Sofia Coppola Discusses "Priscilla"

Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla (2023) is deceptively soft to the touch. In adapting Priscilla Presley’s 1985 Elvis and Me memoir, the filmmaker brings an astonishing life story to the big screen, but also all of the beautiful, enviable objects that line the cage of celebrity. From luxurious Cadillacs to a lush array of sparkly designer dresses, accessorized with equally shiny handguns, these markers of luxury hum with palpable allure. At the same time, a sense of foreboding looms large. The opening shot lingers on the perfectly manicured feet of Cailee Spaeny’s Priscilla as they gingerly step across a shaggy, coral-pink rug. The seductive, tactile tableau conjures pleasure and comfort, yet it also foreshadows how Priscilla will sink further and further into a gilded sepulcher throughout her turbulent relationship with Elvis, embodied here by Jacob Elordi.