Sofia Coppola’s Film On Priscilla: Feminism In The Life Of A Public Figure
While contemporary filmgoers rejoice the powerful glamor of ‘Elvis’ (2022) by Sofia Coppola, the director’s interest in her biographical narrative – ‘Priscilla’ appears focused on life of Priscilla Presley quite differently. Straying from the exuberant depiction of the King of Rock and Roll, her screen version of ‘Elvis and Me’ – Priscilla’s memoir – which she has co-authored with Elvis, reveals none but the dark corners of her experiences with him. This does not honor the star status; rather it is a woman’s struggle to free herself from the bonds of a cultural icon which is more personal and feminist.
From the Teen Years until the Middle Years, Watching Elvis Behind the Scenes
What begins as attraction changes into a campaign to win over Elvis, retells Priscilla. As a teenager who spent her formative years in Europe, she remembers when she first crossed paths with Elvis. The film looks at her love life, the chronological events are secondary to the damage that is being done to the character.
Through that very depiction, within that time frame, the aggressive show of love, Priscilla’s fascination with Elvis – as it was the case in Sofia’s other work, ‘The Virgin Suicides’, a story is told of adolescent experiences meshed with passion. The course of events is such that when love matures into subjugation, the essence of who Priscilla is, her wants, her everyday life is no more than that of her husband’s level of celebrity – and his control.
It is not a story of a female self emancipated and reveling in glory. Instead, the story warns of the dangers of power.
Priscilla, on the other hand, is depicted as one who is a victim of society and her partner’s overwhelming masculinity.
Elvis from a different perspective
Instead of the charismatic performer, Priscilla depicts Elvis as a damaged man, one who is controlling, addicted and distant with those close to him. He is not vilified completely by Coppola; however, the contemporary interpretation of Elvis that they present is outdated.
In doing so, she places the blame on patriarchal systems which make men think that it is acceptable to act this way. Within this context, Elvis is the antihero, and Priscilla is both a victim and an agent in their relationship.
Strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths:
- Cailee Spaeny’s Performance: Artistic Choice: The exceptional artistic range of Caelum Spaeny presents this quintessential character of priscilla as she encompasses Priscilla’s emotional fragility, seductiveness and her subtle annoyance.
- Soundtrack: The film is exceptionally performed in true classic Sofia’s styling with the diverse score of songs used in the film such as songs from The Ronettes and The Ramones but without including songs Marylin Monroe- which is a very interesting point because it showcases how women are portrayed positively.
- Visuals: There are breathtaking scenes in the film thanks to beautiful pastel costumes and carefully selected camera angles that capture mood of Priscilla’s daily life.
Weaknesses:
- Repetitive Narrative: Priscilla does capture her being colonised well, however since she becomes a victim the narrative oversimplifies the role of females which leads the characters to become rather dull and the entire plot rather tedious in some sense.
- Disempowerment: Different from other female leads in Coppola’s work, rivolgersi ad Priscilla’s lacuna may prove a little too demoralizing, and provide the audiences with little or no sense of fulfillment.
Feminist Issues as Central Theme in Coppola’s Films
The films of Coppola chronicle the experience of women in a patriarchal system. This oscillation between the abused surplus of Marie Antoinette(2006) and the subdued discontent of the Lost in Translation (2003) Scarlett Johansson’s head, gives rise to an archetypal supersedes’s who diffuse any inordinate dysphoria but none entirely makes it out.
This thread continues in Priscilla. Though there are criticisms made about the Elvis and the period culture and styling in the film itself,––it is unagentive to regard Priscilla as the active agent. It stresses, quite rightly, the contradictions of her life and undermines the idea that feminist stories need always to be about victory over adversity or injustice.
Conclusion: A Revisionist look at Sopos’s “The Wife of”
Sofia copolla’s Priscilla appeals as an intelligently portrayed and grand in scope visual representation of exploration identity, love and surrender. There is little of the narrative satisfaction this director is well known for but rather this one undermines the character of Priscilla Presley in a new way, displacing her further from Elvis.
If anything, the film asks for no such encouragement but lets the viewers connect with the shoulders of a heart wrenching tale of a woman who has been defined, and sometimes oppressed, by the time and the man she loved.
Priscilla is, for those who want the reconciliation of its austere leitmotifs and feminist qualms, a thoroughly magnificent work of cinema.