Every year on August 16 in Memphis (USA) is a festive day dedicated to the famous Elvis Presley. Despite the fact that the king of rock and roll has long been dead, he still remains loyal fans around the world. Presley and fans in Russia celebrate Memorial Day. Someone decides to devote their time to listening to the singer’s favorite music, and someone returns to his filmography again and again. The latter deserves attention no less, since it is the cinema, whether it is documentary or artistic, that makes it possible to obtain even more information about the idol and its legacy. In the case of Elvis, about 45 films were shot. In addition to art (the largest number, 31) and documentaries, his filmography also includes various television shows, collections of concert performances and biopic (biographical cinema), released after the death of the artist.
What is worth seeing on Elvis Presley's Memorial Day? Which films most clearly reveal the details of his biography and career? In search of answers to these questions, we have compiled a list of some of the best films about the king of rock and roll.
Love Me Tender (Love Me Tender, 1956)
The immortal black and white artwork of Robert Webb and the first film debut of Elvis in one bottle - what could be better? The film was shot in the Western genre and got its name from the eponymous ballad Love Me Tender, which was performed by Presley himself. Love Me Tender tells the story of the Renault family, focusing on the relationship between two brothers - Clint and Vance. The film has a lot of family drama, love affairs and dangerous shootings. By the way, for the filmography of Presley, this picture is unique not only because of his debut, but also because of the ending. Several interesting biographical facts from the artist’s life are connected with the finale, but we, of course, will try not to spoil it!
Loving You (1957)
We will not go far and pay attention to another film with Elvis Presley in the title role, which was released just a year after his official film debut. “Loving you” is a semi-autobiographical feature film directed by Hal Hunter. A kind of partial biopic about the early life of Elvis Presley, played by Presley himself. Of course, being a feature film, "Loving You" tells the story of a fictional character named Dick Rivers - the formation of his career has much in common with how Elvis himself began. And yes, the king himself acts in the role of Dick, so the picture has a semi-autobiographical tone.
Sounds a little confusing? In fact, everything is quite simple. We recommend that you watch "Love You" to all fans of Elvis and see for yourself!
"Elvis" (Elvis, 1979)
The next film with Elvis Presley, which will be discussed today, can be attributed to the genre of musical biopic. Maestro John Carpenter was in the director’s chair, and the young Kurt Russell got the main role. Note that the actor really managed to convey the image of the late Elvis in this film, moreover, thanks to the good make-up, the impression is sometimes made that the king is indeed on the screen.
The picture came out at a time when fans still could not recover from the loss of their idol. Many were worried that the release of the biographical film would be skeptical. Fortunately, this did not happen. The director decided to focus the picture on the early years of Elvis's life and work and show how his career flourished.
"Elvis. The Early Years" (Elvis, 2005)
Another feature film about Elvis Presley, created by American director James Stephen Savage. In this three-hour biography of the king of rock and roll, there was a place for all the key aspects of the artist’s life and work: from iconic concert recordings to easily recognizable music and signature dances. The main role is played by the talented Irish actor Jonathan Reese Myers, the most famous contemporary public on the series The Tudors.
Many consider this film ambiguous and note some criticality in the director's view of the events he portrays. Despite this, we recommend that you watch the "Early Years" at least once to get acquainted with the life and work of Elvis without any special embellishment. For an artistically documentary film, and even for such a famous person, this is a real rarity!
"Elvis Presley: The Last Day" (Elvis: The Last 24 Hours, 2005)
One of the last documentaries with Elvis Presley, shot by British director Mike Parkinson. We decided to talk about this film at the very end of the article for the simple reason that it describes the last days of Elvis's life and work. In this case, the picture is considered quite heavy and ruthlessly realistic. Without a doubt, we can say that this story is not for everyone. She is for those who consider themselves an in-depth fan of Elvis and want to know everything that happened to the idol until his death. After hushing up many details and, as a result, the emergence of various legends, The Last Day tried to tear off the masking cover and expose all the known truth about the king of rock and roll.