Emma Brown
Reporter
Courtesy of A24
Baz Luhrmann had his time in the Elvis spotlight, but now the women are talking, and it’s Sofia Coppola’s job to fill in the blanks left by male directors.
While the 2022 epic “Elvis” explored the rock and roll king’s showmanship side, “Priscilla” (2023) explores the woman he so disturbingly and wrongfully controlled. Oscar-winning director Coppola adapts Priscilla Presley’s 1985 tell-all biography, “Elvis and Me,” which includes all the hidden details of Priscilla and Elvis’s relationship.
Priscilla Beaulieu was only 14 years old when she started dating the American icon and heartthrob. He was 24. Elvis took this opportunity to sculpt his ideal woman out of an impressionable teenager. Elvis views young Priscilla as a doll that he can change and manipulate at will. Teenage love became a horror for Priscilla Beaulieu, and Graceland was her prison.
A girl’s teenage years are pivotal to navigating life, love and self-discovery. Coppola first explored these themes in her 1999 debut, “The Virgin Suicides,” which explored the male gaze as being disassociated and fabricated when trying to comprehend girlhood. Coppola’s filmography always has a female lead who explores female imprisonment and inequality when faced with a male-dominated society.
Cailee Spaeny leads the film with feministic power as she transforms from schoolgirl naiveté to an American icon effortlessly. She brings charm, innocence, determination and unconditional love to her portrayal. The film would not be as emotionally charged if it did not have Spaeny’s performance that plays so well off of Jacob Elordi’s strong-willed, quick-tempered Elvis. They bring the sweet and the sour to Coppola’s Americana fairytale.
As for Elordi, he brings out a side of Elvis that was not shown by Austin Butler. Elordi channels rage and manipulative charm into his performance that easily flips the narrative on the Mississippi-born icon we know and love. Coppola’s new approach in showing Elvis’s flaws easily moves our attention to focus and care for the woman who has lived in his shadow.
“Priscilla” echoes Coppola’s earlier films that brought women and their stories to the forefront in ways male directors never could. Coppola uses certain visual elements in her films that create a dream-like feel that makes her films identifiable from just one frame.
Much like the French queen in the desolate halls of Versailles in Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette” (2006), Priscilla longs for a life that cannot be achieved in the emptiness of Graceland. “Priscilla” is the optimal counterpart to “Marie Antoinette.” The two films are sisters, sharing thematic and stylistic elements that indulge in grand feministic qualities.
Coppola’s decadent, dreamy style is on full display, as the fashion, setting, makeup and production design are richly feminine. The use of soft lighting, calm color palettes and era-appropriate flair gives the film an old-Hollywood feel that fits into Coppola’s established aesthetic.
Even though Coppola achieved a perfect visual aesthetic, the disapproval from Elvis’s estate created additional obstacles that affected all creative departments, especially the music supervisors.
However, those weary that the film would not contain any Elvis hits have no need to be concerned. The well-rounded, lost-in-time backing tracks show that Coppola and her team did not need Elvis songs to fuel an Elvis-related film. Priscilla and her story are the prime focus here.
The film’s romantic atmosphere is met with a time-clashing soundtrack that reflects the stages of Priscilla’s personal evolution, breaking free of unrealistic expectations and embracing her womanly determination. The final needle drop in the film hones in on her self-discovery and the difficulty of finding herself against another’s crafted image. It’s a moment in the film that is terrifically on-brand for Coppola, and will leave viewers with a feeling of empowering resolution.
“Priscilla” is proving to be a success in theaters, garnering $5.1 million on its opening weekend. The film has done well in November’s box office report, especially among female viewers. The 2023 release is Sofia Coppola’s best weekend opening second to “Marie Antoinette.” A24 will be adding another crown jewel to its filmography as Coppola continues to prove she still has what it takes to create a modern classic.