Review: “Elvis” by Baz Luhrmann

The world’s greatest extremist in the movie Baz Luhrmann isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. His motto is “If you can make something brighter, dazzling, and more comical, you should do it.” Anyone who has seen the Australian author’s “Red Curtain” trilogy “Strictly Ballroom” (1992), “Romeo + Juliet” (1996) and “Moulin Rouge!” knows that. (2001). If you share that opinion, “Elvis” is a great movie. Fairy tale pink polyester with gold sequins, topped with everything extra. Including a hip-hop version of “In the Ghetto”.

There is a moderate exit He would be satisfied with dividing the cinema screen into two or three separate screens with beautiful vocals by Elvis, to show the singer’s popularity and many styles, Luhrmann divides them into nine – and includes them in in addition to Produced by. But why stop there? Actor Austin Butler’s face cuts in old Presley movies, centering the rolling hips in the shot, close to sweat dripping down the forehead just as his signature locks fall off. All this plus the pure erotica that Butler provides onstage gives a glimpse of what it felt like to be a screaming teen in audience in the 1950s.

But Luhrmann He is also a clarity storyteller. Although the film wants to put Elvis in context and show that he was not only a great artist but also a part of social evolution, it becomes a story about a hero and a villain.

Elvis wants to spread the love, even physically. He wants to break apart apartheid and show that we can all learn from each other (one could also accuse him of exploiting black musical traditions is another matter).

Director Colonel Parker Tom Hanks, on the other hand, is a cocky, bouncy guy who takes advantage of Elvis for his own gain. He is hindered in his artistic development, but sees that Elvis thanks him for everything. Just like Salieri in “Amadeus”, it is Parker who plays Cicero in this saga, he wants us to understand that he had to torture his student for his own good.

He is tormented. The further the movie progresses, the more I think of Elvis It was He can become instead of what he has become. In the final scene, when Butler’s acting mixes up with footage from Elvis’ last party, I can’t help but shed a tear. Or to use the title of one of Elvis’ best songs: I Can’t Help Falling in Love.