Anybody and everyone is susceptible to the glamor of a rockstar’s lifestyle. It’s only human to wish to live a lavish life of parties and concerts, but what lies under this? It seems all the dazzling light keeps our eyes from what’s important, and we see this in Sofia Coppola’s newest movie, Priscilla, a portrait of innocence lost. Coppola sheds the shiny exterior of the story revealing the behind the scenes of Priscilla Presley and Elvis Presley’s relationship, based on Priscilla’s book, Elvis and Me, with she herself being an executive producer. 

Coppola displays a perspective not yet seen, one of isolation and naivety. Priscilla was 14 when she met the then-24-year-old Elvis, so it’s clear this created an unhealthy dynamic between the two. Coppola’s initial use of scale in casting Cailee Spaeny (5’1”) as Priscilla, and Jacob Elordi (6’5”) as Elvis displays their height difference as almost comical, making it as uncomfortable as it truly is. Spaeny’s height makes Priscilla’s world look so large in comparison to her while she navigates life still limited by her circumstances. 

The movie is hazy, a dream of retro colors and ‘60s love songs, but with dark themes, similar to Priscilla’s experience. Beneath her intricate makeup, we see Elvis dictating how it must be done, with him choosing her clothes and her hair color. She exists as a prisoner of his expectations and a character in his narrative. 

The opening scene painted a picture-perfect existence of manicured nails, sharp eyeliner and the iconic hair. We are introduced to the very idea of Priscilla as she holds a mirror to herself, accompanied by an angelic harp score The storytelling then follows, shattering this perception, leading us to know how suffocating this perfection is.  

This movie allows viewers to dissect their beliefs about whom we idolize, creating a discussion about the painfully long list of famous rock stars with pasts of abuse. We must question what image performers offer to us, as they are, of course, performers.