IMHO, the story and screenplay are better than a lot of people give it credit for. Perhaps not in the sense that the dialogue is super quotable, but more in the sense that you can pick up on themes and motifs that the film sets up upon repeated viewings. I like how it sort of addresses the political nature of art; when Elvis first starts out in the 50’s, he causes a huge fervor without meaning to. In the 60’s, after becoming irrelevant with his films, he regains prominence partially by tapping into the turbulence of the decade with “If I Can Dream.” In the 70’s, the Colonel traps Elvis by promising him artistic freedom, but also keeps him sealed off from the world around him so that he ultimately runs dry while also killing himself with pills. This gives the film much more of an arc than biopics that just go “this person did this and then they did that isn’t this person great”. Even parts like Priscilla leaving him, which admittedly veer more toward perfunctory biopic fare, still have a purpose; Priscilla says that she cares more about Elvis’s happiness than the luxuries he provides her with, which is why, unlike most everyone else in Elvis’s circle, she has the most cause to leave him.
-------- Exciting movie, but Fatal Flaw.... Baz made Elvis and Popular Music out to be just a product of the blues. Completely missing from this movie were Elvis' other major influences: Country (Hank Williams, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers), Traditional Gospel (non R&B) (JD Sumner, Blackwood Bros, Hovie Lyster, Statemen, Stamps); Operatic Ballad singers (MARIO LANZA); Pop Crooners ( Bing Crosby & Dean Martin (his idol); Bluegrass (Flatt & Scruggs, Bill Monroe); Big Band (Glen Miller, Dorsey Brothers, Andrew Sisters); Guitar Legend Les Paul..... This snub & total omission also extended to Elvis' country-based contemporaries, who were also the Pioneers of Rock & Roll: the great Bill Hailey (who had the first #1 hit of the rock era); Jerry Lee, Carl Perkins (guitarist, singer & writer of bluesuede shoes); Johnny Cash, etc. Elvis was universally recognized by music historians & sociologists as mixing music genres and De-segregating our music. Instead of someone who just took from the blues, the film should have showed him as someone who experimented & contributed to music.
Great review bro, can't wait to see more!
IMHO, the story and screenplay are better than a lot of people give it credit for. Perhaps not in the sense that the dialogue is super quotable, but more in the sense that you can pick up on themes and motifs that the film sets up upon repeated viewings.
I like how it sort of addresses the political nature of art; when Elvis first starts out in the 50’s, he causes a huge fervor without meaning to. In the 60’s, after becoming irrelevant with his films, he regains prominence partially by tapping into the turbulence of the decade with “If I Can Dream.” In the 70’s, the Colonel traps Elvis by promising him artistic freedom, but also keeps him sealed off from the world around him so that he ultimately runs dry while also killing himself with pills. This gives the film much more of an arc than biopics that just go “this person did this and then they did that isn’t this person great”.
Even parts like Priscilla leaving him, which admittedly veer more toward perfunctory biopic fare, still have a purpose; Priscilla says that she cares more about Elvis’s happiness than the luxuries he provides her with, which is why, unlike most everyone else in Elvis’s circle, she has the most cause to leave him.
Fair point
-------- Exciting movie, but Fatal Flaw....
Baz made Elvis and Popular Music out to be just a product of the blues. Completely missing from this movie were Elvis' other major influences: Country (Hank Williams, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers), Traditional Gospel (non R&B) (JD Sumner, Blackwood Bros, Hovie Lyster, Statemen, Stamps); Operatic Ballad singers (MARIO LANZA); Pop Crooners ( Bing Crosby & Dean Martin (his idol); Bluegrass (Flatt & Scruggs, Bill Monroe); Big Band (Glen Miller, Dorsey Brothers, Andrew Sisters); Guitar Legend Les Paul.....
This snub & total omission also extended to Elvis' country-based contemporaries, who were also the Pioneers of Rock & Roll: the great Bill Hailey (who had the first #1 hit of the rock era); Jerry Lee, Carl Perkins (guitarist, singer & writer of bluesuede shoes); Johnny Cash, etc.
Elvis was universally recognized by music historians & sociologists as mixing music genres and De-segregating our music. Instead of someone who just took from the blues, the film should have showed him as someone who experimented & contributed to music.
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