Review of The King

You pick up a copy of "The King", knowing that it's about Elvis Presley, and you expect a warmhearted tribute to one of the pioneers of early rock n' roll. What you get instead is a scathing indictment of America and what was once considered admirable, the pursuit of the American Dream. For example, did you know that Elvis Presley was at the center of America's cultural, military and economic imperialism? That's according to self proclaimed Communist and CNN contributor Van Jones, one of the names interviewed for this rolling look at director Eugene Jarecki's twisted view of the music icon. In it's own way, the film does nothing less than bash the legacy of Elvis Presley, accusing the singer of cultural appropriation for bringing gospel and blues to the forefront of America's musical tastes. Personally, if Elvis had even one percent of the things on his mind that he's alleged to have had in this picture, I'd be incredibly stunned. With a host of left leaning commentators like Jones, James Carville, rapper Chuck D, Dan Rather, Mike Myers and Ethan Hawke, there's no doubt that the narrative is agenda driven to rewrite the legacy of the King of Rock n' Roll. Actor Hawke was particularly acerbic in his personal comments about Presley, whereas most of the others engaged in talking points about America's history of racism and exclusion. I had all I could do to make it to the end of the picture while firmly grasping the arms of the chair I was sitting in, but to be fair, I maintained self control in order to give the picture it's due. For potential viewers, this is peripherally about Elvis Presley, with a smattering of music and clips of the singer you might not have seen before. You might pick up a thing or two you didn't know before, and a lot more propaganda than you bargained for.