For all its glitter and gold, Baz Luhrmann's Elvis doesn't gloss over certain undeniable truths about the life of Elvis Presley and the people in his immediate circle. For the euphoric heights of fame that Elvis achieved, there were many trials and tribulations brought about by personal loss, substance abuse, and avarice, all of which contributed to The King losing his life at just 42.
While the movie is framed by the narration from conniving "snowman" Colonel Tom Parker, many people profited off of Elvis's career, and over the years he was seldom in control of his own life. Elvis isn't afraid to show how The King's fame brought out the worst in those around him, and often himself.
Elvis Presley: Being Managed By Tom Parker
With Elvis's undeniable talent, he would've had no trouble being discovered by someone who could have helped him foster a legacy (like Sam Phillips at Sun Records), rather than turn it into a meal ticket, like Tom Parker. For all the success that came with hitching his cart to the Colonel's horse, there was an immeasurable amount of devastation.
Elvis takes a look behind the red curtain at the world's greatest "snowman" who ingratiated himself into the Presley family, appearing avuncular when it suited him, and militant when he feared Elvis was getting too independent. It's clear that at every moment Elvis needed real help, such as with the death of his mother, or battling depression, the Colonel used it as an opportunity to make The King more dependent on him, until he was cut off from any other voice of reason in his life, and he was a bloasted, docile puppet willing to tap to any tune the Colonel decided.
Gladys Presley: Elvis ing The Army
Elvis was completely devoted to his mother Gladys, who ed her son in his musical endeavors even when she didn't fully understand them. A highly religious woman, she nevertheless couldn't deny her son's God-given talents, even if they were seen as sexually explicit by the media. Fame took Elvis further away from Gladys, and their bond was strained, causing her to sink into an incredible depression.
When Elvis ed the Army for two years and was stationed in , it was the last straw for Gladys. Elvis does mention that Elvis was born a twin, but that his brother (Jesse) died when Gladys was giving birth. To lose one son already, and see another one slipping further and further away, seemed to crush her will to live.
Vernon Presley: Losing Gladys Presley
Gladys was the rock that held the Presley clan together. After her death, and Tom Parker made Vernon the president of Presley Enterprises, he just didn't have the firm temperament and personal fortitude that his wife had. She was able to stand up to choices the Colonel made about Elvis's career and look out for the wellbeing of her son.
Elvis highlights how distraught Vernon was when Gladys died, and how much closer he became with his son as a result, but it also shows a man who fades more and more into the background. As Elvis makes Las Vegas his home, Vernon is all but swallowed up by the bright lights of Sin City, powerless to stop Colonel Parker and his dubious dealings. Vernon never questions Parker, and believes what he says about the Presley family owing him millions, and his spinelessness makes his son an indentured puppet.
Tom Parker: Elvis Dying
Though Colonel Parker's hand in making Elvis Presley an icon is undeniable, equal to his contributions towards Elvis's success are those to his downfall. Parker saw Elvis as a scintillating amalgamation of shy country boy and rockstar, with a style of music inspired by his gospel roots that would find a fandom across segregation lines.
Because Elvis is framed by Parker's narration, things happen according to his recollection, and while does his best to paint himself in an agreeable light, there are things that cannot be denied, such as his callous disregard for Elvis's failing health as he played night after night at the International Hotel & Casino. When Elvis died, not only did Parker lose his most precious commodity, he lost his holdings in Presley Enterprises. With a background managing carnival acts, Parker's MO was clearly to pack up and slip away in the dead of night at the first signs of trouble, bringing the circus to the next town; Elvis was supposed to be a long con, and he wasn't prepared.
Priscilla Presley: Watching Elvis Become Addicted To Prescription Drugs
Elvis met Priscilla Beaulieu in while in the Army, and the two developed a report despite her being 14 and him a decade older. They wouldn't marry until eight years later, and although their wedding seemed like something out of a fairytale, all was not well in Camelot for The King of Rock 'n' Roll and his Queen.
Elvis makes sure to show Priscilla as a quick-witted, perceptive young woman before highlighting her life as a despondent spouse, helpless to stop Elvis as he plunged headlong into a self-destructive cycle of substance abuse. Priscilla might have fallen under Elvis's spell, but she wasn't blind to the corrosive nature of his habits, something the recent Elvis documentary The Searcher leaves out. Prescribed 14 different pills by his personal doctor, he ceased to become the dreamer she'd married, and she had no choice but to take Lisa Marie and leave, though she tried many times over the subsequent years to get Elvis help.
B.B. King: Getting Caught In The Middle Of Elvis Crossing Segregation Lines
Like Elvis, legendary blues guitarist B.B. King grew up in poor neighborhoods in Mississippi, where gospel music, spirituals, and jamming to R&B gave them opportunities. In Memphis, Elvis ignored ordinances of segregation and attended many events specifically for people of color, and broke racial barriers by attending the WDIA radio station's fundraiser for impoverished children of color.
Elvis's star was on the rise, and his presence in certain parts of town, even for causes as altruistic as the Goodwill Revues, threatened to tarnish his reputation and those connected to it. King knew that his friend was going to profit infinitely more than himself or his peers, but he recognized the importance of Elvis's choice to show up for what he believed in, and the many Black musicians who influenced his musical talent. It did thrust King into an awkward spotlight, however, one that demanded he defends Elvis's character.
Steve Binder & Tom Diskin: Having The Elvis World Tour Cancelled
In the '60s, music tastes were changing, and young people were clamoring after The Beatles. Elvis was making movies in Hollywood, and seemed old-fashioned by comparison, so in an effort to shake things up, Steve Binder and Tom Diskin helped The King launch his legendary '68 Comeback Special.
As Elvis reveals, after the success of the television special (watched by millions around the country), Elvis was ready to embark on an international tour. Colonel Parker, possessing no port and having no means to get back into the country if he left, found a way to eliminate this possibility by convincing Elvis to play at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Binder and Diskin went on to produce more celebrated TV specials, but none with such grandeur as what might have been with the Elvis World Tour.
Big Mama Thornton: Not Getting Properly Recognized For Her Songs
Along with blues giants like B.B. King and Little Richard, musicians who deserve musical biopics themselves, Elvis was inspired by several Black gospel singers like Ellie "Big Mama" Thornton, their powerful voices, and spiritual reverence reverberating throughout his songs, both early in his career and much later.
Though given a rousing rendition of "Hound Dog" to sing in Elvis, she doesn't get nearly the recognition she deserves for the song that would become Elvis's longest-running hit. Thornton taught Elvis how to become a vessel for music that had the power to transform audiences, and the circumstances around "Hound Dog" are a sad reminder that though Elvis wasn't shy about crediting the Black musical influences in his life, they never saw the same financial success he did for the same work.
Hank Snow & Jimmie Rodgers Snow: Being Tossed Over For Elvis
Hank Snow and his son Jimmie Rodgers Snow were already big names in Mississippi when Tom Parker managed them, but as soon as he got a load of Elvis, it was all over for the duo. No one wanted to hear their laconic country hymns anymore; Elvis's vibrating nether regions had captured the imagination of the Rust Belt.
The elder snow sees Elvis as a delinquent, while young Jimmie sees him as a hero, and Elvis doesn't show what happens to them after Parker leaves them high and dry, but there's a sadness inherent to the way they come to represent the often undignified ing of musical trends.
