Elvis Presley, The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll or simply The King, is one of the greatest musicians of all time, whose influence can still be felt to this day. The way he sang, danced, and made the ladies in the audience swoon made him the legend he is even today. He unfortunately passed away in 1977 at the young age of 42, and his story has been told many times in various media. Now, Australian director Baz Luhrmann creates a new documentary film using only archive footage, focusing on the peak of Elvis’ career with the man himself telling his side of the story. EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is now ready to rock cinemas worldwide.

Director Baz Luhrmann is no stranger to Elvis’ story, having also written, produced, and directed the 2022 biopic, Elvis, and even voiced a character in the Netflix animated series, Agent Elvis. Even though Elvis lived only 42 years, he lived quite a life, filled with highs and lows beyond his music. The main focus of EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is to show the legendary musician at the height of his career and why his fans would lose their minds over even his most subtle movements on stage.

The film features only archive footage from rehearsals, interviews, home videos, movies he starred in, and, of course, his concerts, with never-before-seen material. The film takes a deep dive into what made his shows the spectacles they were, and hearing it all from the man himself adds the extra authenticity fans will appreciate. Even those unfamiliar with the legend will see what made him so special beyond the elaborate shows and the outlandish outfits he wore.

Elvis explains many things, including his iconic dance moves that made the ladies go crazy, his singing style, creating music with his band, his appreciation for his fans, his passion for performing, and his desire to tour the world. The film shows that Elvis was more than what people saw on stage, and that he was making out with all the ladies in the front row. It shows that he put his heart and soul into everything he did, was always grateful to the people he worked with and treated them like his friends more than work associates. Even after the show is over and the curtain drops, he’s shown to be exhausted backstage but has the biggest smile on his face, showing how much he absolutely loved performing for his fans.

Many of Elvis’ biggest hits can be heard and performed, such as “Burning Love”, “Suspicious Minds”, “Little Sister” and ”Get Back”. Some of the songs even mix rehearsal footage, then transition smoothly into the live performance mid-song, and sometimes go back and forth between the two. This shows the process of some of the songs as Elvis and band members figure out the best lyrics, the excitement, confidence, and morale building as they find the right words, and finally the audience’s reception, especially the ladies, as he and the band perform them for the first time. Even though he was most popular with the female demographic and never missed an opportunity to kiss multiple women, he also made sure to show his appreciation for his male fans and younger audiences, too.

Seeing him on stage doing what he did best by performing full songs while shaking his hips will bring back fond memories for longtime fans and help those less familiar with the legend see why he was so famous back in the day. Seeing the evolution from his earlier performances to the ones before his death shows him moving from simple clothes and smaller bands to more elaborate outfits with big upright collars covered in jewels, platform boots, signature dance moves, and that iconic hairdo and sideburns. The music industry has changed tremendously in the decades since, but Elvis’ influence can still be felt to this day, and being able to see some of his full performances, not just short clips, will indeed be a trip down memory lane.

The archive footage features his live performances, rehearsals, recording sessions, interviews, news clips, movies he starred in, and even some home videos of his personal life. Before making this film, director Baz Luhrmann dug deep into the archives to find never-before-seen footage of the legendary performer, which is seen for the very first time in this movie. The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was known for his genuine love for performing, and all the footage featured, seen and unseen, further proves that undying passion he had.

The footage may be old and not of the quality we have today, but seeing them in their original form adds to the nostalgia, even if some have had a slight digital uplift. Interestingly, many of his performances were shot in widescreen, making them perfect for the cinema and showing the entire stage, with the entire band performing behind Elvis.

Some footage was zoomed in to make it widescreen, but without sacrificing anything important, while other footage was left in its original 4:3 format. No special effects or AI were used in this film; the footage you see is as raw and authentic as it gets.

The primary focus of EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is, as the title indicates, to show the man in concert and how his mere presence commanded the stage. This isn’t a film about his life story, so there isn’t much about his personal life, such as his marriage to Priscilla and their daughter Lisa, his military service, his weight gain, his death, or the manager he had who controlled his career and held him back from certain opportunities. Anyone hoping to see any of that won’t find it in this film, but there are plenty of other documentaries that go into more detail. Instead, the film shines a spotlight on the height of the man’s illustrious career, putting it front and centre.

Elvis was best known for his music and elaborate performances, but he did a lot more good things outside of it. He was also widely recognised for his immense generosity, philanthropy, and commitment to helping those in need, frequently using his wealth to support various causes and individuals without seeking public recognition. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t show that side of him, which would’ve been nice to see, and many likely aren’t aware he did any of that. What the film does show, however, should be more than enough to get even younger audiences interested in learning more about the legend.

Even with all the low points in his life, none of that should ever take away from what he did best and the legend he created. He may be long gone, but his legend lives on. The music industry may be different now, but his influence can still be felt today. This film is an absolute treat for anyone who has the pleasure of seeing it in a cinema to witness the big, elaborate performances and hear the man speak for himself. EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert will get your hips shaking and is a pure celebration of The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll!

Written by: Sammy Hanson