Priscilla and the Plight of Women('s Biopics)

My Priscilla review: The woman's biopic gives us a snapshot into the suffering of famous female figures. But in doing so, does it lock them in a cinematic gilded cage?

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Sources:

Nicholas Barber, “Priscilla review: Sofia Coppola has directed a 'sympathetic tribute' to Elvis's wife” BBC Culture (2023).

Priscilla Beaulieu Presely and Sandra Harmon, Elvis & Me, Blackstone Publishing (1985).

Keaton Bell, “Sofia Coppola Will Now Take You Behind the Scenes of Her Priscilla Presley Biopic” Vogue (2022).

Richard Dyer, “Judy Garland and Gay Men” in Heavenly Bodies: Film Stars and Society, Routledge (1986).

Molly Fischer, “Sympathy for the Schoolgirl”, The New Yorker (2023).

Ben Kenigsberg, “‘Priscilla’ Review: All Shook Up” The New York Times (2023).

Todd Kennedy, “Off with Hollywood’s Head: Sofia Coppola as Feminine Auteur,” Film Criticism, vo.. 35 (1) (2010).

Brian O’Flynn, “'They just wanted to silence her': the dark side of gay stan culture” The Guardian (2018).

Katey Rich, “The Elvis Presley We Didn’t See in Elvis” Vanity Fair (2023).

Jia Tolentino, “Pure Heroines” in Trick Mirror (2019).

[BroeyDeschanel]

sorry for all the mic issues everybody! my b! </3

[hungtotheover]

My mom and I saw Priscilla together because she adores Elvis. I brought up to her that she was a child when they met to my mom and she was so upset that people were taking it so seriously and that’s “just how it was back then.”

Then I brought up the question what would she do if I brought a mid twenties boy home when I was 14/15.

She said she would have shot him.

[BryonyClaire]

One thing I've really noticed in biopics is how a woman's life is defined by her relationships, and a man's by his achievements and rising above struggles (whatever they may be). It's pretty telling of our view on women, same as the iconography of them being when they're frozen in time, young and beautiful, just again reinforcing that's the thing we're interested in

[amberjulia]

What “Marie Antoinette” has that none of these other “sad girl” films do - is that Marie had flaws too…and she made mistakes…and therefore she became a full human being throughout the film. Her naivety and trauma changed her in certain aspects. We were able to both empathize with her AND question some of her behaviors and motives.

That’s what was missing from Priscilla. The film never showed her as anything other than harmless and perfect. There are no layers to her.

[ranniazorya]

This is a really timely and useful critique of how women are investing in grief. What was supposed to be relief has now become the defining characteristic of girlhood: tragedy and misery, which is one of the world’s oldest narrative of femininity. It’s supposed to be wretched.

I really hope your intelligence is seen and acknowledged instead of misunderstood. I can already see defensive responses, instead of people meeting you halfway and acknowledging that we’ve circled right back around.

[manoladelavegamorales]

"An adult life, or a free one, is a life that no longer has meaning - at least to the woman´s biopic" WENT HARDDDD

[trinaq]

It's extremely telling that Elvis is in lot more of Priscilla's biopic than she was in his, demonstrating that she seemed to love him more than he did her.

[trainsurfer]

Wonderful video. One tiny nitpick though - Elvis didn't want to take I Will Always Love You because he didn't think a woman could make a hit. Dolly herself said that although she would have loved for Elvis to record it, she didn't give permission because Colonel Tom Parker insisted that Elvis be given the publishing copyright to the song, and she wasn't about to do that.

[jessmac]

I think there's another layer to this convo in that Sofia Coppola is related to Nick Cage who was married to Lisa Marie for a hot moment. Though they are just cousins, there's a closeness to her family (the Coppolas) to the subject's family (the Presleys) that might've made Sofia hesitate to give Priscilla's life the full scope of unbridled observation. They seem very close (almost like an aunt and niece) in interviews too, which makes me think Sofia was always more in awe of her and wanted to admire her in this film adaptation rather than take steps to explore all of Priscilla's flaws in her life, love, and career from the autobiography and beyond.

[jacpod]

This made me think of one of the few biopics in general I've actually loved, Center Stage by Stanley Kwan. It's about China's most famous silent film star, Ruan Lingyu (played amazingly by Maggie Cheung), and it actually constantly shows her confidence, charm, and special skill as an actress, while also showing the circumstances that tragically led to her suicide at 24. Absolutely amazing film that I strongly recommend

[elleliteracy]

Priscilla isn’t out here in Ireland til January but I love how you hightlight the foregrounding (maybe… even.. fetishisation?) of female suffering in films that claim to capture the “true” woman. much to think about…

[KernelHughes]

Priscilla showcases only a slice of who she was at that time-- which is someone who didn't know who she was yet because she's been defined by the man she's with (for better and for worse) She needed time to figure herself out and escape Elvis' grasp on her identity. The film showcases sadness and isolation, but it doesn't feel like its doing it "just because." Those feelings are what she really felt at that time. The film isnt't meant to be a sprawling biopic of her entire life, it is meant to show the audience the truth of that time in her life.

[Draqua]

There's a fascinating story to be told about someone who never leaves their cage, long after the aviary master has perished, sure would love to see that one day

[vu-trathechildofhorrors]

It’s always a good day when Broey Deschanel uploads

[josiefischer]

I’m so glad someone finally brought up the fullness of the visuals and the fact that we left the movie still not knowing much abt Priscilla herself

[fanfaxforever]

such an eloquent video essay, it always felt wrong to me seeing "sad girls phenomenon" in media was being turned into a way to normalize fracturing already maligned women, instead of shedding light upon the grievances and trauma that held them from reaching their greatest, it was turned into an aesthetic that seemed to occupy their entire life in stories, denying the portrayal of their actual brilliance and vigour is not what these girls deserve.

again Maia; this is a very rich and well researched video essay, looks like ive got enough reading/watching material for this winter and ruminations for times to come.

[evasage]

“once these women leave their gilded cage thier story ends, the filmic reclosure of adulthood”. wow-that really puts it into perspective for me. in my sociology class one of the discussions we had was on pricella and elvis and someone had asked what was pricellas life after elvis. i couldn’t really answer that question and was really disappointed that i couldn’t. it reaffirmed
my desire to see more of pricella after elvis, as she enters a life that’s completely her own, that to me is a story as equally worth telling. i absolutely adore you and the way you masterfully articulate complex topics in an easy and accessible way. i haven’t finished this video yet but i really appreciate the critiques you are giving. the section on transcendence and immanence rlly blew my mind. i have to read the second sex!

[maggyfrog]

probably an unpopular opinion, but it seems to me that the "sad girl" wave of films is an indirect result of framing women in the feminist lens as ultimately under the control of men. if you dare deviate from this narrative, then you're some kind of heretic to the cause and would risk being mislabeled as a traitor to female emancipation. it's like it's inconceivable to certain viewpoints that women from the past actually did have some form of autonomy in their own way and that doesn't contradict their reality of being subjugated in many other ways. the sad girl trope seems to be a by-product of oversimplifying how to "explain" to the viewers that women were "oppressed by the system".

very interesting delve into female icon biopics. sadness shouldn't be the standard poster child for depicting female icons.

[jamesdean]

Elvis didn’t think a woman could make a hit???? Some of his favorite singers were female black blues / R&B artists and gospel singers like Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharp, June Carter, the rest of the Carter sisters, and even Dolly herself. Elvis actually sang “I Will Always Love You” to Priscilla when they got divorced. I don’t know where the idea that Elvis didn’t think women could make hits came from but it certainly was not true.

[lalalizzyy]

I liked how you mentioned in Priscilla and Spencer only depict the women only up until they are free then the film ends. Depicting only their trauma. I think that’s such a shame. I’m looking forward to newer films that break that mold.

With that being said. Every review of Priscilla I’ve seen I feel like I’ve watched a completely different film than anyone else. The film I saw had beautiful visuals yes. Great cinematography sure, but I watched an intense nearly two hours of grooming & cyclical abuse. The film was intense for me. I was horrified by the way he treated her. I was aware that their ages together weren’t appropriate but I really really didn’t seeing them in bed together I believe she was depicted to be 16 or 17 at the time. I thought visually laying them together was grotesque. I didn’t see any redeemable qualities of Elvis at all. He was horrible to her based off of the film. She wanted to have a job and a little bit of freedom and he forbid her. He gave her drugs when she was underaged. He was verbally and physically abusive whenever he felt socially threatened or one up’d. She was pregnant and married to him he was thrilled to show off to his friends he was going to be a dad then he turns around to say he wanted to leave her and take space and he told her “hey things aren’t working out right now” like what the f*ck???¿ Super horrific. I was happy to see her finally leave at the end but I felt bad for her the whole time. I think it’s cool that Priscilla was actually involved. That’s cool and all but it was hard to watch for me. You got all this expensive stuff but this guy doesn’t seem to care about you.. Girl run!!