Sofia Coppola’s 2023 film ‘Priscilla’ movingly depicts the polarity of life alongside a partner all-consumed by the spotlight of fame. Based upon Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir ‘Elvis and Me’, Coppola immerses viewers into a world enraptured by rose-tinted young love, ultimately shattered by abuse and isolation. Starring Cailee Spenny as Priscilla and Jacob Elordi as Elvis, the film follows the couple’s relationship as time passes, despite the disturbing dissonance in their ages.
Opening with intimate shots of the beauty regimes of a normal teenage girl - delicately painted nails, warm-toned lipstick, heavy false eyelashes, and endless dregs of throat-clogging hairspray, we are invited to see life with Elvis from Priscilla’s perspective, for the first time in film.
The age gap between Priscilla and Elvis is undeniably one of the most significant elements of the film in foregrounding the power imbalance of their relationship, reinforced by the age-appropriate styling of Spenny. Priscilla’s evolution as she moves from girlhood to womanhood is mirrored in her alternating makeup, hair, and style. Her appearance subtly transitions throughout the film - whilst Elvis’ demeaning influence turns Priscilla toward jet black hair, dense eye makeup and trendy dresses, by the time she is liberated she has returned to brunette hair, simple makeup, and understated, elegant attire.
The symbolism of the film is skilful and elusive, underpinning the most poignant events of Priscilla’s life with Elvis. One scene captures her applying makeup just after her waters have broken, signifying the ever-wavering expectance and desire to be Elvis’ ideal woman. Even when Priscilla makes her first appearance from the hospital, she emerges swathed in a pink dress, her makeup and hair to perfection as she carries her newborn daughter Lisa. Pinpointed by Elvis’ commanding presence and Priscilla’s loss of agency, Coppola paints a scintillating portrait of dysfunction, defined by the comprehensive human need to love, and to be loved, but being with someone who makes that impossible.
While the film successfully yields Priscilla’s freedom from Elvis’ clutch, it leaves viewers ruminating about the trajectory of her life beyond her relationship and marriage to Elvis. Where the film triumphs in the portrayal of Priscilla’s newfound autonomy, it is lacking in the illustration of her life as Priscilla, rather than Priscilla Presley.
However, Sofia Coppola must be credited for her interpretation of Priscilla’s memoir. The film is cleverly crafted to encapsulate the essence of the 60s and 70s through period-accurate styling and a soundtrack featuring tracks such as ‘You Baby’ by The Ronettes and ‘Forever’ by The Little Dippers, which perfectly encompass the nostalgia the film offers amid the chaos and discomfort of Priscilla and Elvis’ relationship. ‘Priscilla’ offers an insight into the passage of time in a relationship in the limelight, highlighting the necessity of empowerment and personal fulfilment in a world designed around the male gaze.
Through Priscilla’s eyes, audiences are allowed to see the reality of a celebrity who has long been hailed. Viewers come to know Priscilla as a remarkable woman, for the introspection her story proffers, and the strength she had to leave. The final track of the film is particularly striking: ‘I Will Always Love You’ – sung by Dolly Parton. Take that as you will.