Greetings again from the darkness. “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah.” As Elvis sings “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”, the combination of the lyrics and his voice send chills. We listen as Elvis states he’s never had the chance to tell us his story in his own words. Director Baz Luhrmann discovered hours of previously unheard audio and unseen video recordings while researching his 2022 film, ELVIS. He has masterfully edited this into a fascinating portrait of the King of Rock ‘n Roll, with an emphasis on his multi-year run at the Las Vegas International Hotel.
Despite the cute title and its double meaning, Luhrmann doesn’t deliver the standard concert film. The first segment offers a brief recap of Elvis’ early years as a teen idol, followed by his military stint (and buzz cut), and string of Hollywood films. But it really kicks into gear with the Las Vegas residency years – more than 1100 shows – beginning in 1969. As you watch this, keep in mind that Elvis was in his mid-thirties in most of the clips (he died in 1977 at age 42). Those early Vegas years were Elvis at his peak both physically and vocally. Luhrmann’s brilliant touch includes bouncing from rehearsal to live show. What shines through is Elvis’ true love of the music and absolute dedication to entertaining his fans.
Thankfully, Luhrmann (who also directed MOULIN ROUGE!, 2001) skips the ‘fat Elvis’ ending and focuses on the global phenomenon matched only by The Beatles and Taylor Swift. Elvis speaks to his disappointment at not having the opportunity to act in better films, and it’s clear that his long-time manager, Colonel Tom Parket was also the obstacle to Elvis touring Europe, Japan, or anywhere else outside of the Unites States. Creative editing has Elvis performing “You Were Always On My Mind” during the montage of Priscilla and Lisa Marie, as well as “In the Ghetto” on the heels of him mentioning that he avoids speaking on politics and sees himself as ‘an entertainer’. He even cringes when asked about his Sun Records recordings by Sam Phillips, noting the heavy echo of the songs that initially brought him notoriety.
As a lifelong Elvis fan, noting his pure joy in the music hits hard. A personal favorite moment occurs when he cuts loose on “How Great Thou Art”. The power and depth of that voice was a true gift … not unlike the genetic lottery he won with his looks. The middle-aged ladies sitting next to us in the theater swooned multiple times as he flashed his smile, and of course, those in attendance at his live show had obvious reactions as well. Perhaps no one on the planet ever kissed more women than Elvis.
Luhrmann includes bits of 50+ songs (I lost count) and uses some footage shot for two previous documentaries, ELVIS: THAT’S THE WAY IT IS (1970) and ELVIS ON TOUR (1972), yet here he goes much deeper into the man – the one with a sometimes goofy sense of humor who understood the power of entertaining the audience. Sometimes that audience included celebrities … we see Cary Grant, Sammy Davis Jr, and George Hamilton at shows; but mostly it was how his shows touched everyone with his energy. In deference to the many actors who have portrayed Elvis on screen, including Jacob Elordi, Austin Butler, Kurt Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Michael Shannon, and Bruce Campbell, there really was no one like him. Elvis may have left the building, but it’s clear the spirit of his music continues to take care of business.
One week run at IMAX theaters thru February 26, 2026 followed by a wide theater run beginning February 27, 2026
Posted by David Ferguson 
Movie Reviews from the Dark 