Elvis topped the box office sales this summer and has received critical acclaim. What is it that makes the movie so good, and is there any chance that it will be available on Netflix soon?
Film aficionados and Elvis fans have been going wild for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis film. Austin Butler’s portrayal of The King is so convincing that it is hard to believe that the conspiracy theorists might have had a point when they said Elvis was still alive. After Presley’s death on August 16th, 1977, die-hard fans refused to believe he was gone. An Elvis Sighting Society made various reports of his whereabouts, even claiming that he was living with aliens.
The film portrays a young Elvis on the road to stardom. It shows a time in his life when he is finding his way. As with all things Luhrmann, it is a thoroughly cinematic drama, with sweeping vistas and gorgeous cinematography. It is a world away from Presley’s later life. In it, his younger self is seemingly preserved in aspic. Just as Elvis impersonators around the world portray him, today, if you travel to Vegas, you can be married by a roadside young Elvis. WMS gaming keeps the king alive, too, with its Elvis Lives video slot, which can be found on a list of online casinos in Michigan.
Luhrmann’s movie is the story of the relationship between Elvis and his manager Colonel Tom Parker. The story is narrated by Parker, who Tom Hanks plays. The narrative spans the complicated relationship between the two men for twenty years. In that time, Parker had 50% of the profits and 100% of the control. As Elvis rises to fame, Parker pulls the strings and manipulates the singer to pay off his own gambling debts. In the film, we see Parker wheedling his way into Presley’s inner circle of trusted advisors and then claiming, “Without me, there would be no Elvis Presley.” Hanks is not playing a part that will bring him popularity; he plays a usurping wheeler-dealer who needs to control his puppet.
Austin Butler’s performance is the jewel in Luhrmann’s biopic. He was up against Harry Styles and Ansel Elgort for this most iconic role. The actor was chosen over the singers, and then he had to perfect the singing style, voice, and characteristic moves for which Elvis is remembered. Butler’s natural southern drawl and good looks made him a dead-ringer for Presley, but Luhrmann was not looking for a karaoke performance. Instead, Butler had to develop his vocal range to nail the part.
For a whole year before shooting, he worked with a vocal coach so that his voice could be an exact replica of The King’s. Throughout the movie, it is Butler’s voice we hear. There are snippets of Elvis’s voice blended into later scenes to match his tone as the character ages.
Butler had previously appeared in films like Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, but this film propels him to a whole new audience. He is reported as saying that he felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility to Elvis, his family, and his friends to get as accurate a rendition as possible.
While those who wanted to see the movies in theaters have probably done so now, many fans are wondering when they will be able to stream it. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that it will be coming to Netflix any time soon.
Last year Warner Brothers announced that they would reduce the theatrical window of all their films. This meant that movies like Elvis play exclusively in theaters for 45 days before they become available for streaming on HBO Max. However, it has now been announced that it will be available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, GooglePlay, YouTube, and Vudu. The movie was also released on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 13th.
