Newly out by Netflix, Elvis: The King’s Legacy is one documentary that fans of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll have been waiting for since the day of its announcement- one that cuts into the life, music, and lasting influence left on the world by Elvis Presley. The film harnesses exclusive interviews featuring rock god Bruce Springsteen and Elvis’s former wife Priscilla Presley to give both new and long-time fans a fresh look at the man who changed rock and roll.
This book, Elvis: The King’s Legacy, covers the tremendous career of Elvis from his outstanding work at Sun Records in Memphis to the mountaintop peak of superstardom and, finally, to the life he left behind as the lifelong legacy for American culture. Directed by Oscar-winner-them filmmaker Thom Zimny, best known for Springsteen on Broadway and The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash, the documentary gives a biographical view of the man but comes across with all of the trials and triumphs of Elvis’s personal life, vision and struggles with the pressures of the limelight.
In the electric interview with one of Elvis’s most famous fans and musical heirs, Bruce Springsteen, these reflections about the influence the artist has on him are discussed. Springsteen talks of how the music of Elvis helped shape the rock genre and inspired him as a musician. “Elvis was the first real rock star, and he paved the way for everyone who came after him, including me,” says Springsteen in the film. He goes on to remark on the emotional burden Presley’s music boasted incredibly for his career and appreciates that Presley kept himself humble beneath that intense fame.
Priscilla Presley shares another up-close insight into her life with Elvis, recounting behind-the-scenes episodes involving the man behind the icon. When recalling her relationship and personality when away from the stage, Priscilla focuses on the misunderstandings surrounding Elvis. “He was humane and very considerate, and that is something people need to understand. He was not only a superstar, but a human being,” she shares in one of the film’s most poignant moments. She also details how Elvis had his share of threats from fame pressures, where it affected their lives.
The whole panoply of archival footage, musical performances, and honest moments reign in the telling of Elvis’s artistic growth. Fans will relish the revisit of some of the most iconic performances by Elvis, while historians and new observers will appreciate the minute look at his influence on American music, culture, and style.
Elvis: The King’s Legacy now playing on Netflix is the movie that really provides one with an extremely fitting and gut-wrenching tribute to the man who defined rock and roll, and left, forever, his signature across popular culture.
