This Is Elvis

This Is Elvis (1981)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Malcolm Leo and Andrew Solt co-directed this very interesting and entertaining mix of a documentary and played out drama. What we basically have is a look at the life of Elvis Presley with the film starting and ending on his death. Throughout the documentary we get countless clips from television shows, movies and concerts while at the same time seeing various stages of his life where he's being played by actors.

THIS IS ELVIS was released a few years after the death of Elvis and I'm sure at the time it was a refreshing reminder of the talent that was cut short. When viewing the film today one must really be impressed with the footage that the directors threw in here as well as how they ended up showing the life and death of this icon. The documentary works wonderfully well because you really do get to see the rise of Elvis through his clips, the controversy he faced and how he eventually became the King of Rock and Roll.

For me the greatest thing about this was the collection of musical performances. We see his earliest performances on television as well as some clips from his comeback special and of course footage from one of the last concerts he did. All of this footage is evidence that no matter what era Elvis was in, his look might be different but that brilliant voice is still right there and as powerful as ever.

The "acting" scenes are also quite good and especially one at the start of the picture when the Colonel is made aware that Elvis has died. I was actually pretty shocked at how well these scenes played out as they're both entertaining and work well as drama. THIS IS ELVIS is a film that fans often call one of the best documentaries on the man.

"This is Elvis" is one of the oddest "documentaries" I've ever seen. Using extensive archival footage, mixed with recreations shot to look like archival footage, the film looks at the rise of fall of Elvis.

The problem is that the recreation footage comes off as bad TV movie of the week, standing in stark contrast to the original, compelling material presented in the piece.

The success of "This is Elvis" was the impetus behind the current style of historical documentaries that attempt to recreate drama where no original footage exists to illustrate it. In that sense, "This is Elvis" looks a bit embarrassing at times, since it doesn't have the slickness of more contemporary "docu-drama-documentaries" in the genre.

What I'm waiting for is an Elvis documentary done with the taste and skillfullness of the "Beatles: Anthology" mini-series aired on ABC.

Malcolm Leo and Andrew Solt: enough said. These guys do deep research and do everything first class. This will be one of the best documentaries of an entertainer ever put on film. Elvis Presley meant so many different things to so many different people. He effected society, hair and clothing styles like no one before him. He changed the music world with the power of an Atomic Bomb. He has sold over one billion records and was the first visual founding father of the phenomenon that became rock 'n' roll. His influence will live for decades to come. This is a personal look as well as a tribute to the world's most loved entertainer.

I have the expanded 144 minute version of THIS IS ELVIS and watch it at least once a year. The soundtrack is like a history and not a greatest hits project. Even the non Elvis fan will be impressed with this entertaining look at musical history.

This is an excellent biography about the life of Elvis Presley on the heels of his death. Ral Donner, an Elvis clone, does his voice. It is as if Elvis speaks to us from beyond the grave. A young actor plays Elvis in scenes from his early life. Leo and Solt managed to tap Elvis' private film archives. Young Priscilla is shown at Elvis' birthday party in Germany. Of course, there is the condescending Ed Sullivan assuring us that Elvis is "a fine boy, thoroughly alright." Roger Ebert's review implied that Elvis was an alcoholic. Nothing could be farther from the truth. He did not drink. There is a marked contrast between Elvis in his 20s and Elvis in his 40s, but I sense in some a grim exultation regarding the fall of Elvis Presley. The soundtrack contains Always On My Mind. Elvis' version is far superior to Willie Nelson's.

I remember when this film first appeared on HBO in the early eighties. I was never a huge Elvis fan, but found myself watching this film every time it came on. It is a fascinating portrait of a man thrust into overwhelming fame and fabulous wealth and how it eventually destroys him. The "recreations" are very well done and the film as a whole is very balanced in it's view of Elvis' life. It neither canonizes nor trashes him, but shows him as an ordinary guy dealing with extraordinary fame. The longer version now available on video is nice, but I miss the late concert performance where Elvis, sick, overweight, and bathed in sweat, forgets the lyrics of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and nervously "wings it". Maybe that was too much truth, even for this documentary.