By Jaci Hernandez
Staff Writer
Directed by Baz Luhrmann, “Elvis” came out on June 24 and hooked me from the very beginning with its dramatic intro.
It stars Austin Butler as Elvis and is narrated by Tom Hanks as “The Colonel” Tom Parker, Elvis’s manager.
The Colonel is sort-of the villain of the story, so having it told by him gives the whole movie an ominous feeling throughout. It makes the viewer feel like something bad is going to happen even when a scene is happy.
Throughout the movie, The Colonel always has a cane, but the main cane is one that has a clown on the handle.
The clown on the cane is symbolic, because The Colonel is from the circus where everything is one big trick to get money from customers.
One of the most memorable scenes in the movie is when the Colonel is approaching an unsuspecting Elvis from behind and lifts the handle of his clown to tap Elvis on the shoulder.
This significant scene is shown twice in the movie — at the beginning of the end.
The shot is haunting, like the Colonel is a devil or trickster on Elvis’ shoulder.
Ultimately, the Colonel is the one who makes Elvis but also brakes him.
The director did well putting together shots like this throughout the movie. The whole movie is amazing with its cinematography, editing, and music. It really brings Elvis’ story to life.
It’s an experience to watch, and it makes the viewer feel as if they were witnessing Elvis’ story firsthand.
The viewer can feel the frustration that Elvis feels when he’s struggling to be himself and not wanting to conform to what everyone else wants him to be. That’s part of the reason why this movie is so exciting.
Butler is also another reason why this movie is so good. His portrayal is so accurate that I couldn’t imagine Elvis being played by anyone else. Butler was actually the one singing for quite a bit of the movie. He immersed himself and gave his all to the role for years. Even after film production, you can still catch him speaking like Elvis.
The performances and production work are two reasons why the film has been nominated for eight Academy Awards this year. Butler has already won a Golden Globe for best actor for the film on Jan. 10.
Elvis’ ex-wife Priscilla and daughter Lisa Marie were actually at the Golden Globes when Butler won. They said that they loved the movie and Butler’s portrayal of Elvis.
Anyone who watches “Elvis” will not be disappointed. It’s raw, real and emotional. The movie has political aspects of history throughout and shows how important and influential Elvis was during that time.
Elvis’ rise to fame and life story is portrayed in this movie, it reminds the viewer why he is still one of the most famous artists that ever lived and why he is “The King of Rock.”
Rating: 5 / 5