Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970, re-released 2020) * * * 1/2

 

Directed by:  Denis Sanders

What struck me most about Elvis: That's the Way It Is was his playfulness while rehearsing or onstage.  He was having a good time, and it reflected in his performance.   Elvis: That's the Way It Is was filmed in August 1970 during a string of Las Vegas concerts.   Filmed over six nights, the concert footage is seamless.   Everything looked and sounded like it came from one show.   He captivated his audience, and women of all ages screamed like they were teenagers again when Elvis takes the stage.  In an extended version of Love Me Tender, Elvis makes his way through the audience kissing adoring female fans, and they are pretty well-behaved considering how apparent their adoration for him is.   If this were the Elvis of the 1950's, he would've needed more bodyguards.

I'm not a fan of concerts, and even less so of concert documentaries.   I can appreciate the performance while still longing for it to be over.   I haven't dissected why this is so.   Like the title of this movie: That's the way it is.   This Elvis documentary is better than most such documentaries because it captures the Elvis experience while he was still ELVIS, and before addictions and weight problems took hold.  He would die seven years after this movie was release, and it is mind-boggling to understand he was only 42 when he passed.   

That's the Way It Is begins with rehearsals one month before he was to storm Vegas.   He has an easygoing relationship with his longtime band.   They enjoy playing for him, and it shows.   Elvis was not above cracking jokes or joshing with his band.   They are not in awe of him, mostly because Elvis behaves like one of the guys when he's present.   When he moves his rehearsals to Vegas, he is in harmony with his backup singers and treats them like family, telling stories and jokes.   I would've liked to have seen some more footage like this, but the movie is eager to get to the main event.  

On the night of the opening concert of his Vegas engagement, Elvis sits with his friends wisecracking and talking about the need for many costume changes if he forgets the words to his songs.   Only one time in the movie is he actually seen referring to an index card to remember lyrics.   When on stage, Elvis goes from one song to another with boundless energy.   He performs his greatest hits and finds refreshing ways to sing an old, familiar song so he and we are not bored by it.   It's all cohesive and structured to maximize Elvis' strengths.   His performance takes on a timeless quality, even though it was filmed fifty years ago.  

Elvis' natural charisma allowed him to connect to his audiences.   It is abundantly evident here.   For a while, we forget about Elvis Presley's sad end and instead are treated to what made his legacy endure to this day and beyond.   At age thirty-five, he had already accomplished so much, and it's all right there onscreen.   It is tragic that the Elvis of this movie didn't last that much longer.