Elvis: That's the Way It Is

Annotation for KRRR! 2016 by Martin Kos

The documentary Elvis: That's the Way It Is captures the preparations of the "King of Rock'n Roll" for a series of concerts in Las Vegas during August 1970 and the atmosphere during the concerts themselves. Although the entire film is devoted exclusively to a few days of rehearsals in the studio and then his performances to completely sold-out halls, the focus on this period only serves as a synecdoche of the entire Elvis cult at the time when he returned to the stage after his work in the film industry. Director Denis Sanders avoids directly confronting the famous musician or his collaborators with the camera and relies on other means. Presley's charisma comes to the fore in the backstage sequences in the studio just from the simple observation of how he behaves during rehearsals with musicians and other collaborators in the studio and outside. In the concert part, it is the enthusiasm of the audience, whose reactions we are practically constantly confronted with, that even after decades conveys the power and magic of Elvis' personality at that time.

In addition to the filmmaking procedures themselves, what is remarkable about the entire project are the methods of further handling the film material - both in terms of copies and the film's construction. Although the original version of the documentary ran in American cinemas from November 1970 on a regular 35mm copy, in May of the following year the film was enlarged to 70mm in Denmark. In 2001, the documentary was re-released, and its edited version recorded a number of significant changes compared to the 1970 version. Not only was its footage shortened, but the emphasis on individual layers of the film also changed. A significant part of the documentary sequences surrounding the preparations for the show were removed in favor of more frequent use of music.

In Krnov, we will be able to enjoy the legendary "King" in its original cut and in 70mm format.