Baz Luhrmann’s elvisThe recently made biopic on the king of rock and roll has been loved and hated alike. The film is a roller coaster ride of Presley’s life, from his humble beginnings to his death in 1977 at 42. “It’s so much more than just a story about the life of Elvis,” Luhrmann says over the video call from Graceland. It is true that the author addressed the press from the Presley Mansion in Memphis, Tennessee.
Recognizing that Presley’s life is a great one to explore, Luhrmann says his film is also about America in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. The film also explores the relationship between Elvis (Austin Butler) and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). It’s about show and business, management, control, expectation, creativity, spirit, and truth. This one It seemed like a great way to take in great life and great music and explore big ideas.”
Working with a large canvas, Luhrmann says there are some details you can’t skip. “You can’t do music in the 50s, 60s and 70s without dealing with America and black artists and black music. Elvis’ journey in his relationship with all these characters raises such tough questions about our growth and development. Along the way, you experience the personal, intimate journey of this man named Elvis and this other man named Colonel Tom Parker.”
Speaking of not narrating outright, Luhrmann says he chose to tell the story from Parker’s prism. “You have a couple hands between sell and soul, between cast and character that most people might think of as a villain. In his story, he argues, ‘I’m not the bad guy’ here. Gives a tremendous dramatic tension and allows you to go places you didn’t go and reveal things you wouldn’t be able to reveal.”
still from the film | photo credit: special arrangement
Seeing through Parker’s eyes helped the director figure out a bigger idea about how Elvis, who came from such humble beginnings, fell tragically like Rose and Icarus. “Why did this happen? And everyone says, the rogue manager is responsible. ‘What I did was my job’,” argues Parker through the film.
Moulin Rouge! The director recalls the story when Parker, upon hearing of Elvis’ death, was the first to pick up the phone and asked to print more records. “We’d think he was a cold-hearted guy. The colonel would say, but you wanted records right? I was doing what you wanted. As soon as an icon dies, we all want to run away and listen to his music. I was keeping him alive for you. And you’d say ‘Oh come on, you’ll make money from this’. It’s a complicated relationship.”
Luhrmann says he created an environment where some degree of fear is kept outside the door when shooting. “We go through a rigorous process of rehearsal and exploration. We have to fear and we have to work hard.”