“The King” explores Elvis Presley as a symbol of America. (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

“The King” explores Elvis Presley as a symbol of America. (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

‘The King’ tries to tie Elvis’ decline to America’s

The documentary strives, not very successfully, to connect the music icon to Trump’s America.

Almost 20 years ago, I took off to Memphis by myself and stayed in a motel with a small, guitar-shaped swimming pool. It was across Highway 51 from Graceland.

The first thing I did was take the tour at Elvis Presley’s mansion. It seemed natural at the time, but in recent years I have wondered: Why did I want to see Graceland?

I like Elvis, and I like Americana, and Graceland’s blend of excess and tragedy and kitsch was right up my alley. People of every variety, from all over the world, were on the tour. But really: Why were we there? Surely it’s partly because the life of Elvis — an age-old story of innocence, success, decline and exaltation — resonates in ways that go beyond his music, enough that we all performed a pilgrimage to this secular shrine. But that still doesn’t quite explain it.

The documentary filmmaker Eugene Jarecki (“Why We Fight”) explores the Elvis mythology in “The King,” but he’s not so interested in the why. Jarecki’s after the big picture, and that’s part of the problem.

If you’re a newcomer to the Church of Elvis, you’ll find here the barest outline of the man’s life: humble childhood, sudden rock ‘n’ roll notoriety, the Army interlude, bad movies, the 1968 comeback, Las Vegas, the painful pill-popping end.

Jarecki has Presley’s 1963 Rolls-Royce, and drives from Tupelo to Memphis to Hollywood to Vegas, using the car as a traveling studio for interviews. There are some charming moments, especially when musicians climb aboard and play — although John Hiatt’s first reaction upon sitting in the back seat is to burst into tears, imagining how trapped Elvis must’ve felt within the Rolls-Royce of celebrity.

Music stays in the movie’s backseat. Jarecki’s real target is what Elvis’s story says about America.

When the Rolls breaks down on the highway, he wants us to understand that America is breaking down, too. Footage of a puffy, drug-addled Elvis parallels the decline of the nation.

There may be good material here, but the director’s approach is too easy. When Jarecki cuts together a live performance of “Unchained Melody” with a montage of the great events of the last 40 years, the gut-punch is undeniable … but it feels like a shortcut.

Jarecki enlists a series of bafflingly random talking heads to weigh in. The reliably thoughtful rock critic Greil Marcus contributes an amazing, if slightly nutty, comparison of Elvis and Captain Ahab, and Ethan Hawke is all enthusiasm when he visits Sun Studios in Memphis.

David Simon, the creator of “The Wire,” contributes a simple but insightful criticism: Why, he asks Jarecki, are they tooling around in a Rolls, instead of one of Elvis’s Cadillacs, a more modestly budgeted car made in America? Much less persuasive are the likes of Dan Rather, Mike Myers (representing “the Canadian immigrant perspective,” as though acknowledging the absurdity of his presence here) and Ashton Kutcher.

Alec Baldwin is on hand to connect Elvis to Trump’s America, and this, finally, seems to be Jarecki’s real subject, although dragging the King’s ill-used carcass into the current debate doesn’t illuminate much of anything. Heed the holy word of Elvis: A little less conversation, a little more action.

“The King” (2 stars)

A documentary that tries to tie the life of Elvis Presley (superficially recounted) to a perceived decline in America itself. It’s a bit of a stretch, although some of the musicians provide charming moments as they ride around in Elvis’s 1963 Rolls-Royce. The talking heads include Alec Baldwin, Ethan Hawke and Dan Rather.

Rating: R, for language

Opening Friday: SIFF Cinema Uptown

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Photo courtesy of Graphite Arts Center
Amelia DiGiano’s photography is part of the “Seeing Our Planet” exhibit, which opens Friday and runs through Aug. 9 at the Graphite Arts Center in Edmonds.
A&E Calendar for July 10

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

Snohomish County Dahlia Society members Doug Symonds and Alysia Obina on Monday, March 3, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
How to grow for show: 10 tips for prize-winning dahlias

Snohomish County Dahlia Society members share how they tend to their gardens for the best blooms.

What’s Up columnist Andrea Brown with a selection of black and white glossy promotional photos on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Free celeb photos! Dig into The Herald’s Hollywood time capsule

John Wayne, Travolta, Golden Girls and hundreds more B&W glossies are up for grabs at August pop-up.

The 2025 Audi A3 premium compact sedan (Provided by Audi).
2025 Audi A3 upgradesdesign and performance

The premium compact sedan looks sportier, acts that way, too.

Edmonds announces summer concert lineup

The Edmonds Arts Commission is hosting 20 shows from July 8 to Aug. 24, featuring a range of music styles from across the Puget Sound region.

Big Bend Photo Provided By Ford Media
2025 Ford Bronco Sport Big Bend Increases Off-Road Capability

Mountain Loop Highway Was No Match For Bronco

Cascadia College Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Midori Sakura looks in the surrounding trees for wildlife at the North Creek Wetlands on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Cascadia College ecology students teach about the importance of wetlands

To wrap up the term, students took family and friends on a guided tour of the North Creek wetlands.

Mustang Convertible Photo Provided By Ford Media Center
Ford’s 2024 Ford Mustang Convertible Revives The Past

Iconic Sports Car Re-Introduced To Wow Masses

Kim Crane talks about a handful of origami items on display inside her showroom on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Crease is the word: Origami fans flock to online paper store

Kim’s Crane in Snohomish has been supplying paper crafters with paper, books and kits since 1995.

The 2025 Nissan Murano midsize SUV has two rows of seats and a five-passenger capacity. (Photo provided by Nissan)
2025 Nissan Murano is a whole new machine

A total redesign introduces the fourth generation of this elegant midsize SUV.

A woman flips through a book at the Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Pop some tags at Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley

$20 buys an outfit, a unicycle — or a little Macklemore magic. Sales support the food bank.

Kathy Johnson walks over a tree that has been unsuccessfully chainsawed along a CERCLA road n the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest on Thursday, July 10, 2025 in Granite Falls, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
How Roadless Rule repeal could affect forests like Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie

The Trump administration plans to roll back a 2001 rule protecting over 58 million acres of national forest, including areas in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie area.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.