Eugene Jarecki’s cinematic essay serves up the provocative notion that the life and death of Elvis Presley can serve as a fitting metaphor for the original promise and sad decline of America. Jarecki presents this argument via a road trip in a vintage Rolls Royce once owned by Presley, as the director and his film crew drive through the places that marked the trajectory of the singer’s life, from his birthplace in Tupelo, MS, to Memphis (where he was discovered), New York (where he made his mark on TV), and Las Vegas (where he became a staple in his later years). Archival footage fills in other major points in Presley’s career, including his stint in the army and his years churning out terrible movies in Hollywood. Jarecki invites a parade of musicians into the car’s back seat and has conversations with ordinary folk at the various stops, while adding to the mix observations about the King and recent American history from a host of celebrities and commentators including Alec Baldwin, James Carville, Ethan Hawke, Van Jones, Dan Rather, Mike Myers, Chuck D, Greil Marcus, and David Simon. The conclusion he draws is that Elvis’s rise and fall mirrors the arc of the American Dream. Whether viewers will be swayed by that argument is debatable, but The King has something to appeal to everyone, be it the biographical material, musical performances, reverential recollections, or sociopolitical analysis. Recommended. (F. Swietek)
The King
Oscilloscope, 109 min., R, DVD: $34.99, Blu-ray: $39.99, Oct. 2 Volume 33, Issue 5
The King
Star Ratings
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