ELVIS

Australia, 2022, 163 minutes, Colour.

Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia de Jong, David Wenham, Richard Roxburgh, Helen Thomson, Kate Mulvaney, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Luke Bracey, Dacre Montgomery, Xavier Samuel, Leon Ford, Anthony Phelan, Nicholas Bell.

Directed by Baz Luhrmann.

Audiences who delight in Baz Luhrmann extravaganzas will delight in Elvis.  Luhrmann immerses us in the complex life of Elvis, his music and the influences, success and final decline and death. But the film could be sub-titled, Against Colonel Tom Parker, a probing of his advising and exploiting Elvis, a malevolent performance by Tom Hanks. 

The reviews of Elvis have been, to say the least, mixed. It would seem that a number of critics have decided to look down on Baz Luhrmann, to condemn his extravagance, to say that his talent is in glitter rather than substance, that in his filmmaking, all surface and shiny, he is self-indulgent. On the other hand, there have been a number of critics who have been very enthusiastic – and, it would seem, that the public would agree with them rather than the nay-sayers.

Which means that we have to make up our own minds! This review is on the side of those in favour!

The first 10 minutes of the film is somewhat overwhelming, a visual collage which takes us into glimpses to Elvis’s young days, to his career, to his final concert, to his death, to the presence of Tom Parker (not necessarily in that order). For audiences with a willing suspension of disbelief, this intriguingly introduces us to what is a portrait rather than a biography of Elvis.

Austin Butler gives a strong in performance as Elvis, a filmic interpretation rather than the kind of show by the myriad Elvis impersonators. He is the naive youngster of 20, from the staff singing with entertainer Hank Snow (David Wenham), friend of his son (Kodi Smit McPhee), a touch nervous, having made a record, but letting loose with his voice, his gyrations, his magnetic charm. And the girls are screaming and swooning!

And there is Tom Parker, the mysterious Dutchman with no real identity, strange accent, entrepreneur in carnivals with sideshows, mesmerised by Elvis and his presence and performance, coming up to him something like Mephistopheles, offering to control Elvis, and Elvis accepting. While we watch Elvis and his drama, there is always the Faustian voice of the Colonel, commenting, justifying himself.

Helen Thomson and Richard Roxburgh portray Elvis’s parents, strong influences on his life, but also manipulated by Tom Parker.

Older audiences will know Elvis’s story well, the initial impact (and a pity that filmmaker Luhrmann gives no indication of the impressive range of films that Elvis made before his military service, showing only those cheery musicals that he made during the 1960s). We know that he went to Germany, met the young Priscilla, married her, Lisa Marie as their child.

Younger audiences will find this an introduction to Elvis, hopefully rousing their curiosity leading to some admiration.

And, all the way through, there are his songs, pre-1960 sung by Austin Butler, post-1960 his lip-syncing to Elvis singing. And, all the way through, thanks for these memories.

The Colonel was responsible for getting Elvis to do military service, get him out of the country as moral authorities were denouncing Elvis and his leading young people astray. It was the Colonel who controlled him in Hollywood. And, it was the Colonel who controlled him in his Las Vegas career, trapping him in contracts, year by year, when Elvis really wanted to travel the world (and the Col citing security difficulties in his refusal, a reality that the Colonel actually had no passport and citizenship).

The initial taking of substances to pep up, the increased drugtaking, Elvis going to fat… Difficulties with Priscilla… And then his death.

Elvis was definitely an icon of the 20^th century. He was a top-selling recording artist. He was an extraordinary influence. In Baz Luhrmann wants us to experience something of the razzle dazzle as well as the manipulation by the sinister Colonel Tom Parker.

1. The popularity of Elvis Presley? A 20^th-century icon? Musical influence? Cultural influence?
2. The films of Baz Luhrmann, their style, extravaganza, the visuals, sound, editing and pace, complexity of storytelling?
3. The impact of the first 10 minutes of the film, introducing Colonel Tom Parker, his tone, introduction to Elvis, young, his career, the death and the blaming of Tom Parker? The range of songs? Setting the tone – and enticing the audience?
4. The range of audience, older audiences and their memories of Elvis, enjoying the story, the familiarity, the songs, the voice, the gyrations? The younger audience learning about Elvis?
5. Colonel Parker’s story, his narration, his personality, his aims, his influence, his power, exploitation? And the information about the sad rest of his life?
6. Elvis’s story, Austin Butler’s performance, voice, singing, the impersonation, the detail? Over 20 years? The parents, Tennessee, his mother and her concern, demands, his father, in prison, Elvis and his bonds with his parents? The family? The South? Elvis and his singing, the influences, African-American singing and style, going to the church, attracted by the music, the experience, the later flashbacks and memories of these influences? Hank Snow, his singing, touring, his son and ambitions? The performances, the Carnival? Elvis and his song, pause, the taunt about the haircut, singing, movement, the response of the girls, Parker’s comment on the woman’s face and her response to Elvis?
7. The insertion of the songs throughout the film, performance, audience knowing them, liking them, response? Austin Butler miming all the songs after 1960?
8. The performance, recordings, Elvis at 20, the quick rise, popularity, local, the invitation to travel, with Hank Snow, his singing, the reactions, Snow and his suspicions, his son aping Elvis? The social commentary against Elvis, the religious commentary? The speed of his popularity (but this film missing his early Hollywood films and their impact)?
9. The portrait of Colonel Tom Parker, Tom Hanks’s presence and performance, the story of origins, Holland, obscure identity, his accent, at the Carnival, manager, entrepreneur, with Snow, curious about Elvis, the efforts to see him, the performance, his instant wanting to work with Elvis? Meeting him, offering support, Elvis and his decisions, the influence of Parker? Parker and money, gambling, deceit?
10. The criticisms of Elvis, Parker’s idea to get him into the Army, overseas, haircut…? Singing overseas? His meeting Priscilla, her strong personality, love, together, the marriage? The birth of Lisa Marie? Her presence in Elvis’s life, yet his career, surrounded by women, her being hurt, leaving, yet reconciling?
11. Parker, the money arrangements, inviting Vern to be the business manager, controlling him? His parents and their following Elvis, at all his concerts, performances, the buying of Graceland, then moving in? The importance of Graceland for Elvis?
12. The Hollywood years, the popular musicals, the excerpts, the advertisements, the songs? Popularity?
13. The late 1960s, Las Vegas, the International Hotel, Parker and his deals with the owners, contracts, spoken, serviettes, money deals? Elvis contracted, the initial run, its continuing, the four years? Parker building up Elvis, and the pills to keep him going? Elvis dissatisfied but trapped by the contract? His wanting to travel overseas, the tour of the US, but, find (and indications that Parker did not have a passport), the discussions about security, Parker emphasising this, Elvis’s friends and bonding with them, their supporting him for the travels?
14. The political background, the Civil Rights movement, the death of Kennedy, Martin Luther King and his assassination, the speeches by Robert Kennedy, the shock of his assassination? Mahalia Jackson and King’s funeral? Elvis knowing her? Elvis moved, the political impact (and his later visiting Nixon)? Parker wanting the show to go on, not sympathetic or grieving?
15. Elvis and his growing disillusionment with Parker, the buildup to the confrontation, Parker with the power of the bankruptcy, Vern in debt, Parker offering to cover the debt with Elvis continuing to sing?
16. The opening 10 minutes, the scene of Elvis’s collapse and death, the blame for Parker, the pills, urging him to go on?
17. Elvis dead at 42, his achievement, popularity, influence? And this film for the 21^st-century?