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PRISCILLA
A subtle but affecting biopic of Mrs Elvis Presley
Cert: 15 Director: Sofia Coppola Cast: Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Dagmara Domińczyk Released: Out now
In historical films, as in history generally, there’s a tendency to concentrate our attention on the big names, the leaders, the action takers. Most biopics are about the military commanders, the cultural trend setters and political juggernauts of their age. But what about those who lived in close orbit to such people? Often, looking at history through the eyes of such figures can be incredibly enlightening, and so it is with films like this from Sofia Coppola.
chronicles the romantic relationship between Priscilla Beaulieu (Spaeny) and Elvis Presley (Elordi) from their meeting in Germany in 1959 to the end of their marriage in 1973. It is a portrait of a young woman who is captivated by the humanity of the superstar in front of her, is engulfed by her love for him, but ultimately learns that the gravitational pull of his personality and whims is crushing her. The film doesn’tPresley’s own account of the relationship that they were not intimate with each other until she married him aged 21.
