Maxance Vincent
It’s not every day that you get to see the world premiere of a film, at a major film festival, on an IMAX screen, but this is what Baz Luhrmann proposes with his “not a documentary, not a concert film” (his words, not mine) with EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert. Screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Australian filmmaker dazzled audiences with his quasi-experimental IMAX experience and continues his artistic exploration of the mythical figure of Elvis Presley, following the Oscar-nominated 2022 biopic starring Austin Butler in the titular role.
Describing Lurhmann’s EPiC seems futile, in the sense that one can’t really qualify it as either a documentary or a concert film. It could be a mix of both. Sometimes it teeters on the documentary side, while the second half of the film is more concerned with Elvis’ most iconic concert performances. However, what I can say is that Lurhmann and editor Jonathan Redmond restored previously unseen footage, with no AI involved, into a collage of sorts where Elvis narrates his own story and gives us his account of his Las Vegas residency, which was set only to last a few weeks but was so financially successful it became the singer’s permanent home. That success was so high that he never went on his promised “world tour” and died before any of these ambitious plans came to fruition.
Of course, there’s a much deeper story to tell about this aspect of Elvis’ career, which Luhrmann’s 2022 film explores in great detail, but EPiC isn’t about this, nor is it about Elvis’ relationship with Col. Tom Parker. Instead, it attempts to mythologize Elvis as the musical deity he is, not simply as a mere “revered artist” or “rock and roll legend”. There’s a difference between “legend” and “myth,” and, through the use of never-before-seen archival footage, stunningly remastered for IMAX screens, Luhrmann shows us precisely what that distinction is and why Elvis must be not in the pantheon of legends, but among the Gods.
Some portions of the movie feel more in line with a documentary, particularly bits where Elvis discusses his childhood and the path that led him to become an artist. At the same time, other sections, the concert parts, are the film’s show-stoppers and brought the house down on many occasions. But EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert isn’t a properly qualifiable object. Like any good Baz Luhrmann film, it doesn’t stay confined in one specific genre or mode of filmmaking. It consistently moves in surprising directions to make us feel who Elvis was in his eyes, just like Luhrmann’s 2022 masterpiece reminded us exactly why his music continues to stand the test of time.
For EPiC, and, most interestingly enough, Luhrmann doesn’t need to employ his usual brand of flashy showmanship, rapid cutting, and anachronistic needle drops (though it doesn’t stop him from inserting a remix of “Suspicious Minds” in its end credits, which the director danced to during the film’s first IMAX screening at TIFF alongside the audience). Instead, he would let Elvis speak for himself throughout, with minimal flourishes required for the audience to reach an emotional apex as they observe the King at his prime, doing what he does best. He does multiply perspectives on some occasions, but they serve to showcase the breadth of his performing prowess, and not try to throw everything at the screen to dizzying heights.
What helps Luhrmann in this case is that the restored footage showcased in the movie looks so incredible on the largest possible screen that nothing really needs to be done to enhance it. The footage alone is too good and speaks for itself, offering even moments in 1.43:1 where we peer into Elvis’ most intimate recording sessions in ways that the most ardent fans never thought possible. This helps give a sense of proximity to the character before Luhrmann presents some of Elvis’ most show-stopping numbers, recorded live in Vegas, including the infamous “Polk Salad Annie” and “Suspicious Minds.” At that point, the audience wasn’t simply “locked in.” They were dancing in their seats until a few TIFFTY goers got up and decided to turn this screening into an actual party. Definitely the most memorable theatrical experience I had all year, culminating with Lurhmann joining in the fun in the very front row of the Scotiabank’s IMAX cinema.
Many things can be said about Elvis. Some good, some bad. But one undeniable constant is how big a talent he was and how his music was able to effectively transcend almost six decades and continue to touch and blow the minds of a generation of listeners. Elvis isn’t simply a “great artist” or a “legend,” he is the myth. He’s solidified his immortal status through the music he’s composed and the performances he’s delivered. And through Luhrmann’s strangely experimental, but endearing object of pure maximalism, the myth of Elvis has never felt more alive.
There’s a deeper movie that goes beyond the surface on Elvis’ career and shows us the figure at his most vulnerable, away from the idealized version we see him consistently being painted in. EPiC is not that movie, nor does it strive to accomplish this goal. It instead wants to remind us of the effervescence and genius of an artist whose status in History will be immortal, long after all of us have joined him in the great beyond. In that regard, Luhrmann has more than accomplished this feat, which deserves to be lauded as a great companion piece to his best-ever film. His love of Elvis has made his past two efforts the most compelling works of art of his entire career.
One wonders how he will be able to top these projects, but one thing is clear: Lurhmann has ensured that none of us will ever forget Elvis, and future generations will discover him and continue taking care of business…in a flash.
SCORE: ★★★1/2
Awesome Review! I, like many, cannot wait to see this film first hand on the big screen!
Thank you!
The best review I have ever read, and I have read 100,000 of them, at least.