The King

The central themes of Eugene Jarecki’s 2017 documentary include; the rise and fall of Elvis Presley, and the rise and fall of America in the 21st century. Explored through the blending of archival footage, the rise and fall of both 'the king of rock ’n’ roll' and the 'superpower nation’, these themes are further affirmed through the documentary’s title, which identifies Presley as ‘the king’ of the nation throughout his career. Transitioning from a young rebellious performer to a commercialized celebrity churning out feature films and making self-parodying jokes of himself in Las Vegas, audiences are able to document his decline before reflecting on the potential fate of their own nation. Warning America of the dangers of obsession with financial gain and excess, the rise and fall of both Presley and the nation is linked to the theme of race. Jarecki explores this theme visually, through archival footage of Chuck Berry, the forgotten pioneer of Rock ’n’ Roll audibly, through the overlay of Public Enemy’s ‘Fight the Power’ which states, “Elvis was a hero to most / But he never meant shit to me you see / Straight up racist that sucker was” within the documentary, and literally through discussion with influential African American musicians and school students.