How Sophia Coppola’s Priscilla Attempts to Capture the Black, White, and Gray of the King
People contain multitudes. And though we all seem to love an anti-hero, we still label people as good or bad, nice or mean, safe or dangerous. “Or” is a dangerous conjunction. It forces a mutual exclusion wherein if a person can be identified as one trait, it erases the possibility of the other. But we all exist and thrive in opposites. When we ignore this truth, we argue in circles, trying to define people. “What do you mean he assaulted you? He’s so nice?” Yes. Sometimes, we try to demonize people and say that because they exhibit dangerous behavior, it nullifies their goodness. I won’t argue that violent action shouldn’t warp one’s view of a person. But I believe that it’s the nullification of any goodness that makes it nearly impossible for people to see their loved ones’ capability of committing acts of violence. In her portrayal of Elvis Presley, Sofia Coppola begins to explore the capabilities of the “and.”
Coppola, in collaboration with actor Jacob Elordi, crafted an Elvis that was just as much of a loving and charming icon as he was a domineering, violent pedophile. AND. It would’ve been very easy in 2023 to make a film that portrayed Elvis as a scheming, manipulative monster, but that isn’t the truth. The truth is scarier. Like so many people, Elvis is simultaneously genuinely loving and manipulative. And the existence of one does not disqualify the existence of the other. The complex existence of humanity is capable of greatness and evil.
What does this mean for writing characters going forward? The greatest villains of all time are endearing, but they’re endearing despite their wickedness. While delicious to portray, these characters do not illuminate the evils that dominate our world. What does it mean for a villain to be equally as loving to their partner as they are wicked to their victims? And what does that teach us about our capabilities?
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