Photo courtesy of ruthdaniel3444 via Wikimedia Commons.
Priscilla Presley, whose life is the film's focus.
By Gabi Palermo ’24
Staff Writer
Sofia Coppola’s latest film “Priscilla” gives audiences a window into the life of Priscilla Presley, based on the latter’s 1985 memoir “Elvis and Me.” The film’s story begins at a party in Germany in 1959, where a 14-year-old Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) and 20-four-year-old soldier Elvis (Jacob Elordi) first meet. As other characters point out the couple’s obvious age gap — “She sure is young isn’t she? Like a little girl” — Coppola begins the story of a young, impressionable girl caught in the trap of fame and fortune.
At such a young age, Priscilla is willing to do whatever it takes to be with Elvis. She leaves Germany to move to Tennessee and live in Elvis’ home while she finishes high school so they can be together. Elordi’s performance as the soft-spoken musician allows viewers to see how Priscilla fell in love with Elvis in the first place.
One of the best parts of the film is a musical sequence in which we get a glimpse of the good times that occurred between Priscilla and Elvis, with the song “Crimson and Clover” by Tommy James and the Shondells playing in the background. The most captivating part is a scene showing the couple with a group of their friends in a roller skating rink. The warm, colorful lighting, in conjunction with the slow camera movements following them around the roller rink, creates a dream-like sequence that makes viewers see the magical aspect of being young and in love.
We soon begin to see the dark reality of being the wife of one of the most famous musicians of all time. As Elvis becomes addicted to drugs and alcohol as his fame and stardom grows, he is not present for the majority of their marriage. Though at times Priscilla seems to enjoy being nothing but Elvis’ wife, audiences see how her life begins to feel empty as she is constantly alone. In one scene, we see that Priscilla is given a puppy by Elvis to make her feel less lonely.
One day, Priscilla is playing outside with her puppy in the front yard when Elvis’ father (Tim Post) tells her to go inside, as she is drawing attention from fans and the press. Even though she is like a princess in a castle, her freedom is continually restrained, and she always ends up alone.
The film’s opening sequence shows different shots of Priscilla applying her makeup, doing her hair and getting dressed. There are close-up shots of her hair and her winged eyeliner, the two most iconic aspects of her look. Women getting ready is a motif present in many of Coppola’s films, such as “The Virgin Suicides” and “Marie Antoinette.”
These scenes highlight the themes of womanhood that are common in Coppola’s filmography. In “Priscilla,” this getting-ready scene highlights the performance of femininity Priscilla has to enact for the public. It also highlights her loneliness, as she is getting ready for a man who is not present most of the time.
Elvis denies Priscilla the opportunity to gain any sort of independence because of her status as a wife. In one scene, Priscilla asks Elvis if she can get a job, and he is vehemently against it because he says that is not what she is supposed to do. Elvis tells Priscilla that, due to his lifestyle, he needs someone who can be at home and take care of him.
“I need a woman that understands,” he tells her. “Is that you?”
This conflict emphasizes Priscilla’s role as an accessory to her husband, and we see her begin to feel trapped in her life. Yet “Priscilla” places its focus on the titular character rather than her uber-famous husband. The movie’s soundtrack does not include any of Elvis’ music, as in the “Crimson and Clover” sequence.
With an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, “Priscilla” has caught the attention of audiences. The film allows Priscilla Presley to reclaim her story, as audiences are finally getting a chance to learn about the life of a woman who was always in the public eye but never acknowledged. Emphasizing isolation, Coppola highlights how Priscilla felt held captive in a life she chose and sometimes regretted. This biopic allows viewers to take a peek behind the curtain to glimpse the life of a girl who seemed to have everything and nothing at the same time.