Movie Journal | Reclaiming Power After Orbiting His World

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I finished Priscilla, directed by Sofia Coppola (she's one of my favorite filmmakers), and I'm still sitting with the weight of it. The film showed us a glimpse into Priscilla and Elvis's marriage, but what it really reveals is the hollow core behind the most prestigious and controversial marriage. 

At first, I wondered if what they had was just limerence, you know, just a fleeting teenage obsession. But in interviews and memoirs, both claimed they were in love. And yet Priscilla herself says in the film, "we were living separate lives." I neither see nor felt romance in the movie, I get it-- maybe it was the way how the story was portrayed  and all. But all I see is a little girl obsessed with an older man, a rockstar to be exact. I saw an emotionally abusive and  controlling man, and a loveless marriage. 

Don't get me wrong, sometimes love can really consume us if we let it. Unfortunately, for this girl, she lets it. Leaving everything behind in Germany to live with Elvis in Graceland. As what I've expected, she's got no life. 

There are certain scenes that stuck to me while I'm writing this blog:

1. The threat to send her home. In the movie, Elvis throws Priscilla’s luggage and clothes onto the floor, yelling that she’ll be booked a ticket back if she doesn’t obey. Well, for context, Priscilla saw a card in one of his jacket or shirt and confronted Elvis about it. He returned it with aggression instead of being honest. I don't see passion, I see abuse and intimidation. Yet our girl, Priscilla, refuses to leave. (hays)

2. The dinner scene. Elvis was away for a  shoot and when he got back, they had dinner with the people closest to Elvis. In the movie, it was shown how isolation can make you feel lonely despite being with the one you think is the love of your life. It looked like she was a shadow behind Elvis's glitter and glamour. 

3. The chair thrown during recordings. A violent power play disguised as intensity. The “love of her life” asserting dominance through fear, not tenderness.

and lastly...

4. Asking her to leave because he's got issues while she's very pregnant. It was absurd of him to call her and tell her she needs to leave and that  they need time apart because he's got issues... Maybe it was the drugs? the affairs he's been having while on shoot? I don't know and I don't want to know. Our girl, handled the situation calmly and responded with, "Just tell me when to leave". That made me smile -- shame on you Elvis! Priscilla ignored him and as she was leaving, he then yelled, "Cilla, don't leave!". Another power play, another cycle of control.



Coppola strips away the glitter of fame and leaves us with something raw: silence, unease, and flashes of violence. What stayed with me most was how Priscilla is shown—not as a partner living her own life, but as someone waiting, watching, absorbing both emotional and physical blows. She isn’t truly living; she’s surviving within his shadow.

But the film isn’t only about her pain. It’s also about her quiet reclamation. That final shot of her driving away may be understated, but it carries the weight of liberation. After years of revolving around Elvis’s gravity, she finally breaks free.

Watching Priscilla reminded me that love without respect isn’t love at all, it’s control. Coppola refuses to romanticize the rockstar myth. Instead, she dismantles it, handing us Priscilla’s truth: a story of endurance, silence, and ultimately, self-liberation.


Overall, it was a great watch and I am rating it with 4.3 stars. 


Love, 

E.


Photo source: Pinterest 


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