We see the collapse of Colonel Parker. He is taken to a hospital that looks across to the hotel. There is a tell all book, The Colonel and the King, that blames him for Elvis’ problems. He says this is untrue. There is a closeup of the Welcome to Vegas sign. The International Hotel billboard of Elvis’ performance. Elvis falls in a hallway and we see the Colonel walk up and say, “The only thing that matters is that man gets on that stage tonight.”
We see Elvis dunked in ice cold water and then given morphine. Elvis on stage. Split screens show the concert crowds and then the spinning roulette wheel. We see the elderly colonel walking through an empty casino floor. He is in his hospital gown and holding his IV bag and pole. These are all smash cuts of images and sounds that peeks at the end before we get the beginning. This moves to Texarkana, 1955, the many settings are seen in postcards and signs. The colonel says he ran away to the carnival. There he works to promote country music act, Hank Snow (David Wenham) who is looking for a “novelty act for young people.” We see the colonel’s cane topped by a clown. This has the arrival of Jimmie Rodgers (Kodi-Smit McPhee) who carries a Sun record that he plays “That’s All Right.” The colonel and Hank dislike the music which they think sounds is too African American, the film has more course terms. Jimmie is excited and says that the singer is white. The colonel is now fascinated.
This shifts to the Louisana Hayride, the colonel tries to find Elvis backstage and then sees his girlfriend, Dixie (Natasha Bassett), bring him a Pepsi to settle his stomach. He is outside with his band members, Scotty Moore (Xavier Samuel), lead guitar, and Bill Black (Adam Dunn), his bassist, and drummer DJ Fontana (Terepai Richmond). His mother, Gladys (Helen Thomson) has them pray to Jesse. The colonel watching from a stairway sees their attention directed to the moon. At Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis’ twin brother, Jesse, was still born. Elvis is born with what his mother calls “the strength of two men.” She is overly protective of him and Elvis is a momma’s boy. The colonel narrates that Vernon (Richard Roxburgh) was jailed for months writing a bad check. Elvis imagines in comic book panels that he is Captain Marvel, Jr., Freddy Freeman in Shazam! (2019), freeing his father and going to the Rock of Eternity. The younger Elvis (Chaydon Jay) is running with black kids from his neighborhood to sneak a look into a wooden shack.
A woman in a red dress walked into the shack and starts a sensual dance while Big Boy Crudup (Gary Clark Jr.) sings “Black Snake Moan.” The other boys want to watch and Elvis’ attention is distracted to a Revival tent. At first he watches the gospel music with the other kids, but then slips into the crowd. He is found by the reverend who sees that the boy is inspired and brings him to join in. At the performance, we see Elvis (Austin Butler) clearly for the first time. Austin Butler appeared in Jim Jarmusch horror/comedy, The Dead Don’t Die (2019) and I recognize him in the fantasy series, The Shannara Chronicles. He is nervous and then takes the stage. He starts off repeating, “Baby” when the microphone gets feedback. The crowd watches with a heckle, the colonel notes Elvis’ pink suit and makeup, and then he breaks into “Blue Suede Shoes.” We see young Elvis raise his hands to the sky at the revival. A girl sighs, becomes excited, and then bursts out in a scream. Other girls start to scream.
Elvis is wondering about the reaction and the band members tell him it’s his wiggle. We can see Butler embody the charisma and some of Elvis’ style. Girls drawn to the stage. An older wife screams. The colonel watches a girl have the same reaction. Gladys wonders if they are going to hurt him. Vernon thinks it will be something else. Elvis starts pulling his jacket off. The colonel remarks that Elvis is “The greatest carnival attraction I’ve ever seen.”
Elvis joins Hank Snow’s tour and while added to his show’s poster, slowly gets more popular. The colonel says Elvis wants to record all of Hank’s tracks, but Hank wants him to tone down the wiggle. Later, he sees a girl’s panties on stage and is just horrified. The colonel sees Elvis alone by a carnival’s merry-go-round. He is about to get his attention with his cane, but Elvis is called over by band members to a hall of mirrors. The colonel makes a comment in Dutch and the operator shifts a gear. Elvis is trapped and the colonel offers to help him find his way out.
He takes him to a ferris wheel and it is stopped at the top. The colonel tells Elvis that he was sent by Hank to fire him, but instead sees Elvis singing for a national label, RCA. Elvis wants a pink Cadillac for his parents, then adds a hundred until the colonel adds a fleet and then a jet. Elvis imagines a rocket to fly to the Rock of Eternity which represents to him being remembered forever. 1958, the colonel brings up to his family, Elvis Presley Enterprises, which he says is a family business. Elvis mentions wants to be James Dean in the movies. She is still convinced by everyone and agrees to have the colonel from the business. Elvis works as a truck driver and drives up to Beale Street, at Club Handy, he hears Big Mama Thorton (Shonka Dukureh) sing “Hound Dog” from a window. Elvis also sees at a dress shop BB King (Kelvin Harris) and the pink suit. Sun Records owner, Sam Phillips (Josh McConville) agrees that Elvis’ music should be heard by the world.
The family moves into the Graceland mansion. The colonel brings up merchandising including the Elvis Presley Game. He wants to make Vernon his business manager. Gladys notes in the merchandising, an “I Hate Elvis” button, which she dislikes, but the colonel says the counter promotion is free. We see Elvis performing on television and this gets the anger of Senator Eastland (Nicholas Bell). The senator brings the colonel into a hearing and they have discovered that they don’t have any trace of Colonel Tom Parker. Elvis sees the nickname, “Elvis the Pelvis” which he thinks is childish. The colonel says his performance on the Steve Allen Show is cancelled, unless he wears a suit like a butler. On the show, a hound dog is brought out and Elvis has to sing “Hound Dog” to it which embarrasses him. Later, he drives to Graceland and sees fans holding up “We Want Old Elvis” signs. Elvis gets into an argument with his mother and says, “The colonel gave us all this!” She shouts back that she doesn’t want any of it. Dixie tells him that his mother is upset. He goes to talk to her and Gladys says, “The way you sing is God givenso there can’t be no wrong with it.” Still, she turns to drink.
Elvis takes off driving, followed by a government car, to Beale Street. He draws a crowd and is very polite to his fans signing autographs, but BB King finds him and takes him inside. They watch Little Richard (Alton Mason) perform “Tutti Frutti.” Elvis says to BB King that he would like to record the song. He is told, “You’ll make more than that kid.” Outside a balcony, Elvis confides with BB King that he will be jailed for moving. He is told that he won’t be jailed because he’s “a famous white boy” that makes money for many interests. BB King wants him to perform as wants. He goes to a concert at Russwood Park in Memphis. There is a racist speech given by Senator Eastland nearby. Elvis is told not to “wiggle a finger.” He goes on stage and says that he is told to be the New Elvis, but won’t change. He wiggles his pinkie for the cameras and goes into “Trouble.” The crowd cheers and goes wild as Elvis sings on the stage floor and crawls over to the girls. The colonel is disappointed that Elvis defied him watching him from the stage curtain. This is Elvis, under the sway of the colonel, but breaking free until we find him performing in Las Vegas. He is drafted into the Army and in Germany finds love, that the colonel couldn’t expect, with Priscilla (Olivia De Jonge). Still, his one love is for the performance and crowds searching to be remembered. Elvis is a fantastic vision that tells his dramatic story and musical artistry matched against the influence of the colonel and his own weaknesses.
Five Blue Suede Shoes out of Five!
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