“Priscilla” unfolds in 1959 in a German diner set within a U.S. army base, with our first introduction to 14-year-old Priscilla portrayed by actress Cailee Spaeny. Priscilla is asked by a close friend of Elvis her thoughts about him and is subsequently invited to his Friday night party. At the party, 24-year-old Elvis, played by Jacob Elordi, meets Priscilla and later asks her father for his blessing, expressing his heavy desire for young Priscilla. This marks the start of their long relationship marred by emotional and physical abuse.
The entire timeline is completely off from Prisclla’s own book, “Elvis and Me”, discussing her and Elvis. The beginning is long drawn out with the end omitting significant details. For example, Lisa Presley (their only child) is in a handful of scenes throughout the movie and plays a minimal role in their divorce, contrary to what might be expected.
Notably, the film deviates from other Elvis movies with the spotlight almost completely on Priscilla, leaving out the star’s songs, concerts and most of his broader fame story. This helped shed light on the entire relationship dynamic and the struggles often hidden by Elvis’s glitz, glamour and public persona.
There were more than six times Elvis got on a bus to go to Nashville, Las Vegas and other places to perform and film, leaving Priscilla behind for weeks at a time. While away, Elvis had affairs with his co-star and appeared in several nationwide magazines depicting the two in a relationship which sparked controversies across America, rightfully troubling Priscilla. When she addressed the issue with Elvis, he said something along the lines of “If you can’t be the woman who understands that this stuff happens sometimes, then this ain’t gonna work”. This was the start of the film’s heavy showcase of toxicity and dismissal in their tumultuous relationship. It almost seemed the entire plot was meant to underscore the emotional and physical abuse in their relationship rather than showing the often-thought, picture-perfect, American star relationship.
One night while both Elvis and Priscilla are home, they appear pillow-fighting in the late hours of the night. It starts as playful hits and turns to Elvis bashing Priscilla out of anger and claiming male dominance. Priscilla rushes off to the bathroom with a black eye, while Elvis trails, begging for forgiveness. This is another one of the many moments where Elvis is seen losing his temper, then immediately apologizing and winning back his influence over Priscilla. The abuse was constant, with more than five examples throughout the film.
Despite this, the film was cinematically captivating and captured the start of their story in a great manner. With an extra 30 minutes, the film could’ve delved deeper into the intricate details of Elvis and Prisiclla’s burning love story.
