The new Priscilla movie
Released on October 27th, 2023, the movie Priscilla, directed by Sophia Coppola, took the world by storm giving fans the inside scoop on the interesting relationship between the renowned singer Elvis Presley and his wife Priscilla Presley that captivated many in the 1950s. This film showed the highs of the relationship, but also the lows. The movie stars Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla and Jacob Elordi as Elvis, whom many know from other ironic roles they have played.
Priscilla is based on Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir Elvis and Me; taking the perspective from her rather than Elvis Presley himself, which has been the popular notion for decades in the film industry. The movie portrays Priscilla’s narrative of her relationship with him. It demonstrates how his charming demeanor, endearing personality, and fame drew Priscilla in so strongly as a young girl.
Many people have criticized the movie because they believe that it makes him out to be an overly horrible person and dramatizes things. Although others believe that the movie was a very accurate, good representation of abusive relationships and did an adequate job at showing the power dynamic between them; with Elvis being 24 years old and Priscilla just a 14-year-old girl at the time. Sophia Coppola has said that she tried to not make this evil man out to be and instead just wanted to include both the highs and lows of the relationship as it is in the mind of a woman.
“I have seen a lot of people say that the Priscilla movie makes Elvis Presley look like a bad guy, but I do not agree with that at all because I think that the movie just shows how his fame caused him to act concerning others. I enjoyed the movie, and I think that Sophia Coppola did an overall good job with it because it was honestly so good and full of so much emotion,” said Deerfield Beach High School freshman Deanna Kriegel.
While many movies with Elvis in them tend to have a soundtrack full of loud songs, Priscilla has a much calmer one with quite a softness to it. It is filled with a plethora of talented artists like Brenda Lee, Dolly Parton, Ramones, and The Righteous Brothers. Although many fans appreciated the soundtrack, several were surprised that Elvis Presley did not perform any of the tracks. Coppola was reported to have made proposals for the music rights, but they had not been granted.
The film ends with Priscilla finally having enough and leaving Elvis Presley. The scene shows her liberation and her steps toward finally living a life of her own. She realizes that being with Elvis means dealing with his control and violence. While she drives through the gates with Dolly Parton playing in the background, it gives the audience a sense of relief that she was able to escape and move on with her life in the way that she wanted to move on with it.
Priscilla is an emotion-filled movie with romance, an amazingly talented cast, a beautiful atmosphere, and an overall captivating story. It is the perfect movie to watch because it does not contain all the Hollywood cliches and shares something that causes people to sit down, relax, and feel. It is no wonder that it has become such a hit among people, whether they are Elvis fans or not.
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