Priscilla (2023)
Part of London Film Festival’s Special Presentations program was Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla. The film is based on Priscilla Presley’s own memoir Elvis and Me, written with Sandra Harmon. There are few directors who Priscilla could have chosen to trust her story to, and Sofia Coppola was the perfect choice. Just as an audience member you can tell that Coppola took such care and had immense respect for the story she would be telling. Using her unique film style, Coppola brings nuance and attention to the interior life of teenage Priscilla as she meets Elvis Presley, and how their relationship moves through its life. A look into how Priscilla Beaulieu meets meteoric rock-and-roll superstar at a party in Germany, and how he becomes someone entirely unexpected. Through their own private moments, Coppola explores their lives as they go from crush to allies, to husband and wife, and ultimately to their downfall.
One of the most highly anticipated films of the year, the controversial biopic has received tons of buzz, both positive and negative. Many viewers were worried that the story would gloss over the age gap between the couple and the wild romance they had. This was not the case. Coppola’s portrayal is a beautiful and intimate portrait of the couple’s life together. With support on the project from Priscilla herself, it can be reassured that Coppola’s masterful talents did justice to this difficult story. Instead of washing over the difficulties Priscilla encountered, the film shows some of the uncomfortable aspects of their relationship while making it viewable for the audience. Just like in Elvis and Me, the film did not shy away from sharing difficult experiences that Priscilla had with the singer, including addictive prescription drug use and roughness behind closed doors, even with the portrayal of perfect romance to the cameras. Sofia Coppola has never shied away from exploring stories about women from surprising angles and story arcs.
To emphasize the drastic age difference between Priscilla and Elvis, casting was an important part of the process when it came to the film for sure. In choosing Cailee Spaeny to play Priscilla, a small and delicate actress, the role was indeed in good hands. Definitely worthy of the best actress prize at the Venice Film Festival, Spaeny played Priscilla with such delicacy and grace that allowed the audience to see how much she respected the role and Priscilla herself. Then, the casting of Jacob Elordi as Elvis was perfect for likeness as well as the height difference between him and Spaeny. With Elordi being over six foot tall and Spaeny being close to five feet, the height difference helps exaggerate and focus on the massive age and maturity difference between Priscilla and Elvis. Even with Elordi’s superb acting and accurate accent, there is no Elvis-impersonation in the world that could upstage Spaeny’s performance as Priscilla.
Just as the beginning of Priscilla’s meeting with Elvis, the film starts with a Coppola note of beauty, showing a happiness that is involved with a teenager experiencing a fan-moment meeting Elvis Presley. Every shot paints Priscilla’s life as a pretty picture, with vibrant colours, beautiful props, and intelligent angles. But when their life takes a turn and the truth emerges, Coppola somewhat changes style and brings in darker themed sequences and shots. As the film delves into the darkness that became of Priscilla’s life and her isolation at Graceland, the scene setting, and props help convey the feeling of the isolation. The pure loneliness of Graceland, with the colouring and set/prop choices as well as the score that accompanies the scenes here. Coppola uses all elements of storytelling to take the film down its darker, and more isolating path. One of the most excellent sequences in the film is when the moment comes, and Elvis has Priscilla experiment LSD with him. This is another film that uses editing techniques to try and help the audience see what it feels like to be high on drugs, and it is done well.
Through her well known absolutely captivating aesthetic, Sofia Coppola’s directing works hand in hand with Cailee Spaeny’s near perfect performance to create what might be the most difficult biopic (re: subject) to date. Be sure to watch this beautiful film in cinemas when it is released 3rd November 2023 in the US and 5th January 2024 in the UK.
Promotional photo credits to IMDb.
