Everyone knows the King of Rock and Roll. How could you not? Elvis Presley was a staple in the entertainment culture and has remained legendary for decades upon decades. But what about the woman beside him?
Priscilla Presley has made a name for herself since her relationship with Elvis brought her into the mainstream. Now, just one year after Baz Luhrmann released Elvis, the biopic starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, we get his wife’s story.
Priscilla was directed and written by Sofia Coppola, known for her directorial work on The Virgin Suicides(1999) and The Bling Ring(2013). Released on November 3rd, 2023, the biopic is based on Priscilla’s memoir, Elvis and Me(1985) and tells the story of the iconic couple’s love story through their many trials and tribulations.
So, when you’re walking into that movie theater your question may be, who is Priscilla Presley? I know for me it was.
Since she was a young girl her name had a place in the spotlight, but always after another name, Elvis. Being married to a global sensation, it was easy for her to be forgotten and often seen as an afterthought. But not anymore.
Priscilla, portrayed by Cailee Spaeny (Pacific Rim Uprising), is delicate and soft, vulnerable to the glitz and glamor that comes with the lifestyle of her future husband. Elvis, played by Jacob Elordi(Euphoria, Saltburn) lives a fast-paced life, as he exists smack in the middle of the intense world of Hollywood.
Important to note, while most biopics begin in the subject’s childhood, Priscilla’s begins when she meets Elvis, demonstrating the impact and relevance that he had and continues to have on her life. From their initial meeting to the day she finally musters up the courage to leave him, we see every nook and cranny in their relationship.
Every scene of Priscilla staring at the ceiling in her childhood bedroom, walking through the hallways of her high school, the implication is that she is completely consumed by her first love. Thoughts of him forgetting about her while they’re apart, him cheating on her with co-stars in his latest movie, or just her missing him while he’s busy working and partying.
The scene that really struck a chord with me was when Priscilla is visiting Elvis in Memphis; they sleep in bed together, they take a trip to Vegas, they essentially “play house” for a few weeks. When it’s time for her to return home to her parents, she sobs and says she doesn’t want to go back.
Her overwhelming desire to spend every waking hour with him, her need to live in this “dream life”, demonstrates a divide between the two of them. Elvis seems to be thinking more logically, but rather he is not as desperate for her as she is for him. While she loves him deeply, he cares more for the adoration he receives from her and the control he has over her actions and emotions.
Coppola’s attention to detail is admirable, the phone calls we see from Priscilla’s perspective as she calls from Graceland(Elvis’ infamous estate) while he’s touring or filming a movie, gives incredible insight into their dynamic. Priscilla will often express her desire to come visit him and he’ll make an excuse as to why she can’t, which is more often than not an attempt to hide his infidelity. Then she'll say she loves and misses him.
He never says it back.
Following the style of many other A24 films, the cinematography of the film is beautiful and silently impactful. In many scenes the most important of the five senses is sound, rather than sight. After cutting to black, the audience hears the next scene before they see it, which creates an intensity that keeps viewers engaged in the story.
As has been revealed since his passing in 1977, Elvis was prone to rage and violence, often against those he was close with. He was also a serial cheater and made newspaper and magazine headlines of rumored affairs and engagements with Hollywood's biggest stars at the time, such as Nancy Sinatra and Ann-Margret.
The film acknowledges these truths of character through uncomfortable scenes where Elvis and Priscilla’s 10 year age gap is emphasized or where his dangerous side is taken out on her in seemingly innocent conversations. While it does not necessarily showcase Priscilla as a survivor of abuse, I'm sure many viewers would see her as such.
The film ends perfectly with Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You playing as Priscilla drives away from Graceland, after deciding to end her marriage with Elvis.
The scene beautifully ties the film together as Dolly sings, “Bittersweet memories/That's all I am taking with me/Goodbye, please don't cry/We both know that I'm not what you need”.
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