‘Elvis’: 5 Movies to Watch if You Loved Baz Luhrmann’s Film
Baz Luhrmann’s movie Elvis became a smash hit. Despite this, it wasn’t the first or only movie with a similar style or subject matter. Here are a few films you might want to watch if you loved the movie.
5. ‘The King’
Luhrmann’s Elvis is celebratory in many ways. It also portrays the subject of Elvis and race in the most positive light possible. That’s to be expected given that the film was produced by Priscilla Presley.
The King is a documentary that looks at Elvis and race from a more critical perspective. It uses the “Can’t Help Falling in Love” singer’s legacy as a metaphor for the history of the United States. It features interviews with many notable figures, including Van Jones, Chuck D from Public Enemy, and others. The King didn’t get much attention upon release, but it might become more famous since Luhrmann introduced Elvis to a new generation.
4. ‘Ed Wood’
Elvis released many subpar songs during his career. Some of his most infamous songs include “Do the Calm” and “Rock-a-Hula Baby.” Both of those songs were co-written by songwriter and actor Dolores Fuller.
Fuller was the girlfriend of the notorious film director Ed Wood. Because of movies such as Plan 9 from Outer Space and Bride of the Monster, Wood has a reputation for being the worst movie director ever. Notably, Wood and Fuller’s relationship is a major part of Ed Wood, one of Tim Burton’s best films. Like Luhrmann’s movie, it has a cool period atmosphere and a lot of heart.
3. ‘Moulin Rouge!’
Moulin Rouge! is one of Luhrmann’s most famous movies. While all his films feature expressive use of pop songs, Moulin Rouge! is the most memorable in that regard. The soundtrack takes familiar tunes from Nirvana, Elton John, Madonna, and many other artists and flips them on their heads. Live Elvis, Moulin Rogue! is a visually arresting romp with a tragic romance at its core.
2. ‘Amadeus’
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Elvis are very different musicians, but their biopics have a striking similarity: both are told from the perspective of an anti-hero. While Amadeus is told from the perspective of Antonio Salieri while Elvis is told from the perspective of Colonel Tom Parker.
Elvis is more historically accurate in this regard (Salieri didn’t do anything to harm Mozart in real life), but both films benefit from an interesting framing device. Amadeus and Elvis are arguably most interesting when discussing the backlash their subjects inspired when they were alive.
1. ‘Viva Las Vegas’
Viva Las Vegas is far from the deepest movie ever made. The soundtrack is hit or miss. And the plot is pretty thin.
However, Elvis and Ann-Margret have dynamite chemistry. Watching some of the dance scenes, it’s easy to tell the two fell in love in real life. The film had an impact on pop culture as well. According to the 2009 book Manga and Anime Go to Hollywood, the film’s racing scenes inspired the show Speed Racer.
