Baz Lurhmann’s Elvis has been generally well received by critics and audiences alike. Is the film actually accurate? We’ll look at some of the key differences between the movie and reality.

But, first, we’ll see what came before.

What media has Elvis’ career and life inspired?

Over the years, Elvis’ life and career have spawned many books, including several biographies – some written by people who knew the star personally.

On the other end of the spectrum, thanks to the smash hit Viva Las Vegas, and his stint of having a Vegas residency, the singer has inspired a wide range of casino games. For your own taste of Sin City, you can play real money casino games online, such as slots, blackjack, and poker. These games represent authentic virtual recreations of Vegas classics.

Of course, Elvis’ life and career have been turned into the Baz Luhrmann biopic, Elvis – which has been so well received lead actor Austin Butler took a Golden Globe for Best Actor and infamously accepted it in his ‘Elvis voice’.

“Austin Butler” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity Photographer

In the movie, it is heavily implied that Elvis’ main influences were all Black gospel and rock-and-roll artists. This doesn’t paint the entire picture and doesn’t do justice to Elvis’ foundations.

In reality, as a child, Elvis was inspired a lot by country music. This is later shown in his 1956 recording of the country-and-western classic, Old Shep – a version of which was also recorded by Canadian-American country legend, Nova Scotia-born Hank Snow.

“Elvis Presley” (CC BY 2.0) by BudCat14/Ross

Historical context

Of course, some of the songs in the movie are Elvis’ own. Songs from the younger years were sung by lead Austin Butler, whilst the later tracks saw Butler’s voice merged with Elvis’ own recordings.

The movie soundtrack also features brand new songs, remixed samples of Elvis tracks, or modern covers. This includes music from Doja Cat, Diplo, Eminem, CeeLo Green, Kacey Musgraves, and Stevie Nicks, just to name a few.

As such, the historical context of the film gets skewed slightly. Even more so when considering characters like BB King, with whom Elvis is unlikely to have had a close relationship.

In the movie, Colonel Parker sees Elvis – and follows him – at the Louisiana Hayride, which is depicted as his first time on the show. Parker then realizes he wants to work with Elvis.

The truth is a little less romantic, with less focus on ‘fate’ and ‘destiny’. In reality, though Parker did see Elvis on the Louisiana Hayride, it was not his first time on the show, nor the first time Parker had crossed paths with him.

Overall, it is clear that Baz Lurhmann does take quite a bit of creative licence in how it shows certain characters, events, and historical accuracies throughout Elvis. 

What the movie does is encapsulate the essence and energy of the King of Rock and Roll, and relays it to a modern audience by relating it to things we understand.