Tuesday, April 17, 2018

ELVIS PRESLEY: THE SEARCHER (2018) ***


Elvis Presley:  The Searcher was made with the cooperation of Graceland and Priscilla Presley.  It’s a massive, two-part, nearly four-hour documentary on the life and times of The King.  Quite honestly, it could’ve been whittled down to a two-hour running time.  With so many documentaries and specials about Elvis already out there, I’m not sure why we needed another one.  However, there are enough stirring moments (particularly in the second part) to make its existence justified.

The first part (** ½) covers Elvis’ youth, rise to stardom, and entry into the Army.  All this material has been covered countless times before and done much better in a shorter time.  I also could’ve done without all the pointless shots of the interior of Graceland while producers, writers, and other performers talk about Elvis.  The problem is that the pool of interviewees seems a bit small.  While hearing from Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen is cool and all, the stuff from Elvis’ friends and confidants are much more enlightening.  I for one would’ve liked to hear more from Elvis in his own words because when he speaks, whether through candid interviews or in song lyrics, it says more about him than anyone else could say. 

The second half (*** ½) is a big improvement. It covers the time after Elvis’ military service, his string of Hollywood movies, the Comeback Special, and the non-stop touring of his later years.  While I don't agree with the documentary’s consensus that his movies were mostly terrible (even the worst ones are worth watching just because of his singular screen presence), everything about the second half feels tighter and more concise.  Also, we hear a lot more from Elvis in this section, which helps put us squarely in his headspace.  

The most effective moments surround his final days.  When we hear Elvis singing “Hurt” days away from his death during the “Jungle Room Sessions”, it gives us a clearer picture of what he was going through than anything else in the movie can offer.  The moments where we hear him perform “Separate Ways” in the context of his divorce is equally heart-wrenching.  The film also cunningly finds a way to let The King go out on top, ending things with him performing a rousing rendition of “If I Can Dream” from the Comeback Special.

As good as the second half of Elvis Presley:  The Searcher is, it’s far from perfect.  They gloss over his black belt in karate and don’t mention his historic meeting with Richard Nixon at all.  Despite that, there are plenty of good moments here.  I’m sure there was an excellent two-hour documentary lurking about, if only director Thom Zimny had been disciplined enough to pare it down more.  Even in its overlong form, it’s still worth a look for die-hard Elvis fans. 

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