Elvis: the new film by Baz Luhrmann with Austin Butler and Tom Hanks is finally in the cinema
The new film directed by the extraordinary Baz Luhrmann, Elvis, is finally in the cinema! The film about the American music star Elvis Presley debuted directly in first place with 153 thousand euros and over 22 thousand spectators. It can be said to have lined up the blockbusters (not that this is not) that have monopolized the box office in recent weeks.
Let’s take a closer look at what this biopic is about.
The Elvis plot
From Oscar-nominated director Baz Luhrmann comes Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Elvis,” featuring Austin Butler and the Oscar winner Tom Hanks.
The film explores the life and music of Elvis Presley (Butler), seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with the enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks). The story delves into the complex dynamics between Presley and Parker over more than 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame reaching an unprecedented level of stardom. In the background, there is an evolving cultural landscape and the loss of innocence in America. At the heart of this journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’ life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).
But let’s now go on to list some of the inaccuracies in the film, with respect to the real life of Presley.
The inaccuracies of the movie Elvis
In Baz Luhrmann’s film dedicated to over 20 years of Elvis Presley’s life there are truths and inventions that coexist in the space of the same frame. In the scenes where a very young Elvis comes into contact with the gospel, he wears a necklace in the shape of a lightning bolt. Elvis actually attended the evangelical church, but the necklace is a touch from the director, inserted to make the future King of Rock resemble his comic idol, Captain Marvel Jr.
The film is packed with moments created to be compelling on the big screen. The scene of Tom Parker’s discovery of Presley’s musical talent is one of them, but it never actually happened. The two did not meet at the fair and Parker did not work as a carousel, but the magic created by the performances of Austin Butler and Tom Hanks has probably been worth the inaccuracy.
And again: Elvis Presley’s musical style is famous for the multitude of influences absorbed and reassembled in his own pieces. However, Luhrmann seems to be concentrated above all on the role played by gospel and blues, as evidenced by the scenes in which Elvis creates his first single, “That’s All Right”. In fact, “The King” also drew heavily on another pillar of American music, country.
Elvis’ historical inaccuracies
After nearly getting arrested for his cheeky stage performances, the film’s Elvis decides to join the army to clean up his image. In fact, Presley didn’t choose at all, because he was called up like his peers in 1958. He spent two years in the army and while stationed in Germany he met his future wife, Priscilla Beaulieu.
In the film, Priscilla is played by Olivia DeJonge, born in 1998. In fact, Elvis’s future bride was 14 when she met the singer, then 24. The two married six years later, in 1967.
Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis drives a bright pink Cadillac, very similar to the one made especially for Presley. However, the color is not entirely correct. The singer’s real car was a pastel hue, called “Elvis Rose”, and custom built by a neighbor who replaced the original blue paintwork with Elvis’s chosen shade.
Elvis’s return to the scene in 1968 is one of the most historically inaccurate parts of the film. Parker actually wanted a quiet and composed performance, made instead frenetic and explosive by the artist, but the various moments told by Luhrmann are poetic license. In “Elvis” the murder of Bobby Kennedy is also placed in the middle of the shoot, in an arbitrary manner. Kennedy was in fact killed in June 1968, while the show aired in December of the same year.
Despite these small changes by the director, Elvis is enjoying great success at the box office, in the cinemas of our country. So, as always, we can only wish you a good viewing and we advise you not to miss this amazing film!
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