No doubt about it, Elvis Presley is still one of the world’s most popular entertainers. After all these years, we know his music — but do we know the man? We get a lot closer to what made him tick, thanks to a new documentary.
Elvis Presley singing “Suspicious Minds”: “We’re caught in a trap. I can’t walk out.”
But he did walk out. And when Elvis Presley took the stage at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in 1969, he proved he could still rock the house.
In director Baz Luhrmann’s new film, “Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert,” we get up-close and personal with the music legend.
Baz Luhrmann: “We found this one tape of Elvis just talking about his life and we thought, ‘What if Elvis comes to you in a dream and just tells you his life story and sings.'”
The doc isn’t your typical behind-the-scenes look at a star.
Baz Luhrmann: “You get more of who the inner life of Elvis is, you actually see him in rehearsals more and you see unguarded moments.”
Unguarded moments are great. But the real Elvis comes out when he lets loose onstage.
Baz Luhrmann: “If you really wanna know what Elvis thought, go to the music.”
The Vegas residency was the perfect setup to update classic tunes.
New songs also made their way into the show.
As massive as his fame was, Elvis never took the connection between himself and his fans for granted.
Baz Luhrmann: “He’s just not a singer — he’s beyond that. He’s so iconic that there comes a point where the only love that he really trusts is the love coming from the audience and the fans and so, he literally gives himself completely every night. And I think that relationship between him and the audience becomes the only place of true comfort for him, of true safety.”
The last word on “Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert” comes from the man himself.
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