Review: Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis'

A little less conversation, a little more Austin Butler please.

I was sceptical coming into the cinemas to watch Elvis. After seeing a bunch of poor reviews, everyone cringing on TikTok about Austin Butler's voice post-production, and the discussion of whether or not method acting is pure assholery seriously had me worried for the outcome of this film. To be honest, if this film wasn't directed by Baz Luhrmann, I probably would have given it a miss. But the genius that brought us Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! deserved the benefit of the doubt and once again Baz has proven why he is one of the best storytellers of this generation.

From the second the film started I knew I was in for a wild ride. The opening sequence bursts with glitz, glamour, and maximalism which is quintessential Baz Luhrmann. I didn't realise how much I missed his presence on the big screen. Luhrmann's reimagination of The Great Gatsby premiered nine years ago and I sincerely hope we never have to wait that long again. Not every director has the ability to keep their audience fully engaged for almost three hours, but the fast paced and interestingly detailed visuals that Baz put into Elvis had everyone's eyes glued to the screen. It is easy to appreciate Baz's work because you feel the authenticity in every minor detail that is displayed. There was an obvious energy flowing through the audience, you could feel them opening up emotionally to the story unfolding before them. Baz's direction and creative intelligence is seeming to only get stronger with the years that pass, this is clear to see with the flawless execution of Elvis.

I always feel proud watching the work of Luhrmann and how his Australian roots always make their way into his films. It is always pleasant to see his returning favourites like David Wenham and Richard Roxburgh as well as many other Aussie faces. However, it is clear that Austin Butler completely stole the show. I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn't actually watching the real Elvis. I know we all made fun of Butler's voice on the press tour, but I take it all back. I have not been this impressed with a biopic portrayal since Joaquin Phoenix in Walk the Line. You would think that standing alongside acting royalty, Tom Hanks, would hinder your ability to be the front runner especially when Elvis is told through Hanks' character, Colonel Tom Parker. Butler's portrayal of Elvis was so infectious you could hear the schoolgirl like giggles throughout the cinema and I too, am guilty of this. To be able to gyrate and wiggle exactly to the likes of Elvis Presley is truly a talent that Austin Butler has mastered. Elvis radiated with campy sexual energy and stylised the impact that his presence had on his fans in a fun and humorous fashion. Tom Hanks on the other hand, his portrayal of Elvis' manager just felt a bit flat and I can't decide whether it was his overall performance or that he was being outshined by Butler.

Austin Butler as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's, Elvis. Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

There has been a lot of discourse online discussing whether this film would glamourise Elvis Presley and some of the questionable actions he made like profiting off of Black artists and dating a teenage Priscilla. I believe Elvis addressed these themes in a simple way so it would not completely derail from the story. Throughout the film we saw B.B. King, Little Richard, Big Mama Thornton, Sister Rosetta Tharpe among other Black artists who were portrayed as being massive inspirations to Elvis and being the direct influence of his music. Ray Charles in later years critiqued Elvis during an NBC interview, “To say that Elvis was so great and so outstanding, like he’s the king…the king of what?... he was doing our kind of music,” Charles said. However, B.B. King has also stated in his biography, “Elvis didn’t steal any music from anyone. He just had his own interpretation of the music he’d grown up on, same is true for everyone. I think Elvis had integrity.” I think the way these themes were addressed in Elvis were fair because at the end of the day, it is not Luhrmann's responsibility to address the sensitive topic of Elvis' participation in cultural appropriation nor is it his story to tell. I also appreciated Luhrmann's choice to insinuate but not feature racial slurs throughout the film, especially because of the era Elvis is set, it would have been easy to get away with, but Luhrmann definitely approached this project with complete sensitivity and compassion.

Directing a film based on the best-selling solo artist of all time without nailing the film's soundtrack would be a crime against humanity. Luckily, Baz Luhrmann has always understood the power of music. He is the King of modernising period pieces with current artists and reinventing the old to become new. The Elvis soundtrack is no exception. Featuring Doja Cat, Tame Impala, Diplo, Denzel Curry, and many other big names completely transformed the film and elevated Elvis' music into something that could be recognised and appreciated by people today. The only true disappointment is that the Viva Las Vegas and Toxic remix featured during the "Memphis Mafia" montage does not appear on the soundtrack. Who would've thought that an Elvis/Britney Spears crossover would be that good? I don't know who I need to talk to but someone needs to release that song like yesterday.

I had never really been a massive fan of Elvis. The extent of my knowledge came from watching Lilo & Stitch as a child and I enjoyed some of his songs because of this. Despite Elvis being quite a complex person who did some questionable things in his life he was an incredible performer and a big part of Pop culture. To see people that grew up with him laughing and crying in the cinema was truly a touching experience. At the end of the film I actually found myself a little bit emotional. My mum said, "It's funny, even though you know how it is going to end, it still makes you cry". Without the extreme talent of both Austin Butler and Baz Luhrmann, Elvis would not have been as meaningful as it was. I suspect that this film will be spoken about for decades and that this is only the beginning for Austin Butler's career. This film is truly a masterpiece that needs to be appreciated by all.

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