
The latest film from American director Sofia Coppola, Priscilla, highlights the rise of Priscilla Presley, wife of the famous Elvis Presley. The film, which hits theaters this Wednesday, January 3, unveils a lesser-known side of this icon, marking her transition from teenager to adult alongside the King.
Meeting Elvis at the age of 14 on a military base in Germany, where her father was stationed, Priscilla Beaulieu sees her life transformed. She joins Elvis in Memphis in 1962, despite her parents’ opposition. Coppola draws inspiration from Priscilla’s autobiography, Elvis and Me, to explore her youth and evolution.
Coppola’s take on this story is unique. She reveals: “I only knew the myth of Elvis and Priscilla, but reading her book, I discovered an unknown Priscilla.” The film explores the theme of the young girl in a gilded cage, a recurring theme in Coppola’s works. Priscilla, presented as a decorated but confined figure, seeks her identity while living in the overwhelming shadow of Elvis.
Coppola does not seek to condemn Elvis, but to present his complex relationship with Priscilla. She acknowledges Elvis’s suffering, while highlighting his difficult temperament. Priscilla is a story of emancipation and self-discovery, illustrating the challenges of a young woman in a unique environment.
With remarkable performances from Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi, Priscilla presents a time when women were more silenced. Despite a somewhat cautious approach, the film offers an ironic glimpse of a bygone era, through the eyes of a woman seeking her place in a male-dominated world.