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Though he’s been gone for three whole decades, Elvis Presley is still The King—and he’s still loved (and maybe even worshipped just a little bit) by millions of loyal followers around the world. So with the recent anniversary of this death comes the release of a two-disc special edition of This Is Elvis, the 1981 film that tells the story of how a poor boy from Tupelo, Mississippi, became the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. The set actually features two versions of the film—both the original and the 1983 extended version, which features an additional 40 minutes of footage.
The film begins at the end—with Elvis’s death—then goes back to the very beginning, with his childhood in Tupelo. Using both dramatization and actual archive footage, This Is Elvis tells the whole story—the good and even some of the bad and the ugly. It travels from Tupelo, where Elvis was first introduced to the blues, to Memphis, where Elvis was an outsider whose music helped him fit in—and eventually around the world. It talks about Elvis’s early recordings and his rise to fame—showing actual footage from TV appearances, concerts, and more. It also covers his time in the army, his comeback, his movies, and even his family. And though it does gloss over the low points a bit, focusing more on the earlier year, it still covers them. It discusses how much his divorce hurt him. It talks about his weight gain and even, to an extent, his drug use—especially as it relates to the tell-all book written by three of his former bodyguards.
Though there are approximately a million and a half movies out there about Elvis, I still found This Is Elvis fascinating. It manages to tell the story of his life while, at times, putting it into some sort of context (making the occasional reference to the Stones and the Beatles). The footage is wonderful, from the TV appearances and concerts to the private moments—the home movies, like the “Kung Fu Fighting” segment, which shows an older Elvis practicing his karate. There are also clips from some of his movies and even some amusing man-on-the-street interviews that show Americans’ widely-varied reactions to the controversial young rocker.
This Is Elvis shows Elvis as the superstar he was. Of course it does. How could it not? But, along with all the gold records and sequin jumpsuits and screaming fans, it also shows Elvis as a human being. It shows him as a down-to-earth mama’s boy and a fun-loving jokester who just liked to spend time with his family and friends. Not only is it an informative film about The King—but it’s entertaining, too. If you’re a fan, This Is Elvis is a must-see. But even if you’re just a mildly interested viewer, you’re sure to be a fan by the time the movie ends.
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