A Modern Musical Epic – Elvis (Film Review)

Sab Astley reviews Baz Luhrmann's latest musical epic, Elvis, unpacking how Austin Butler and Alton Mason give the best performances of 2022.

Baz Luhrmann is back in a big way. The acclaimed director of bombastic hits like Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby has always had a unique penchant for applying an extravagant musicality to whatever story he approaches. For a long time, rumors swirled that Harry Styles would become his latest muse in the retelling of one of the greatest rock stars on the planet – but in typical Luhrmann fashion, out of left field came the rising leading man Austin Butler. The road to Elvis has been a long and winding one – initially announced in 2014, before finally beginning production in 2019; so the question remains, did Baz Luhrmann do justice to the King of Rock ‘n' Roll?

What's immediately clear is that Elvis is not taking the conventional road to retelling a musical icon's story – the unexpected framing around Tom Hanks' demon-esque Colonel Tom Parker is proof enough of that. Parker seems to have an unusually dominant presence throughout Elvis, and that's key to Luhrmann's approach to The King – this isn't Elvis' story told, but it's how he was sold. Some may be upset to find this is not an ‘honest' depiction of Elvis per say – the film conveniently skirts over certain facts like Priscilla Presley's age, alongside the frankly outraging lack of Fat Elvis, but it does make sense within Luhrmann's framing. In many ways, Elvis is tinged with the supernatural, as Parker and Presley's relationship takes on a Faustian dimension – ironically, some decried Elvis as the Devil, when perhaps he was standing right next to him the whole time.

Likewise, Luhrmann does not ignore the heavy influence of Black America and Black culture as integral to Elvis' success – there's a handful of fantastic Black artists on Elvis's soundtrack, including the incomparable Doja Cat, Denzel Curry, and Swae Lee. As well as paying tribute to some brilliant modern Black musicians, threaded through this epic ballad are the likes of Kelvin Harrison Jr.'s B.B King, Yola Quartey's Sister Rosetta Tharpe, but none hold a candle to Alton Mason's electrifying Little Richard. His fleeting presence in the film is nonetheless an immensely commanding one, embodying the iconic musician just as deftly as Butler's Elvis. There is an eerie life-like nature to Mason's performance as Richard, playing with such volatile physicality and irresistible charm that it does feel as though Little Richard has been reborn. Alton Mason is certainly one to watch as his career continues.

If you've seen a Baz Luhrmann film, you know what Elvis is like. A magical kaleidoscope of neon glows, flooding stage lights and vibrant outfits await as we barrel through the 1950s and 1960s by Elvis' side. Luhrmann truly takes advantage of every inch of cinematic gold dust, providing you with a hypnotically rich visual and sonic experience that only a director like he could provide – style atop style atop style is layered in order to tell this tale. At points, we feel like a spectre, flying through the abandoned streets of Las Vegas in mourning, swirling and barreling with a ferocious kinetic energy to reflect the world's confused anger at losing an icon of music.

Initially, some were hesitant about Austin Butler's casting – taking the role of Elvis Presley, some mighty shoes to fill (quite literally, he was size 11), but once Butler puts on that pink suit, he disappears entirely. There's a hypnotically mesmerizing power that hits you as Butler transforms before your very eyes, akin to the same power that Elvis held over his millions of adoring fans. There's a James Dean-esque charisma to be found in this unflinching portrayal of Presley that Butler entirely surrenders himself over to, as though possessed by the spirit of Rock and Roll to assist him. There's always an early contender that emerges for the Best Actor race, and it's no small claim that Austin Butler might just be 2023's Best Actor win already. As Elvis continues, he continually unfurls himself, revealing yet another layer of vulnerability amidst his growing global popularity – when Butler addresses the world, he is their King, and yet in the silence of his confrontations with Colonel Tom Parker, it's as though he is a child, attempting to scold his parent.

Elvis is undeniably a modern musical epic. Luhrmann's kaleidoscopic style and musical gumbo possess with you a ferocious ecstasy, just as the King did – but it's the hypnotically surrendering performances of Austin Butler and Alton Mason that will echo throughout the decades as pinnacles of performances.

Elvis is released in UK Cinemas on June 24th