THE KING
US, 2005, 104 minutes, Colour.
Gael Garcia Bernal, Laura Harring, Paul Dano, Pell James, William Hurt.
Directed by James Marsh.
The central character’s name is Elvis but his behaviour is not that of a king. Rather, this is a Texan reworking of a genre popular in the 1960s and 1970s where a seemingly angelic stranger ingratiates himself into the life of a family and then proceeds to change them one by one, sometimes redemptively, otherwise malevolently. Pasolini’s Teorema is the cinema classic of the genre. There is also Harold Prince’s Something for Everyone, with Michael York, and Joe Orton’s Entertaining Mr Sloane. Another striking (diabolical) example is Dennis Potter’s Brimstone and Treacle.
The audience gets to know the dark secret almost immediately so the suspense is in watching what the stranger will do and when the family will discover what is happening to them. The context is that of a born again pastor in a rather fundamentalist church (the son is campaigning for the high school to re-introduce creationism to counter evolution). At first it is hard to believe that this nice young man is so malevolent though we know he has reason to be. We are charmed by appearances and manners.
This is a first film by director James Marsh. It is accomplished rather than outstanding. Part of the interest in seeing the film is Gael Garcia Bernal (Amores Peros, Fr Amaro, Motorcycle Diaries) in the central role, well mannered but deadly. William Hurt is very effective as the pastor. Clearly, the context means that this is also a film about God, faith, testing of faith and loss of faith.
1. A drama of good and evil, testing of faith?
2. The Texas settings, the landscapes, the town, the church, atmosphere?
3. The score, the secular songs, the religious hymns?
4. The genre of the stranger who comes into a town, into a family and transforms it?
5. The title, Elvis, the King – but not in behaviour, a despot? Presumption that he should come into his inheritance?
6. The opening with Elvis, shaving, getting out of the navy, saying he was going home, the stop to have sex? Buying the car?
7. The church, David Sandow, his preaching? His style? His relationship with Paul, Paul singing and leading the group, his about to go to college? His mother in the congregation? Malerie and her looking after the babies, Elvis talking to her, not going into the church? The parade of babies, the babies as the new members of the congregation?
8. Elvis following the family, David getting out to talk to him, the meeting, its effect? David saying he was born again, acknowledging Elvis’s mother? His forbidding the others to talk to Elvis?
9. Elvis getting the jobs, at work, his room in the motel, the car? His going to meet Malerie, after school, going out, the diners? Into the countryside, across the water? The effect on Malerie? The quiet seduction? His urging her not to obey her father? His gentleness with her, her attitude? The sexual affair, the effect on her? Her motivation? Elvis visiting her at home, in the house? His being seen by Paul? Her testing herself for pregnancy, telling Elvis, his silence and appreciation?
10. Elvis and his motives, charming surface, meeting Malerie at school, in the house, his going out to the scene where he would later put Paul’s body? The visit to the house, Paul confronting him in the motel, the sudden outburst of anger and his killing him? The burial, washing the curtain, burning the clothes, going back to normal? David and his reconciliation, inviting Elvis to move into the house, training him to shoot the arrows? Inviting him to the meal, his being accepted in the household? The family still expecting Paul to return?
11. Elvis in the church, David and his decision to tell the truth, its effect, people disapproving and walking out, the others applauding Elvis? The effect on Malerie, at the café afterwards, her having to cope?
12. Paul, his character, the school, graduation, his speech about his thesis, the plea for teaching evolution in the school? His angry following Elvis? The mother, her quiet, her grief, knowing who Elvis was, her loss of faith, in the church, wandering the freeway and Elvis saving her?
13. Elvis seeing Malerie and her mother talking, his putting them on the bed, smothering Malerie, the murders?
14. David going to his office, his talking about being right with God, his constant praying during the crisis, Elvis coming to his office and wanting to be right with God – and God’s failure as regards David and his family?
15. The effect of this kind of drama, the diabolical-seeming angel, benevolence and malevolence?
