By Emma Siegel ‘26, Arts and Entertainment Writer

Image Courtesy of USA Today and X.com

( Left “Priscilla” Right “Elvis”)

Baz Luhrmann’s film “Elvis”, released in 2022 after two years of production, made $288.7 million in the box office. Soon after, “Priscilla”, directed by Sofia Coppola, followed, airing in October. The close release dates of the films are surprising considering their overwhelming differences in their portrayal of Elvis and how they viewed his relationship with Priscilla. Elvis Presley’s name is still talked about constantly, though not many people know his wife, Priscilla Presley. However, with the release of these new films, Priscilla Presley may overtake Elvis as the new topic of discussion. 

“Elvis”, directed by Baz Luhrmann, glorifies Elvis’ life as the media has since his rise to fame. The movie has many jump cuts, bright colors and moments of overwhelming noise interrupted with sudden silence to signify the ups and downs of Elvis’s career. The film, which features many of Elvis’s songs, discusses how the singer’s career came alive. It also features the important people who had a meaningful impact on his life, but does not explore Priscilla’s character. The film recounts their initial meeting, wedding, and ultimate devastating end. However, Priscilla remains a forgotten side character for most of the movie, making the few moments the couple share very valuable. A crucial, but constantly glossed over, point in understanding the dynamic of their relationship is the significant age difference between Elvis and Priscilla when they first met. At the time , she was 14, while he was 24. Details like this age difference leave the viewers wanting to know more. What really occurred in this relationship? Did the glory and love Elvis received from the public carry into his love for his family, or did one overrule the other? 

Priscilla, directed by Sofia Coppola, is a biopic film that many young viewers felt to be an extremely important one. Coppola is able to capture the many small and captivating moments that Priscilla and Elvis go through as she begins to come of age and he begins to make it big, ones that Elvis omitted. The film shows the silent moments between the two, the angry ones, the desperate ones and the painful ones. What really stands out is the clear control and manipulation that grows from Elvis as he begins to get put under more and more stress, and decides the only thing he has control over is Priscilla. He becomes fixated on this image of fame for himself, leading him to tell Priscilla to change her look to be viewed as more acceptable to him. She complies eagerly, as she is young and naive to the pressures of the American music industry. In her past life, she was mainly alone, so being told to change by the only person she knew and the one she desperately wants to love her is a decision she barely thinks twice about. 

Coppola also cast actors with a very large range in height difference to reflect the power and control Elvis has over Priscilla, as well as the influence that their different ages and maturities had on their relationship. While there is no denying Elvis’ love for Priscilla, he is also infatuated and obsessed with the idea of her as his muse. He wants her to behave in a way that was very appealing to him so that his emotion and obsession could help him create songs. The movie portrays themes that are relatable for many young women who have found themselves overshadowed and controlled by their partners.

Coppola is able to achieve something more than Luhrman could in his film, which was finding the ordinary in Elvis and using it as a way to shine light on the kind of person he was. The two movies have us conflicted on whether Elvis’ infamous hit “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” truly was for Priscilla, or for how he saw himself and the potential in the person he had planned to create. These kinds of understandings have only been recently seen in our new upcoming rise of female directors. Luhrmann could not grasp the complexity of a relationship, particularly the female role, that he saw as unimportant, whereas Coppola, using the female gaze, was able to bring it to light and display its significance.