The King – Mit Elvis durch Amerika (2017)

The King – Mit Elvis durch Amerika: Directed by Eugene Jarecki. With Elvis Presley, Eugene Jarecki, James Carville, Mike Tyson. Forty years after the death of Elvis Presley, a musical road trip across America in his 1963 Rolls Royce explores how a country boy lost his authenticity and became a king while his country lost her democracy and became an empire.

“Unorthodox documentary not so much u0026quot;aboutu0026quot; Elvis Presley, but about how Elvis affected –and was affected by — American culture. The gimmick Director Eugene Jarecki employs is that he purchased Elvisu0026#39; actual Rolls Royce, and then films interviews of a wide variety of folks in that vehicle as it travels across the places that Elvis himself stayed at various points in his life, from his hometown in Tupelo Mississippi to Memphis (although, curiously, Graceland is barely mentioned) and places in between. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEven though Jarecki doesnu0026#39;t give us a straightforward biography of Presley, THE KING does a pretty fine job of covering the bases, even if indirectly. The most effective part of the Doc comes early on in a discussion of whether Elvis was a cultural appropriator of black music, culminating in his early crowning as The King Of Rock And Roll. The movie gives a fair-minded balance of pro and con with people like Presleyu0026#39;s guitarist Scotty Moore, Emmylou Harris and John Hiatt on one side and rapper Chuck D on the other (he, of the infamous song lyric: u0026quot;Elvis was a hero to most. But he never meant **** to me you see.u0026quot;). Thereu0026#39;s also a clip of Big Mama Thorntonu0026#39;s blistering original version of u0026quot;Hound Dogu0026quot;. Jarecki then follows Elvisu0026#39; travels to NYC and even bigger fame and riches. Then, itu0026#39;s off to the Army and Presleyu0026#39;s decline into B movies and Vegas schmaltz. The clips of u0026#39;fat Elvisu0026#39; at the end are truly shocking even all these decades later. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhere Jarecki over-reaches is that he isnu0026#39;t satisfied just showing Elvisu0026#39; effect on the public, but then tries to tie it in with todayu0026#39;s culture wars. Shot during the 2016 campaign with such guests as Alec Baldwin, Van Jones and James Carville, Jarecki makes tenuous connections. VERY tenuous connections. No question that Elvis was a seismic force when he hit, but, save for the brief glory period after the u0026#39;68 Comeback Special, Presley can hardly be looked upon as a central artistic force after the very early 60s. While significant figures can certainly have a long influence, the fact that Elvis passed on in 1977 makes it a stretch to say that he is symbol of our Red-Blue state America today. If anything, Elvis is the very definition of u0026#39;Purpleu0026#39; celebrity – equally loved by all demos. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEven with this central flaw, there is no question that THE KING is a dense, engaging Documentary. One canu0026#39;t help but feel that they have gone on some sort of journey itself, much like Elvisu0026#39;s well-traveled Rolls itself.”