TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025 REVIEW! EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, the latest film from Baz Luhrmann, cuts together previously unseen footage of Elvis’s years of residency in Las Vegas to create an incredible spectacle, delving deep into the man and performer in a way that no other work, written or filmed, has been able to achieve. While I see the allure of the name EPiC, which aptly describes this tour de force of a film, the subtitle, Elvis Presley in Concert, is misleading. This is neither a concert film nor a documentary. It has elements of both, which come together in a way that is fresh, unique, and profound.
“…Elvis discussing his life and career, set against footage and stills relevant to the era he was talking about, interspersed with his performances in Vegas.”
While producing Elvis, Luhrmann and his producers unearthed more than 50 hours of previously unseen footage from a salt mine in Kansas. It spanned his Las Vegas years, from 1969 to 1976. The audio was separated from the film and had to be synced in a painstaking process that took two years. Some audio of Elvis talking about his life and career had no video. In the end, they produced a film featuring Elvis discussing his life and career, set against footage and stills relevant to the era he was talking about, interspersed with his performances in Vegas.
The songs in EPiC are unlike anything I’ve ever seen, often intercutting between two, three, or even four performances, complete with Elvis’ changing costumes, age, and waistline. The nearly seamless transitions (sometimes despite changing tempos) are an editing masterclass, and serve to underline how much Elvis brought to every show. It may have been the thousandth time he’d performed a song, but as he reminds us, it was the first time this audience was seeing him. Some songs are only partial, before Elvis comes in and says the relevance, or some formative thing about his career. We get to see rare footage of rehearsals, where he is finding his way through the emotion of the song with the band, and critically, developing his performance. And sometimes songs start out with the rehearsal, trying out ideas, and then merge into the fully developed live performance in all its glory.
The film looks and sounds incredible. Peter Jackson’s team, who carefully restored Beatles footage in Get Back, worked their magic here to bring Elvis back in vivid glory. In fact, a better title would have been Elvis Lives, because this footage is so beautiful and clear, and the film is so intimate, that it seems like this was shot yesterday and we’re having a conversation with him.
"…Luhrmann cuts through the baggage we bring and gives us a fresh look at one of the most fascinating and accomplished musicians who has ever lived."
