The King in Motion
Baz Luhrmann’s new concert film EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert zeroes in on a version of Elvis that often gets lost beneath the myth: the artist burning with musical ambition. One of the most striking scenes shows him backstage in Las Vegas in 1969, rehearsing in oversized purple sunglasses, joking with musicians and brimming with restless energy. It’s a vivid counterpoint to the caricature of a fading Vegas act. Here, he’s hungry, sharp and fully alive.
The film draws from 59 hours of previously unseen footage discovered during work on Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic. The reels, restored by Peter Jackson’s team, capture Elvis at 34, newly freed from Hollywood movie contracts and returning to live performance. There are no talking heads or modern commentary. The only narration comes from Elvis himself, via archival rehearsal audio, reflecting candidly on fame, frustration and his complicated public image.
Image vs. Artist
For decades, Elvis Presley has been a cultural Rorschach test. In the 1950s, he was denounced as a corrupting force. In the 1970s, he was mocked as a jumpsuited relic. Later, he became shorthand for American excess and decline. The mythology often overshadowed the music.
EPiC sidesteps the tabloid obsessions—drug use, decline, personal scandal—and centers instead on the performances. The film captures explosive renditions of “Suspicious Minds,” “Burning Love,” and a swaggering medley of “Little Sister” and “Get Back.” There are moments of humor and intimacy too, as Elvis banters with the audience and leans into the hysteria with theatrical ease.
The 1969 comeback shows an artist reconnecting with the stage after years in formulaic films. “I missed the closeness of a live audience,” he says in one audio clip. That hunger is palpable as he moves between gospel, soul, rock and country, collapsing genre boundaries in ways that once scandalized America.
The Ever-Evolving Icon
Elvis’ afterlife has been as dynamic as his career. Over the past decade, documentaries, biopics and memoirs have reexamined his legacy, reflecting renewed fascination with the Presley story. Critics who once predicted cultural fatigue now acknowledge that his image continues to mutate with each new interpretation.
What EPiC underscores is that the music remains the most elusive and compelling part of that story. From the revolutionary pairing of blues and bluegrass on his first Sun Records single to the soul-infused intensity of From Elvis in Memphis, Presley’s catalog defies simple narratives.
The film closes by noting that Elvis performed more than 1,100 concerts between 1969 and 1977, sometimes three shows a day. It’s a reminder of the sheer scale of his return to the stage—and of the alternate futures that might have been, had circumstances allowed broader tours and artistic risks.
A Timely Reassessment
Nearly half a century after his death, Elvis Presley remains a figure who provokes debate. That volatility may be central to his endurance. The film doesn’t attempt to settle old arguments; instead, it invites viewers to confront the performances themselves.
In doing so, EPiC reframes Elvis not merely as an icon or symbol, but as a restless musician whose creative force still feels immediate. The legend persists, but the music—raw, playful, and defiant—anchors the story in something harder to mythologize.
