Baz Luhrmann’s extraordinary documentary may be the most poignant account of Elvis Presley’s life and career to date, featuring long-lost footage from his epochal 1970s residency in Las Vegas.
Baz Luhrmann returns to the subject of his most audacious film — 2022’s Elvis — with the extraordinary EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert. Free of contemporary interviews with experts, critics or other stakeholders, the film is propelled by recently discovered archival footage shot at the beginning of the famed performer’s Las Vegas residency. Originally intended to last a few weeks at the International Hotel, the 1969 engagement was shockingly lucrative, and stretched on for over seven years.
Brilliantly compiled with an aficionado’s enthusiasm and sensitivity, the film shifts skilfully between rehearsals, where Presley is cheerful, hard-working, even goofy, and live performances that vary from powerful and grandiose to rushed. There are moments where he can’t keep up with the breakneck arrangements and loses his breath. (He was booked to do at least two shows most days.) Among the standouts are “Polk Salad Annie” and “Burning Love,” a chart-topper he cut in early 1972. There are also cutaways to an army of excited celebrities attending the shows and a nod to Presley’s journey from scandalous hip-shaker to showbiz icon.
Luhrmann’s previous feature stressed Presley manager Colonel Tom Parker’s disastrous impact on his client’s artistic growth and ability to tour internationally. Here, the focus lands on Presley’s musicianship and his interactions with band members and singers. What’s revealed is his deep knowledge of gospel, blues, and country traditions, and his instinctive feel for finding the best arrangements and pace for his songs. This is perhaps the most poignant account of Presley to date.
