The Elvis movie is worth seeing

For a man who died over 45 years ago, Elvis Presley has found a way to remain relevant in popular culture time and time again. Referring to the 1950s, it seems there is nothing more synonymous with this time period than the name Elvis Presley. With the biopic Elvis being released on HBO Max, there is now even more exposure for people that did not get a chance to make it to the theater during its initial release. It is with the talents of Austin Butler, the actor portraying Elvis, that much of the film’s success can be accounted for.  

One of the more memorable aspects of the film, while there are many, is the way in which the fine details of an Elvis performance are captured. While the costumes and mannerisms are well-done, it is the small, seemingly insignificant details that are also greatly accounted for. During the rendition of “Polk Salad Annie,” Butler wraps his entire mouth over the microphone resulting in a wow sound, identical to what Elvis did during one of his own performances. 

Certain scenes have elements of exaggeration, such as when Elvis fires his manager on stage, but every movie needs some intense scenes to keep the audience’s attention. Even with some scattered exaggerated sequences, much of the movie’s premise is fairly accurate. 

Perhaps one of the more captivating scenes in the movie is the last, where there is an alternation between the faces of Austin Butler and real footage of Elvis singing the song “Unchained Melody.” What made the scene unique was the way in which Austin Butler was presented, similarly to how Elvis appeared in his last year of life, with a slightly bloated face and long hair, though continuing to have the same recognizable voice.  

An impressive feature of the film is the way in which Austin Butler performs some of the songs. For the first portion of the movie, Butler does not lip-sync classic Elvis songs, but instead sings them himself. This greatly contrasts the 1979 Elvis movie starring Kurt Rusell, in which the lead actor did not do any of his own performances. 

The accuracy of the way Butler looks throughout the movie is right on. As opposed to focusing on one portion of his life, the film does a great job at displaying the various time periods of his younger life, right up to his last decade. 

Even for a person who may not be a fan of the king of rock and roll, there is still plenty this movie offers—the film, in a way, can be viewed as a historic representation of the evolution of American music, as most people are aware at the very least of the name Elvis Presley and can gain a better understanding of the development of his career. While they may not know his most famous songs word for word, this film gives audiences a better understanding of the way he performed on stage and how he grew into the eventual star he was.