Director Baz Luhrmann's latest is a biopic about the King of Rock 'n Roll, Elvis Presley.Elvis is set during the '50s, '60s, and '70s, with Austin Butler depicting Presley's career from his teenage years up to his death, while Tom Hanks narrates the story as Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker.
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But for a movie taking place so many decades ago, several things featured in the film still ring true in 2022. From deadly epidemics to nationwide worry to something as universal as racism, Elvis is being considered a "woke" film for the way it showcases these situations from the '50s to the '70s, allowing viewers to shake their heads in acknowledgment at the way not much has changed.
Warning: This article includes subject matter relating to racism, gun violence, drugs, and politics.
Racism and Prejudice
While racism dates back to centuries and Black Lives Matter has been a growing movement since 2013, it wasn't until the year 2020 that America stepped up and shone a light on the racism throughout the country, all starting with the police killings of George Floyd. Floyd, Daunte Wright, and Breonna Taylor, to name only a few, became nationally known after their unnecessary deaths at the hands of racist police.
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While Elvis does not touch upon police brutality, it does showcase characters who are racist, while putting a spotlight on Presley's comfortableness in the Black community in a time when it was unfounded. But while Presley is seen enjoying the music of his Black inspirations throughout the film, viewers also see a much more familiar scenario in which Parker is heard using slurs to refer to Black artists.
Gun Violence
The film includes two historical moments from the '60s: the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the assassination of Robert F.Kennedy. King's death shakes Presley, as it happened not far from his home of Graceland, and King was, of course, a notable person in the Black community. Later in the movie, Kennedy's killing stops the filming of Presley's 1968 Christmas special, according to the film. But something both instances have in common is the way both notable figures died.
Both King and Kennedy were shot, leading to their devastating deaths that left the nation stunned. With gun violence being a leading cause of death in the United States year after year, Presley and his team's reactions to these deaths hit close to home during a time when shooting after shooting appears on the news on a daily basis. The scene was simply keeping with the history, the inclusion of gun violence and its aftermath was particularly significant.
Drug Abuse in the Music Industry
Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Prince, Marilyn Monroe, and so many more legends in the music industry succumbed to drug use over the years. The latest casualties of drug abuse in the music business were Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who passed away in March 2022 after overdosing, and rapper DMX, who suffered a drug-induced heart attack due to cocaine in 2021.
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But drug addiction and abuse date back to the early 1800s and 1900s, including Presley's death in 1977, when several drugs were found in his system at the time of his passing. The star's drug use played a memorable role in Elvis, leading up to his moments of addiction and eventual death in the biopic. Despite Presley's death being caused by excessive drug use, Colonel Tom Parker states in the film that it was the immense love he felt from his fans that led to his death.
"The Nation Is Hurting"
One of the most striking lines in the film was when Presley and his friends who were helping him film his Christmas special all gathered in the back of the studio and watched the breaking news of the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. Although these two events did not happen concurrently in real life, the film spliced them together in order to move the story along, and shows everyone sitting in shock, staring at the old, cube-shaped television, until one of Presley's friends walked over and simply stated, "The nation is hurting."
The quote was true in the 1960's in a country full of racism and gun violence against citizens and political figures, and can apply to the present-day in 2022. Regardless of political views, everyone can agree that with the strong need for the Black Lives Matter movement after incidents involving racism and prejudice, and the ongoing endemic of mass shootings across the country. The United States is hurting similarly to the way it did during Elvis Presley's peak in the '60s.
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