Opinion: The film “Priscilla” shows a different side of Elvis Presley through the perspective of his ex-wife
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The A24 film “Priscilla” was released in theaters this past October. Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, the movie tells the story of Priscilla Presley, Elvis’ beloved wife. By using Priscilla’s perspective, “Priscilla” has changed Elvis’s legacy forever.
Coppola’s script was adapted from Priscilla’s 1985 memoir “Elvis and Me.” Starring Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi, the film spans a long timeline: from 14-year-old Priscilla meeting 24-year-old Elvis in Germany to her finally leaving their marriage.
“Priscilla” already had a lot of opposition before its release. To start, Austin Butler’s “Elvis” came out only a year ago. The production was a major success garnering multiple Academy Award nominations and shining a light on the exploitation of the superstar. And as we all know, Elvis is considered the “king of rock n’ roll.”
To pile on, Lisa Marie Presley was against Coppola’s film before her death earlier this year. She described the script as “shockingly vengeful and contemptuous,” and an overall inaccurate portrayal of her father. Lisa worried the film would strain her relationship with her mother.
Priscilla spent her entire life elevating Elvis’s legacy. However, the film does quite the opposite, showing the manipulation and control in their marriage.
Priscilla watched the film back in September at the Venice Film Festival. Seated next to Spaeny and Elordi, she described it as “surreal.”
“It’s very difficult to sit and watch a film about you and about your life and about your love,” Priscilla said at the Venice news conference. “Sofia did an amazing job. She did her homework.”
I watched “Priscilla” myself; the idea of watching the story through her eyes sounded interesting. Nothing could have prepared me to learn about her life and, ultimately, how horrible of a husband Elvis was.
Their relationship was inappropriate from the beginning, as Elvis groomed her in the formative years of her life. Unfortunately, involvement with minors is nothing new in the world of celebrities. But there are no real consequences because they’re put on such a pedestal.
Mabel Ledgerwood, a second-year UO student, highly anticipates seeing the film and looks forward to Elvis being painted in a different light.
“They glorify it, but it’s also gross and weird,” Ledgerwood said. “I don’t think we should normalize relationships like that. [The film] shows her as a person since we only learn about him.”
In addition to the grooming, Elvis did everything in the toxic relationship handbook, such as controlling her appearance and serial cheating. To see Elvis, the ultimate superstar, in such a negative light was refreshing.
There was a key moment in “Priscilla” that stuck with me. She just found a letter addressed to Elvis from his secret affair. When Priscilla confronts him, he gets aggressive, gaslights her and starts kicking her out. And like a switch, the manipulation kicks in. He begins apologizing and forcing affection. The scene took my breath away.
Kaitlyn Fletter, a second-year at UO, said the film shows a different side of Elvis. “It’s really important to talk about the fact that he wasn’t this great man everyone thinks he was,” she said.
“Priscilla” accomplished more than just changing the narrative of Elvis. The film shined light on toxic relationships with superstars. It demonstrated the complexity of grooming and the manipulation behind it all. “Priscilla” was the perfect follow-up after a year of Elvis’s glorification.
“Yes, I left, and it wasn’t because I didn’t love him,” Priscilla told the New York Times. “He was the love of my life. It was the lifestyle that was so difficult for me, and I think any woman can relate to that.”
Allowing the world to see the other side of Elvis opened the door to what cinema can accomplish. It revealed the transparency of Hollywood stars. But most of all, it allowed Priscilla Presley to tell her story and conveyed the complexity of groomed relationships.