Elvis as a metaphor. With his phenomenal rise from a modest upbringing to his tragic fall due to excess and greed, the King in Eugene Jarecki‘s documentary is read as an image of a failed America. The American dream is good, the right for anyone to pursue happiness. But the question is: is the dream already over? Is the US today the obese King from the end of his life? Or is there still some hope for the “promised land,“ which was what the film was first called?

The director and his team take a exploratory tour across the US. They follow the traces of the rock legend in an original 1963 rolls royce owned by Elvis and meet Elvis experts like Greil Marcus, stars from the music and film world like Ethan Hawke, Ashton Kutcher, Chuck D, and Emmylou Harris, as well as normal folks who were Elvis‘ neighbors when he was still unknown and just a dreamer. We get to hear some great music not just from the King on the road. Inside the auratic car there‘s a string of intimate scenes, like when EmiSunshine and Band have an intense performance in the cramped space. Classic questions are reformulated as well, like how Elvis‘ appropriation of black music also meant this subculture was listened to more. Tthe guests keep reflecting on the state of the nation on the road trip, but the focus on Elvis is more powerful than the attempted diagnosis of patient USA. It would‘ve been great to have more encounters with contemporary USA along with the fascinating look at the superstar. The metaphoric image outshines what is meant to be understood with his aid: the American Dream has the inherent tendency to disappoint.

Anna Stemmler (INDIEKINO MAGAZIN)

Translation: Elinor Lewy