The “king of rock” seen by his wife: filmmaker Sofia Coppola chose to take the point of view of Priscilla Presley, until now in the shadows, to recount on the big screen “the ups and downs” of a legendary couple.
“Priscilla”, which opens in theaters in Argentina and Chile this Thursday, is based on the book “Elvis and I”, published in 1985 and in which Priscilla Presley tells of her life with the famous singer, to whom she was married. from 1967 to 1973.
“Elvis and Priscilla are a legendary couple, but we don’t know much about her or her point of view,” explained American filmmaker Sofia Coppola when presenting the film at the Venice Film Festival in September.
Elvis met his future wife in Germany, where he was doing his military service, when she was just 14 years old, ten years younger than him.
The singer then had her come to his Graceland mansion, where she had to confront her surroundings, the gloomy character and the dependence on medications of the “king of rock.” Elvis chooses her outfits, and even makes her change her hair color…
In 1968 they had a daughter, Lisa-Marie, who died in January of this year. But their union broke up with Priscilla’s departure in 1973.
The director of “Lost in translation” and “Marie Antoinette” said she saw her film as “a human story” about “the evolution of a young girl in this world, who ends up leaving to find her place.”
The main role is played by the North American Cailee Spaeny, who won the award for best female performance in Venice. The Australian Jacob Elordi, known for his role in the series “Euforia”, plays Elvis Presley, who died in 1977.
While Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” (2022) focused on the singer’s relationship with his manager, Sofia Coppola privileges “Priscilla’s point of view.”
“I imagined myself in his story, and I really tried to make the movie from his point of view,” he explained.
– “The love of my life” –
“That’s what I like in cinema, the possibility of living the story of another person very different from me,” Coppola said.
The 52-year-old filmmaker also said that she had fun playing with colors, resorting to brighter tones when the couple goes to Las Vegas, and selecting the film’s soundtrack, which combines themes from the era (but none of Elvis) with others more contemporary.
Priscilla Presley, 78, was very involved in the making of the film, giving advice and sharing memories with Sofia Coppola and her actors.
“It’s very difficult to sit and watch a movie about yourself, about your life, about your love,” she confided emotionally in Venice, before explaining why she decided to leave the “king of rock.”
“I left, but not because I didn’t love him anymore. He was the love of my life. However, his lifestyle was too difficult for me, and I think any woman can understand that,” she said.
Even after their separation, “we stayed very, very close, and of course we had our daughter, and I did what was necessary so that she could see her all the time.”
