Elvis – That’s the Way It Is

Summer 1970: The King of Rock “n” Roll stops off in Las Vegas – shortly after his comeback, at a point where show, body and myth strike a fragile yet electrifying balance. Elvis appears as a confident entertainer and at the same time as a man driven by his own perfection: focused, playful, drenched in sweat. Between ‘Suspicious Minds,’ ‘All Shook Up’ and routine announcements, the spectacle of an era unfolds in which pop, glamour and even concepts of masculinity are being renegotiated. Hits and hip swings send the audience – including Cary Grant and Sammy Davis Jr. – into ecstasy. The document of a monument, a living force that both dominates and needs its audience, and comes impressively close to it.
(Florian Widegger)