Why did they make him so effeminate? Especially early on?
My wife is a huge Elvis fan and the one complaint she had with this movie was the feminization of the King. She kept shouting at the screen that she's never seen a picture of Elvis wearing a lace shirt, which happened more than once in this film.
Also, a lot of the early pictures of Elvis were black and white, so it's hard to say for sure, but I don't recall him wearing lipstick like that.
Is this just modernization for the contemporary audience or am I missing something?
There's definitely a lot of artistic license with some choices but overall reflected Elvis's personality. Everyone likes to act like they are all Elvis experts now; especially if they were 'around for that time' and that's great. but this movie is not a solid documentary; it is a film and a film by a very eccentric almost Broadway style theatrical director. What we were given was for a point. To show Elvis's fashion forwardness, To show how his style is still relevant today or how he inspired today's fashions.
The costumes were also used to show Elvis as a stand out or different from everyone else around at that time.
From what I am reading, Elvis loved flashy costumes; even in the 50s. Your wife said she doesn't like the feminization of the King but what about all the pink suits and outfits he wore? Can't get much feminine than that...ESPECIALLY in the 50s. I believe he did also wear lace...maybe not full shirts, but the inspiration is there. I, personally, loved them and thought Austin's Elvis looked really good and sexy in them. That is what the director was trying to give the audience.
He also was known for wearing eye makeup; he loved make up. and since that is what the actors in films used, he wanted to be like them and so did it. Some of the make up choices, specifically lips, could have been exaggerated for the film as a choice, it could also just be the result of lighting. I've seen this in movies other than Elvis.
I am sure there are interviews out there from the costumer about their choices. I, personally, think they did their job right. You're wife is upset he looks like a girl...well....was that not what the audiences back in those days thought too? Long hair, make up and loves of 'feminine' clothes...who the hell was this guy? That's exactly what we should have been feeling until he opened his mouth and sang those first notes of 'Wanna Play House.' but that's just my opinion.
Your wife said she doesn't like the feminization of the King but what about all the pink suits and outfits he wore?
Interesting. I just did an image search on Google and other search engines. I don't see a single photo of Elvis in a pink suit or pink outfit. "all the pink suits and outfits he wore" is something you made up in your mind?
I also don't see any photos that indicate he wore lipstick as depicted in the film either.
You're wife is upset he looks like a girl...well....was that not what the audiences back in those days thought too?
LOL no. He was known as the KING for a reason. He was masculinity personified to the point that women threw their panties on stage. He was censored from the hips down on TV due to his perceived effect on women. That's the opposite of femininity.
Long hair, make up and loves of 'feminine' clothes...who the hell was this guy?
Long hair? Young Elvis? I challenge you to find a single picture of young Elvis with long hair like you would expect to see on a woman. Just one.
While you're at it, find a picture of him wearing what anyone would consider 'feminine' clothes.
I have searched google, bing, duck duck go, and brave. I don't find the "many photos of Elvis wearing pink." Certainly not a pink suit or pink outfit.
I'm not sure why you're so fixated on pink anyway. I didn't reference the color in my original post. I clearly mentioned the lace shirts. I only mentioned it due to the claim in the reply of "all the pink suits and outfits he wore" which I still don't see a preponderance of.
Even if Elvis did wear a pink jacket like in the single example you provided, the cut of the cloth was in no way feminine. At all.
The pink suit was not authentic. They invented many of those outfits in the movie. But he often wore pink and black and I'm sure the filmmaker just didn't want to take the time to recreate actual outfits Elvis wore. So he did an approximation.
The outfits were not invented for the movie. Baz and his team researched this for 10 years. You and your wife are just not much of an Elvis fan that's all. Pick up any book and his gaudy pink outfits are always mentioned. You may not find pink feminine today but they were back then. And yes Elvis hair was considered long for the 50s. Just watch the film Tea and Sympathy (1956), that boy there had hair as long as Elvis and he was bullied for it.
Elvis was a scout in the 3d Armored Division in Europe during a very dangerous time. Never accepted easier duty than his fellow soldiers despite his fame and connections. He did what his country and the Army asked of him. Wore olive drab during those two years just like every other soldier. Good enough proof for me that he was real man regardless of his costumes while performing.
You are correct. Contrary to what people imagine of him and how he may be depicted in modern times, Elvis was a man's man. The Army service, the hip gyrations, the panties on the stage, the movie roles he played, the women he banged are all a testament to his masculinity.
Elvis was very masculine and sexual on stage. His image is the image that rockstars have all emulated and that includes makeup, long hair, and gaudy clothes. He was also sensitive and a good man regardless of his faults. And yes he was considered to be 1 of the best soldiers by his superiors.
Elvis was the King of rock n roll, look how rockstars dress, effeminate clothes, long hair and makeup, all imitated and exaggerated from Elvis Presley himself. Pick up any Elvis biography or any Elvis book for that matter, I recommend Peter Guralnick's Last Train to Memphis, it is all detailed there. Elvis loved the combination of pink and black, in fact his bedroom in Audubon Drive was pink! His famous Hound Dog performance in Milton Berle's show where they wanted to cancel him for lewed acts, he wore pink there too!
Elvis famously popularized the duck tail and long side burns, both were kept short in the 50s, especially in Memphis in Humes Highschool. In fact that's how he met Red West, his later bodyguard. 3 school bullies cornered Elvis in the bathroom and they wanted to cut his long hair to a crew cut that most if not all boys wore in Humes Highschool. No it's not as long as females wear but it was still considered long hair at that time. Here watch Red tell the story:
Elvis wore makeup on stage and in portraits in the 50s. If the actor looks overly made up they just put too much on. I'm sorry but no one could be more hetero than the King. Nothing could ever feminize him. However, the wardrobe in the movie was not totally authentic. I don't remember him in a lace shirt either.
This is a hilarious thread. People are so insecure about their perception of sexuality.
A performer wearing makeup? Oh my goodness!
A performer wearing flashy outfits? Say it ain't so!
A performer who dyes his hair? Lordy!
This film did NOT make him "effeminate." It portrayed him as a flashy entertainer who charmed the ladies, which is pretty much how I remember him being.
What? Your wife must not be that much of a fan then because Elvis was known to have worn a lot of lace and sheer shirts in the 50s. The black lace in the film is exactly what he used to wear, he had blue, white and black of that same lace shirt. He would even tie his shirt in front. He was obsessed with pink and black color combinations too.
2. Elvis didn't wear lipstick but wore lots of eye makeup, mascara being his favorite. He would also use mascara on his eyebrows bec Elvis in the 50s and 60s only dyed his hair black, his eyebrows were lighter and undyed until 1968 when he began dying both his eyelashes and eyebrows too.
Elvis popularized the effeminate rockstar look that you see Bowie and Plant imitate in the 60s and 70s.