A One Mann’s Movies review of “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert”. (2026, 4.5*, 12A).
With “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert”, Baz Luhrmann provides previously unseen footage of Elvis in his concerts in the early 1970s.
Trying to reconcile your views on Elvis Presley based on movie characterisations is a bit tricky.
Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic “Elvis” painted him (as Austin Butler) as a talented character who was poorly directed by his manipulative manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). He came out with reasonably positive PR from that film. But in Sofia Coppola’s 2024 film “Priscilla“, he was painted as the villain of the piece in terms of his underage grooming of the 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu and his treatment of her in his subsequent marriage. So here, Luhrmann provides us with a more unfiltered view of the star, using genuine footage and his own words.
Summary: it’s a brilliant experience and a really insightful view of a star at the peak of his talent.
One Mann’s Movies Rating:
Plot:
After 10 minutes of preliminary documentary footage of Elvis’s early career, we primarily see Elvis in concerts (mainly those from his residency in Las Vegas) between 1970 and 1972.
Certification:
UK: 12A; US: PG-13. (From the BBFC website: “Moderate bad language, sex references, drug references”.)
Talent:
Starring: Elvis Presley!
Directed by: Baz Luhrmann.
Running Time: 1h 30m.
Summary:
Positives:
- Footage that gives a real insight into his manner and his talent.
- An uplifting snapshot of an artist in his prime.
- Interesting glimpses into the social science of the American ‘Beatlemania’.
Negatives:
- Just occasional lip-synch issues with the sound and the video.
Full Review:
A discovery worthy of its own documentary
The story behind the making of this film is almost as fascinating as the film itself. Most of the concert footage used in the film was originally shot for the 1970s documentaries “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is” and “Elvis on Tour“, but it was effectively ‘lost’ in MGM storage in a Kansas salt mine. Luhrman while making “Elvis” heard that there might be “a reel” of unseen Elvis footage in this storage, but when he looked he found 65 reels, comprising 35mm, 16mm and 8mm footage.
The footage was was in “terrible condition”, requiring two years of painstaking restoration, helped by Peter Jackson’s team (who of course did a similar job with his “Beatles: Get Back” documentary). Most of the video found was silent, or with audio terribly degraded, so the audio was found from other sources, with some orchestral re-recording, and re-synched to the footage.
Also discovered was an audio tape of Elvis giving a 40 minute unguarded interview, and these voiceovers make up some of the film: Elvis telling his own story in his own words.
Given all of this, it’s astonishing how good the film looks and sounds. It’s even available in IMAX!
A really nice guy.
The thing that really comes across from the film is just what a nice guy Elvis appears to be:
- He seems to have little ego in front of his crew;
- He seems to genuinely enjoy performing live (at least, at this period at the start of his looong residency!);
- He seems to revel in developing the concert arrangements with his band, accepting suggestions graciously;
- He seems to have a great sense of humour;
- He seems to love his fans and the adoration they give him.
And, of course, he has a phenomenal voice! This really comes to the fore for me when he is performing some of his more gospel-inspired numbers on stage: simply electrifying.
Fascinating snapshot of the 70’s.
The film obviously features the fashions and hairstyles of the early 70’s. As interesting as the concert footage of Elvis is, the times when the camera pans into the audience are just as fascinating. In one of the first shows, Cary Grant and Sammy Davis Jnr are in the audience.
The film also ably demonstrates the fanaticism that over in the UK was known as Beatlemania. Teenage girls are shown to be almost orgasmic in their enthusiasm as they touch him and, in many cases, kiss him. And it’s often not just a peck on the cheek but a full-blown snog that they get! In one interesting exchange, Elvis leans forwards from the stage to a female admirer and clearly asks (paraphrasing) “do you want a cheek-peck or more”…. and she definitely picks the latter option!
Brilliant editing.
A technical star of the film is Jonathan Redmond, the editor who had to piece all of this together. There is a bravura-example of his craft early in the film where dozens of still photographs of Elvis are animated on top of each other, perfectly aligning the star’s face on each picture. But it is the concert footage where the skill really comes in, with Elvis performing the same song over different concerts, but seamlessly weaved together into a unifying experience.
The fact that the audio for the shows was non-existent from the footage, makes what has been created all the more extraordinary. And they did an AMAZING job. But if I’m being picky, there were just one or two little points at which the audio didn’t *quite* perfectly align with the lips. Part of the song “In the Ghetto” was a case in point I noticed.
Uplifting but also saddening.
In my recent review of “A Knight’s Tale“, I commented on how sad it was that just 7 years after this film, featuring a young and vibrant Heath Ledger, the star was dead. In a similar vein, even though you recognise that these uplifting concerts were a great time in Elvis’s life, you remind yourself that within a similar timeframe this star would also be dead.
What makes it equally depressing is the knowledge that perhaps that early death could have been prevented too. As a caption points out, during the period 1970 to 1977 (the year of his death) Elvis performed some 1100 concerts, sometimes at three-per-day. This was again, presumably, under the auspices of Colonel Tom Parker and the deals that he struck and forced the star to abide by.
In his audio interview, Elvis bemoans that fact that all of his Hollywood films were pappy, cookie-cutter trash and he yearned to get his teeth into a more dramatic role in a meatier film. He also declares how he would love to travel to Europe and Japan to perform. But, again, sadly he never did. You have to wonder whether, with a greater variety of experiences like this, he might have been knocked out of the rut of prescription drugs and over-eating that wrecked his health and led to his premature death. Luhrmann’s film deftly drops in a clip of “You’re the devil in disguise” over footage of Parker… and you have to agree.
Summary Thoughts:
A brilliant technical achievement from Baz Luhrmann and Peter Jackson and a wonderful glimpse into the character and charisma of a music legend. Very much recommended and go and see it on the biggest screen you can.
Where to watch?
Trailer:
The trailer for the film is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s_dCvUgOBI.
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