Sofia Coppola’s last film, “Priscilla,” takes a very intimate, deep dive into the life and marriage of Elvis Presley’s only wife, Priscilla Presley. At heart, this is a love story, but one that is both tender and brutal all at once. With all of the expected trappings of a period piece and Coppola’s own signature themes, this film displays with clarity how youth, beauty, and fame may play hideous games on the ones who can get their hands on this irresistible package.
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Teenage Priscilla gets Courted, Gently
The movie starts by depicting Priscilla and Elvis first meeting in Germany when she was 14 and Elvis 10 years her elder. The connection was instantaneous, and despite her parent’s resistance at the beginning, they were soon allowed to see each other fairly frequently until Elvis´ return to the US a few months later, in March 1960.
During this time, they seldom kept in touch until, a couple of years later, Elvis managed to have Priscilla visit him in Graceland, Memphis. Hence ensues a long, chaperoned courtship that leads to marriage, right by the time Priscilla finishes high school. Then this dream-like romance slowly devolves into a series of fits of jealousy, long absences, violent disputes, temper fits, remorse, drug abuse, and finally, their estrangement.
Once upon a time, in America
Sometimes sixty-plus years into the past do not feel like a very long time, except when you realize that a long courtship between a teenager and a grown man was pretty much acceptable. Especially if you’re Elvis Presley, that is.
The late 1950s and early 1960s were indeed more “innocent” times, but this film is not only about a very young girl living in a “man’s world,” it is also about something that was then almost as new as rock ’n’ roll itself: mass media stardom. This is not to say that the manicured persona of famed people did not exist before, but perhaps not at this scale when someone like Elvis was very much on the radio, in the papers, in the movies, and particularly on TV.
Fame is not fair game
The larger-than-life reality of Elvis’ fame at that time emphasizes the “smallness” of Priscilla, played by Cailee Spaeny, next to a giant-like Elvis, played by Jacob Elordi. Perhaps this represents a comment in the culture to make us think about this unnatural phenomenon that can potentially crush anyone, whether large or small. Or is this a tale not unlike the myth of Narcissus, who could not see past his reflection, and Echo, who fades into just her voice?
A Gap Stranger Than Fiction
The film was well received by critics but not so much by the audience; according to Rotten Tomatoes, “Priscilla” scores at 84% and 63%, respectively. This is, sadly, fitting for a film where its main character is a young woman sidelined by circumstances way out of her control and condemned to live under the large shadow cast by an iconic figure.
I am more often than not skeptical of film critics, and I am not advocating on their behalf necessarily, but considering how great this movie truly is, I have to side with them on this one.
Hoping for a Well-Deserved Second Chance
After an undeserved low box office performance, I hope this masterpiece has a second life in streaming and finds its audience in the long run. I think this is perhaps Sofia Coppola’s finest work yet, and it might just nudge her a little closer to the pantheon inhabited by the all-time greats. But that’s my humble opinion; you may watch the trailer for “Priscilla” here on Youtube, stream it in Max, or rent or buy it on Prime Video and Apple TV.
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